Veterans missing out on benefits as backlog slows claims

Congressmen: Veterans missing out on benefits as backlog slows claims at Detroit Benefit Center
Published: Thursday, February 23, 2012
By Jonathan Oosting

U.S. Reps. Hansen Clarke and Dan Benishek are crossing party lines to help Michigan veterans suffering as a result of a substantial request backlog at the Detroit Benefit Center.

Clarke, a Detroit Democrat, and Benishek, a Republican representing parts of northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, met with officials today at the Veterans Affairs regional office in the McNamara Federal Building, which processes benefit requests from veterans around the state.

An influx in vets returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with aging Vietnam veterans developing symptoms later in life as a result of chemical warfare, has created a backlog of benefit requests around the nation.
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