Older Veterans Will Need More Help Filling Claims

New VA Claims Process Called Detrimental to Older Veterans 
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
by Brian Bowling
Feb 23, 2015

While the new Department of Veterans Affairs claims process uses forms that are simpler than income tax return forms, they have similar names and designs. More importantly, they represent a shift that puts more of the burden on veterans for starting a claim and will end up hurting older veterans and those with traumatic brain injuries, spokesmen for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans said. "In the end, the changes are being implemented for the convenience of the VA and not for the benefit of the veterans," said Gerald Manar, deputy director of the VFW's National Veterans Service.

The policy, which will take effect March 24, eliminates the informal claim process that allowed veterans to start a claim simply by making a written request. Under the existing policy, the veteran then had one year to file a completed claim. Any benefits awarded would be backdated to the day of the request.

The new policy requires veterans to fill out a standardized form to start the claims process. "They're not going to do anything until they receive the correct form, completed correctly," said Jim Marszalek, the DAV's National Service Director. Consequently, veterans could lose months of benefits while waiting for the VA to notify them that they need to send in the correct form, and some are likely to simply give up, he said. "There's nothing (in the regulation) to specify how long the VA has to respond to someone who doesn't use a standard form," Marszalek said.
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