Talk to just about anyone who has been working in the veterans benefits industry for more than 8 years and they can give you plenty of stories of applications for benefits taking a long time. It is still the case to for some, depending on the complexity of the claim being made.
IMPORTANT NOTE: It is up the to veteran to prove they have a service connected disability, not the VA. The VA will determine whether it is service connected and how much the veteran is disabled.
Just a few years ago the VA Back log received quite a lot of attention and it still is today. I am not speaking of the backlog to receive healthcare, but the benefits side. Over the last 15 years, in my opinion, there has been a traffic jam of several interchanging events that have made a bottleneck at the VA.
1. Information sharing and awareness of Agent Orange and the diseases it causes was finally receiving attention in Washington and more presumptive diseases were added to the list for Vietnam Era Veterans.
2. World War II and Korean Veterans were applying for VA benefits late in their years.
3. We entered the Global War on Terror
4. VA personnel who had been hired in the 1980's to help with backlog then were reaching retirement and some contracts required they be forced to retire, leaving an experience gap.
5. The new personnel did not have the experience.
6. The bureaucracy of the system itself was fully exposed for it inefficiencies.
7. Funding
I am sure the list could go on and on, but the system was choking itself, so the VA came up with the Fully Developed Claim process, where veterans could compile ALL of the information required by the VA on their own before submitting it. With the help of a VSO a veteran then could be placed in a different pile for processing and the process has proven to be much faster then not submitting a FDC.
Is it working? According to 2013 testimony by The American Legion to Congress, yes it is. http://www.legion.org/veteransbenefits/217119/are-fully-developed-claims-helping-veterans
The VA has a short video about the FDC.
As a veteran, I enjoy reading your blogs! This is extremely valuable information that most veterans are unaware of. My father-in-law had a LONG experience trying to receive disability, but he finally started receiving it last year. Thank you for making this information available.
ReplyDeleteSuch good info!
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