Managing Benefits Claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans rely on the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) for many important services such as healthcare, vocational rehabilitation, life insurance, educational assistance, disability compensation, pension and other benefits. It is troubling to hear the recent stories of the VA’s carelessness in assisting veterans in need. (Click To Read About The VA Hospital Scandal). This news comes as no surprise to veterans who have relied on the VA for medical treatment, life insurance, disability compensation, and other benefits. The VA currently has a backlog of over 340,000 claims, which means that hundreds of thousands of veterans are waiting for the benefits they need and deserve.

We hear over and over again from veterans that the VA has mismanaged their claims, by failing to process paperwork, request documents and obtain treatment records. On top of that, the VA pressures veterans to rely on Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) to apply for disability compensation, pension and other benefits. Service organizations sometimes struggle to meet the demands of veterans’ claims for disability compensation and benefits as they have high caseloads stemming from the backlog and they have to focus their efforts on providing other services for veterans. This leaves veterans having to deal with the poor service of the VA and overwhelmed service organizations when applying for disability compensation, pension and benefits. This is why it is important that veterans seek assistance from experienced VA accredited attorneys when applying for VA benefits.

A veteran recently told me about his experience with the VA stating that “the main job of the VA is to place veterans on hold.” This veteran has gone through various service organizations and has spoken with dozens of VA representatives over the years regarding his claim for service-connected disability compensation. He was told over and over again that the VA was evaluating his claim, that it would take months for the VA to process his claim and that he should check in later. These months turned into years, yet his claim went nowhere. When he asked the service organization for his claims file, he found out that there was no file.

If you are experiencing any of these problems in your claim for VA benefits, we can help. Our experienced attorneys are familiar with the VA claims process, eligibility requirements, and types of benefits offered by the VA. We interact with the VA on a regular basis, and will help you gather the information needed to prove your claim. Please call us if you have any questions regarding your current VA claim(s), or if you intend to apply for disability compensation and/or pension. Our experienced attorneys will guide your claim for benefits step by step through the Department of Veterans Affairs.