NORAD 76

No problem, Carlie. This whole thread has been quite enlightening to me. UPDATE: I filed for SMC in May 2013. In July, I got a letter from VA telling me that they had received my application for PENSION. Sure enough, EBenefits shows that I now had a claim opened for pension--something that I didn't request, and of which I'm not elgible. I visited my DAV office and voiced my concerns. They told me that I had to speak to the VA regarding this, so I waited an extra 30 minutes to speak with a VA rep. Of course, the VA rep told me that they couldn't help me, and that I needed to speak with DAV (again). OK, enough of this crap. I went back to the DAV, and said I needed to speak with a VSO. The receptionist tried to blow me off again, but I interrupted her, and told her that It appeared that my claim had been misapplied, and the DAV had to fix it. She begrudgingly told me to wait for the VSO. The VSO admitted that "an error had been made," and assured me that it would be fixed post-haste. By the time I got home, EBenefits showed that the PENSION claim was closed out, and a COMPENSATION claim was created with the correct creation date. The moral of the story seems to be in harmony with some of the comments on this thread: the Veteran needs to do his own research and understand the process. Were it not for this forum, I wouldn't have noticed the discrepancy, and my claim would've probably been denied (after languishing around for months and months). I had to spot the error, and force the VSO to correct it. Lesson learned.

OK, Bronco, time for me to show my ignorance: What's a CUE? Derek

Thanks, J. I've already got a statement from my doctor stating that my wife is assisting me with my dialysis treatments. Has this become available for veterans who served before 9/11/2001? I served during the 70's.

I'm 100% T&P for kidney failure requiring dialysis, and 10% hypertension. I currently perform dialysis at home. This involves 4 dialysis treatments each day. I won't live very long if I don't receive these treatments. Although my wife wasn't officially trained on this method of dialysis, I wouldn't be able to do these treatments by myself. First of all, I'm unable to lift more than 10 pounds. Therefore, my wife has to lift heavy boxes of dialysis solution, and load bags of solution onto my machine. She records my blood pressure and weight prior to and after each treatment. She also helps me prepare and administer my injectable medications. Additionally, she drives me to my numerous medical appointments. Since all of the above has to happen several times throughout the day, my wife no longer works. I therefore spoke with a DAV SO regarding special monthly compensation. He gave me an Aid and Attendance form, which my kidney doctor filled out. When I turned in the filled form, I asked the VSO which form of SMC I could expect to receive. He said that I would surely never get anything more than S. I disagree. As the above shows, my wife does a heck of a lot more than pour me lemonade. I wouldn't be able to perform dialysis 4 times each day by myself; therefore, her aid and attendance is essential for my continued life. Which form of SMC would my current circumstances warrant? L, R or S? IMO, it appears that I'm definitely qualified for SMC L. However, I've seen a couple of instances where people similar to me have gotten R. Thanks in advance for any advice. This is a ridiculously complicated topic, and it shouldn't be.