Posted on 08/13/2012 9:36:39 PM PDT by fromatornmind
My name is (Deleted) and I am a Veteran of the U.S. Army. I was deployed in efforts of Operation Iraqi Freedom I (2003). I am contacting you because I am concerned over the way the GiBill standard of living payments are being handled by the Veterans Administration and how it is close to impossible for a Veteran to contact the VA over the phone to handle this matter or others.
I am a student at (Deleted) University where the year is broken down into 2 sessions that are 8 weeks long that make up one semester. I don’t know how things are going at a standard University with distribution of standard of living pay. The way things work is that a certifying official certifies us at our school, which sends this information to the VA. We usually get the check the next month but things have been going very slow at the VA. There are a lot of us that have not received our checks. For some of us it is important that we get these checks so that we can pay rent, gas money, and food. This has not affected me because I save money because of my distrust in the VA system. Others are not like me and are under great stress. The Veterans in this country do not deserve to have any added stressors. It is hard enough for us to be students after being in combat and some of us with injuries that also make it hard. There has to be a way to make this process faster so that the government will not leave us Veterans out to dry. We are taught in the Military to watch out for your battle buddy, the man to your left or your right, and that is what I am doing by alerting you to this unjust action that is taking place. I just truly hope that you care enough.
The second point is that it is next to impossible to contact the VA over the phone. I recently called to discuss what was happening with the checks and could not even make through to an open line to be put on hold. I made an appointment for them to call me back. I called on a Thursday and the next available appointment was Wednesday of the next week. This is not the caliber of service that should be given to a Veteran of the U. S. Armed Services. I think that we deserve better and that it is a crying shame that this is going on. It is just hard to find anyone that cares.
Thank you for your time I appreciate it. If you would like to discuss this or anything further please do not hesitate to contact me.
(This was sent by me to the following: House Committee for Veterans Affairs, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, and US Representative Ed Royce. Some people might call these dumb stupid complaints. However, I have seen how these actions are affecting Veterans at my small school. If this is happening at a small scale at my school I can only imagine what is taking place across the country. Thank you for your time in reading this.)
healthcare is being cut or consolidated too. co pays increased. Its still a good deal but seems like everything gets cut but the brass. they get their raises.
1. The level of grammar of this letter is on a grade school level (maybe 6th grade).
2. I wonder what major he is in or what kind of job he is looking for upon graduation.
3. I am a 20 year vet with 3 deployments. So f-off.
Extending it to family members was nice, but it was a budget buster that will ultimately lose benefits for those who served.
yeah the VA is sending out letters that students’ kicker payments that were approved are now not approved and messing with people right before their student housing payment is due and forcing them to appeal to get money they are already due. It’s wrong, it’s manipulative and it is because the govt is BROKE
The trolls will be out.
fromatornmind
Since Aug 13, 2012
yitbos
My major is Bachelors of Science with a concentration in Electronics and Computer Technology. I hope to go on to get my Masters in Project Management. I apologize if you feel as if the letter was written poorly. I will take that into consideration in the future. Also thank you for your service of 20 years with 3 deployments. I was injured in my first deployment and did not have the option to reenlist.
Screwing veterans is an age-old tradition.
He's appealing to us to help our brothers who have done their day on the front lines.
fromatornmind
I will make half a dozen phone calls tomorrow to my Senators and Congressmen, the DAV, the VA and the Armed Services Committee membership to see if I can open some eyes for you and your friends.
The letter sounds fine to me.
The issues with not being able to contact the VA for student issues is the same with trying to contact them for other VA related issues. If you are lucky enough to get through to the appointment line, you feel like you have accomplished the impossible.
Did you say an 8-week long semester? At a NOT “standard” university? If so, I think I have an idea of what the problem is with the VA...
This is my reply from Dianne Feinstein in regard to the letter that I sent her above.
Dear (Deleted):
Thank you for writing to express your concern about the length of time it takes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to process Veterans’ benefit claims. Your correspondence is important to me, and I welcome this opportunity to respond.
First, let me express my sincere appreciation for members of the Armed Services who have answered the call to duty and selflessly sacrificed for our Nation. Our Veterans have earned these benefits, and the long delays at VA are simply unacceptable.
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has made it a top priority for the Administration to end the claims backlog by 2014. With my support, on December 23, 2011, H.R. 2055, a consolidated appropriations bill that provides funding for the VA for Fiscal Year 2012, was signed into law (Public Law 112-74). The law provides $169.9 million for the Veterans Benefit Management System, which upgrades technology and speeds up claims processing. In addition, the VA has recently hired more than 3,500 new VA employees to expedite the claims process. Furthermore, in April 2011, with my support, President Obama signed it into law H.R. 1473 (Public Law 112-10), which provides funding to the Veterans Benefits Administration to specifically fund hiring and modernization initiatives to reduce the VA claims backlog.
On April 12, 2011, Representative Bob Filner (D-CA) introduced the “Veterans Appeals Improvement Act” (H.R. 1484). This legislation would streamline the appellate process for benefit claims of the VA by allowing a Veteran claimant to submit new evidence in support of a case for which a substantive appeal has been filed to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, instead of the agency of jurisdiction, which is the current process.
Please know that on May 31, 2011, the House of Representatives voted in favor of the “Veterans Appeals Improvement Act”, and it was referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. Although I am not a member of this committee, please know that I am closely monitoring developments regarding the VA claims backlog, and I will be sure to keep your comments in mind should this or related legislation come before me for consideration.
Once again, I appreciate hearing from you. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841.
Sincerely yours,
Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator
Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the nation are available at my website, Feinstein.senate.gov. You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to my e-mail list. Click here to sign up. And please visit my YouTube, Facebook and Twitter for more ways to communicate with me.
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