---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 5510"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "5510"
heading: "Annual report"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/5510"
units:
  - "Part IV — General Administrative Provisions"
  - "Chapter 55 — Minors, Incompetents, and Other Wards"
---

# §5510. Annual report


The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall include in the Annual Benefits Report of the [Veterans](/usc/38/101.md?p=2) Benefits Administration or the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1)’s Annual Performance and Accountability Report information concerning fiduciaries who have been appointed to receive payments for beneficiaries of the [Department](/usc/38/101.md?p=1). As part of such information, the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall separately set forth the following:

- (1) The number of beneficiaries in each category ([veteran](/usc/38/101.md?p=2), [surviving spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=3), [child](/usc/38/101.md?p=4-A), adult disabled [child](/usc/38/101.md?p=4-A), or [parent](/usc/38/101.md?p=5)).
- (2) The types of benefit being paid ([compensation](/usc/38/101.md?p=13), [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15), [dependency and indemnity compensation](/usc/38/101.md?p=14), death [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) or benefits payable to a disabled [child](/usc/38/101.md?p=4-A) under [chapter 18](/usc/38/chptII/ch18.md) of this title).
- (3) The total annual amounts and average annual amounts of benefits paid to fiduciaries for each category and type of benefit.
- (4) The number of fiduciaries who are the [spouse](/usc/38/101.md?p=31), [parent](/usc/38/101.md?p=5), legal custodian, court-appointed fiduciary, institutional fiduciary, custodian in fact, and supervised direct payees.
- (5) The number of cases in which the fiduciary was changed by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) because of a finding that benefits had been misused.
- (6) How such cases of misuse of benefits were addressed by the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1).
- (7) The final disposition of such cases of misuse of benefits, including the number and dollar amount of any benefits reissued to beneficiaries.
- (8) The number of fiduciary cases referred to the Office of the Inspector General and the nature of the actions taken by the Inspector General.
- (9) The total amount of money recovered by the Government in cases arising from the misuse of benefits by a fiduciary.
- (10) Such other information as the [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) considers appropriate.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–454, title V, § 505(a), Dec. 10, 2004, 118 Stat. 3621; amended Pub. L. 111–275, title X, § 1001(l), Oct. 13, 2010, 124 Stat. 2897.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2010—Pub. L. 111–275, § 1001(l)(1), substituted “following:” for “following: —” in introductory provisions.

Par. (9). Pub. L. 111–275, § 1001(l)(2), substituted “Government” for “government”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Dec. 10, 2004, see section 507(b)(1) of Pub. L. 108–454, set out as an Effective Date of 2004 Amendment note under section 5312 of this title.