Washington, D.C. ? Surviving spouses of war veterans have been wrongfully denied up to millions of dollars in government benefits over the past 12 years because of computer glitches that often resulted in money being seized from the elderly survivors’ bank accounts.

The Veterans Affairs Department said Saturday it wasn’t fully aware of the problem. It pledged to work quickly to give back the pension and disability checks — ranging from $100 to more than $2,500 — that hundreds of thousands of widows or widowers should have received during the month of their spouse’s death.

“This problem must be fixed,” said VA Secretary James Peake. The department indicated in an “action plan” provided to he Associated Press that up to millions of dollars in back payments could be given to the surviving spouses sometime after next February, once it can identify them.

To expedite matters, the VA said those who believe they were wrongfully denied payments can call its help line at

1-800-827-1000.