Rather surprisingly, there have been some positive changes in the way Bu$hCo mistreats our veterans. As reported by military.com:
The new Veterans Benefits Act changes many benefits for veterans. The Act changes the fees veterans must pay to participate in VA loans and extends the expiration date of existing benefits for reservists. Education benefits for survivors and dependents have increased by 13 percent. Eligible disabled veterans will see increased grants for automobiles and the necessary equipment needed to accommodate severe disabilities and increased housing grants. For a complete review, go to the Department of Veteran Affairs website, which provides a comprehensive list of benefits for military veterans and their families and stays current with pending legislation that affects benefits.
Veterans pursuing their educational goals are usually eligible for "educational assistance for students" in most states, including the District of Columbia. Educational benefits for veterans and their dependents, particularly the children of deceased and disabled veterans, are also available in some states. Military.com has developed an on-line general summary of educational benefits for veterans and their dependents. Click here to see the complete summary.You have two steps to getting started on your education goals. The first is to find scholarships - it is never too early to begin looking for money for school. The second step is to use the Military.com "School Finder" to get free information from fully accredited "military family friendly" colleges and universities that are eager to serve the education needs of military families.
A bill which would allow veterans to hire lawyers to represent them in their efforts to obtain federal benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has been introduced by U.S. Senators Larry Craig (R-Idaho) and Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). Under current law, all 24 million living veterans are prohibited from hiring a lawyer to help them navigate the Veterans Affairs system. It is only after a veteran has spent months and even years exhausting the extensive VA administrative process that the veteran then may retain counsel - a process that often takes 3 or more years to complete. Under the current appeals system, about 85 percent of veterans choose to be represented by Veterans' Service Organizations or state veterans agency personnel.
The current legislation authorizes a lawyer to charge no more than $10 for representation in veterans claims. That’s obviously a bad law, since you couldn’t even hire a poor-quality lawyer, such as, ohhh…say Glenn Reynolds for that kind of price. The system really left vets at a great disadvantage. I’m glad to see someone has stepped up to the plate to make the system slightly more balanced although I am incensed that there’s no Dem Senator working on this.
Vietnam Veterans of American has a good webpage devoted to how to get the best results in your claim.
Trackback Pings
http://www.mainandcentral.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/34
Comments
Well that's a good start,I'm always happy to hear when someone fixes something that's broken and it makes life easier for vets and their families.
As a 64 year old Vietnam Vet who has just been turned down for an increase for PTSD from 30% to 70%, I would like to say thanks for the informnation. Keep up the good work
Donn
You're welcome, Donn. Thanks for reading us. One of our regulars is kinda sorta associated with the VA, and we're waiting for an update from him on some possible new programs.
Please stayed tuned; we'll pass on information as it becomes available.
I am skeptical that hiring a lawyer at the start of a VA claim is going to work for most vets. The success rate for vets who use (for free) a recommended service officer from one of the authorized agencies is very good.
Where the claim is denied or paid at a rate the vet thinks is unfair, the problem is usually with medical evidence that will be impossible to find, or in a minority of the cases, clear mistakes by the VA.
Therefore the cost in time and money for lawyers to deliver this extra little potential benefit is very high. Fees would be high and in my experience, the claim would be processed much slower.
I have worked with lawyers for forty years, in the Navy, banking, insurance and VA matters. I do not think this is an effective solution, mainly just a way for the lawyers to make more money.
Cheers
Post a comment