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VA can't process claim for secondary contention because an appeal is pending?

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bleggett29

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Back in 2013 I finally was awarded 100% P&T for Panic Disorder w/ Agoraphobia. However, the effective date should have been 6 months earlier, so I sent a NOD. Recently I sent a claim for loss of use (ED) secondary to Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia due to medication. About a week later I receive a letter that the VA can't  work on the claim due to the pending appeal.

I'm confused because in 2016 I sent a claim for OSA secondary to Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia. That claim was worked on, of course being denied(NOD not yet sent).

I've been combing through the VA manual and can't find where claims are not worked on because of a pending appeal. I did find where a FDC claim is excluded from FDC but should follow the normal route for claims instead.

Does anyone know where in the manual or CFR that address my situation?

 

Thanks

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Tatoo this on your arm so that you remember it, and can refer to it when all else fails:

Quote

You can not trust everything VA employees or VSO's tell you.  

Further, you are entilted to a decision, per 38 cfr 3.103, below:

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3.103 Procedural due process and appellate rights.

(a)Statement of policy. Every claimant has the right to written notice of the decision made on his or her claim, the right to a hearing, and the right of representation. Proceedings before VA are ex parte in nature, and it is the obligation of VA to assist a claimant in developing the facts pertinent to the claim and to render a decision which grants every benefit that can be supported in law while protecting the interests of the Government. The provisions of this section apply to all claims for benefits and relief, and decisions thereon, within the purview of this part 3.

(b)The right to notice -

(1)General. Claimants and their representatives are entitled to notice of any decision made by VA affecting the payment of benefits or the granting of relief. Such notice shall clearly set forth the decision made, any applicable effective date, the reason(s) for the decision, the right to a hearing on any issue involved in the claim, the right of representation and the right, as well as the necessary procedures and time limits, to initiate an appeal of the decision.

(2)Advance notice and opportunity for hearing. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, no award of compensation, pension or dependency and indemnity compensation shall be terminated, reduced or otherwise adversely affected unless the beneficiary has been notified of such adverse action and has been provided a period of 60 days in which to submit evidence for the purpose of showing that the adverse action should not be taken.

(3)Exceptions. In lieu of advance notice and opportunity for a hearing, VA will send a written notice to the beneficiary or his or her fiduciary at the same time it takes an adverse action under the following circumstances:

(i) An adverse action based solely on factual and unambiguous information or statements as to income, net worth, or dependency or marital status that the beneficiary or his or her fiduciary provided to VA in writing or orally (under the procedures set forth in § 3.217(b)), with knowledge or notice that such information would be used to calculate benefit amounts.

(ii) An adverse action based upon the beneficiary's or fiduciary's failure to return a required eligibility verification report.

(iii) Evidence reasonably indicates that a beneficiary is deceased. However, in the event that VA has received a death certificate, a terminal hospital report verifying the death of a beneficiary or a claim for VA burial benefits, no notice of termination (contemporaneous or otherwise) will be required.

(iv) An adverse action based upon a written and signed statement provided by the beneficiary to VA renouncing VA benefits (see § 3.106 on renouncement).

(v) An adverse action based upon a written statement provided to VA by a veteran indicating that he or she has returned to active service, the nature of that service, and the date of reentry into service, with the knowledge or notice that receipt of active service pay precludes concurrent receipt of VA compensation or pension (see § 3.654 regarding active service pay).

(vi) An adverse action based upon a garnishment order issued under 42 U.S.C. 659(a).

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501(a))

(4)Restoration of benefits. VA will restore retroactively benefits that were reduced, terminated, or otherwise adversely affected based on oral information or statements if within 30 days of the date on which VA issues the notification of adverse action the beneficiary or his or her fiduciary asserts that the adverse action was based upon information or statements that were inaccurate or upon information that was not provided by the beneficiary or his or her fiduciary. This will not preclude VA from taking subsequent action that adversely affects benefits.

(c)The right to a hearing.

(1) Upon request, a claimant is entitled to a hearing at any time on any issue involved in a claim within the purview of part 3 of this chapter, subject to the limitations described in § 20.1304 of this chapter with respect to hearings in claims which have been certified to the Board of Veterans' Appeals for appellate review. VA will provide the place of hearing in the VA office having original jurisdiction over the claim or at the VA office nearest the claimant's home having adjudicative functions, or, subject to available resources and solely at the option of VA, at any other VA facility or federal building at which suitable hearing facilities are available. VA will provide one or more employees who have original determinative authority of such issues to conduct the hearing and be responsible for establishment and preservation of the hearing record. Hearings in connection with proposed adverse actions and appeals shall be held before one or more VA employees having original determinative authority who did not participate in the proposed action or the decision being appealed. All expenses incurred by the claimant in connection with the hearing are the responsibility of the claimant.

(2) The purpose of a hearing is to permit the claimant to introduce into the record, in person, any available evidence which he or she considers material and any arguments or contentions with respect to the facts and applicable law which he or she may consider pertinent. All testimony will be under oath or affirmation. The claimant is entitled to produce witnesses, but the claimant and witnesses are expected to be present. The Veterans Benefits Administration will not normally schedule a hearing for the sole purpose of receiving argument from a representative. It is the responsibility of the VA employee or employees conducting the hearings to explain fully the issues and suggest the submission of evidence which the claimant may have overlooked and which would be of advantage to the claimant's position. To assure clarity and completeness of the hearing record, questions which are directed to the claimant and to witnesses are to be framed to explore fully the basis for claimed entitlement rather than with an intent to refute evidence or to discredit testimony. In cases in which the nature, origin, or degree of disability is in issue, the claimant may request visual examination by a physician designated by VA and the physician's observations will be read into the record.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 501)

If the VA rendered a decision, then you can appeal it.  If they did not render a decision, then this may be a violation of 3.103.  However, VA can likely "weasel out" of this by saying..."Oh we are still working on your claim, we just cant render a decision until the appeal is complete".  

We are at the VA's mercy.  You could try calling/emailing the white house and explain as you did for us.  

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13 hours ago, bleggett29 said:

Back in 2013 I finally was awarded 100% P&T for Panic Disorder w/ Agoraphobia. However, the effective date should have been 6 months earlier, so I sent a NOD. Recently I sent a claim for loss of use (ED) secondary to Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia due to medication. About a week later I receive a letter that the VA can't  work on the claim due to the pending appeal.

I'm confused because in 2016 I sent a claim for OSA secondary to Panic Disorder/Agoraphobia. That claim was worked on, of course being denied(NOD not yet sent).

I've been combing through the VA manual and can't find where claims are not worked on because of a pending appeal. I did find where a FDC claim is excluded from FDC but should follow the normal route for claims instead.

Does anyone know where in the manual or CFR that address my situation?

 

Thanks

@broncovet provides great information.

I went through a similar situation, but it was before I was SC for a condition. I filed an initial claim for X, but simultaneously filed for X and Z as secondary to X. Of course, the VA denied everything. When I filed my NOD, I made sure to reiterate my claims for all three conditions. Eventually, I won X as direct PC, but also won secondary SC for Y and Z at the same time.

A NOD for an EED should not inhibit the VA's ability to process any claims secondary to a SC disability. To me, I assume someone was working your claim on a Friday and took the easy and incorrect way out so they could go home early.

 

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From what I gather from the responses is that there should not be anything holding back my claim and I should raise holly h*ll? OK, got it.

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Raising "holly h##ll" may not produce the best results for you.  Try this, instead, in this order:

1.  Send an IRIS email inquiring as to the status of your claim (not the appeal).  

2.  Call "someone other than the person you spoke with before", and get their answer.  The Va is not a unified body, and if you ask 10 VA employees the same question you will likely get 10 different answers.  

3.  Consider emailing or calling the white house, perhaps, and explain there is no regulation which prohibits a Veteran from filing a claim while he is in appeals on another issue.  

4.  Consider filing a writ of mandamus to compel VA to issue a written decision on your claim and to terminate the unnecessary delays waiting for the appeals to fininsh.  This could take four or more years for your appeals to finish.  

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Have you ever been considered for Housebound status?

Vets with the same award (I finally was awarded 100% P&T for Panic Disorder w/ Agoraphobia)

have succeeded in the SMC S Housebound award.

I found a recent BVA decision on that but the BVA web site went down minutes ago for maintenance.

The vet had the same disability  as you have and BVA found he was not eligible for the S award prior to one date ( he could drive) but  which they then grnated as to SMC HB after that date as his disability  (agoraphobia)had caused him to be unable to leave his house -except for VA appointments.

I am parsing the award but when the site comes back up under the BVA search feature you an access similar claims.

 

 

 

 

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