U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka is urging spouses of deceased veterans to be sure they received compensation for the month of their spouse’s death.

The island Democrat said the Department of Veterans Affairs reported that 196,000 widows and widowers have received a total of $124 million in month-of-death back payments since he uncovered a VA accounting error in December 2008.

Akaka, chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said yesterday in a Washington news release that he wants to be sure that all surviving spouses receive the compensation they are due.

Akaka’s office says surviving spouses of veterans had been wrongfully denied the benefits for almost 12 years.