Department of Veterans Affairs officials wrongly declared 4,201 veterans as deceased when they were still living, and stripped them of their benefits between 2011 and 2015.

In a letter to Rep. Dave Jolly, R-Fla., who first raised the issue with the VA last year, acting Undersecretary for Benefits Danny Pummill said the VA was unable to determine why any of the veterans were accidentally listed in the agency’s records as deceased.