What’s happening with the VA and Cost of Living Adjustment’s? A few years ago the Department of Veterans Affairs required that all Pension recipients complete an Eligibility Verification Report. The VA used the EVR to ensure Pension recipients were still eligible for the benefits they were receiving. Veterans and surviving spouses were asked to update […]
How The VA’s Policy On Legal Fees Is Misguided
After reading a great article by Debbie Burak, I decided to write something about the VA’s policy on legal fees. I’ve often thought about the VA’s current policy, but Miss Burak’s piece finally compelled me to put some thoughts to paper. An attorney can charge a veteran or someone applying for benefits under the veteran’s service when […]
Will the VA Accept A Copy Of Your Discharge Papers?
I frequently receive questions about discharge papers. Do I need them? What kind will the Department of Veterans Affairs accept? But I don’t have a DD 214, what do I do? And the big question: will the Department of Veterans Affairs accept a copy of my dad’s discharge papers? Eligibility for VA Pension, and Aid […]
Aid and Attendance: How Dementia Affects Marital History
The Department of Veterans Affairs strives to be veteran friendly and non-adversarial. This mandate is essential to the VA’s founding principles and goes back as far as Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. In fact, President Lincoln spoke the words, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and […]
Will the Veterans Affairs Look-Back Law Help Veterans?
On October 28th, 2013 the House of Representatives passed HR 2189. HR 2189 threatens to drastically alter the Aid and Attendance landscape by penalizing most asset transfers. In other words, the Department of Veterans Affairs will penalize gifts if HR 2189 becomes law. In theory the potential law isn’t a negative development. The idea behind […]
VA Accreditation And Veterans Benefits
On August 1st, 2013 the Government Accountability Office released a report that states what anyone practicing Department of Veterans Affairs Pension Law already knows: the VA Accreditation system is fundamentally flawed. According to the report, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of General Counsel does not “sufficiently ensure that accredited representatives have good character and knowledge.” […]