aggie54

SS back dated me by 3 years and after my lawyer was paid I received $27,000.00 retro. Congrtas.

I received a call tuesday from Nashville RO. The man told me that my claim was sent to them from the LA RO, in order for them to help out with the backlog. My claim is going on three years, and he wanted to know if I was willing to except a decision or if I wanted to wait until they received the information that they had requested on my IU claim because they never received my social security documents. I told him that I had just sent the information a few days prior, and I would rather wait until he received it and then make a decision, and he said that was fine and that he would be looking for the package from me. I asked him about how long it would take for them to make a decision once they received my information, and he said immediately because they are under a lot of pressure and they need to work on all the old claims and get them done. Well, today I checked the tracking number of the package I sent them and it shows as being received early yesterday. Now the final wait is on. I'll let you guys know how it go's as soon as I hear something back from them.

I think your right stretch, This people keep going back and forth from preparation for decision to gathering of evidence. Heck, I lost my left eye sight in 2007 while on active duty and retired in 2010. Well, when I lost my vision, the eye was treated by the Military doctors, civilian doctors, and last but not least the VA doctors, and to top it off the VA has all the necessary documents to make a final decision on the eye, but no, they decided to defer it instead when I received a partial rating last year. Yesterday I went to see my private doctor and he said that I still have a hole in my retina and it's not going to get any better. So my question is this, what are they waiting to see happen to my eye before they rate it? Make me wonder who's decision it is to make a decision?

Same here. I was able to get into VA letters once.

This probably doesn't have anything to do with this topic so my apologies . This morning my wife and I went to church, and in front of me sat an elderly veteran. This veteran had a cap which he took off and sat it behind him on the bench as we prayed. As I was praying i look down to see the cap, and I notice that the cap stated that he has served in WWii, Korea , and Vietnam, this veteran also had a Marine Corps Sgt Major emblem on his cap. This veteran must have been in his 80's or maybe even older, but the thing that got to me was the fact that every time he would stand, or sit he would pick up his cap, and I was so amazed on how much pride he showed of his cap , and his service to our country. Now, my question is this, why can't we have more people like this Sgt Major that showed so much pride and love for what he believes in, and do they right thing for our country and our fellow veterans?

Congrats. Now you are in the position to fight for your other health issue.. I'm so glad for you. God Bless :-)

Veldrina, in no way did I mean that your office was one of the offices that the employees are only there half the time. This remark was meant for the Los Angeles RO. Every time I call that office it always seems that they are either in a meeting, out for lunch, with a client, or have the day off, What the heck. So, I'll leave messages only to be called back 3 to 4 weeks later, and that's if I'm lucky to get a call back. I know for a fact that the RO in New York is working hard and long hours, because I have a few friends in that area that had their claims finished well under 365 days, now why can't that happen to the rest of the veterans, especially to the one's like me that are going on three years on their initial claims?

I really don't think that an extra 20 hours of overtime a month per employee is going to make such a big difference, heck, that's only 30 minutes extra per day per employee. Half the time these employees are never working on anything when they are there on their 8 hour work day as it is. This is only MHO.

broncovet, I know what you mean about an Open Dependent Claim for so long. Mine has been open since July 2010 and still at the Receive Claim staus, but when I received a partial award on March 2012 they dated my dependent claim as March 2012, shouldn't it have stayed with my original date of July 2010 when I first filed the claim and not when I got a partial award and 6 other contentions deferred? What's up with our government? We have served our country well, shouldn't they at least honor their word like we did. Makes me wonder if I did the right thing by sticking with the Military for so long and retiring with them after so many years. Now I'm old and all broken up like Humpty Dumpty and they can't even put me back together again, let alone pay me for my disabilities. So sad that they have to work like this.

Not Me

rpowell. I second that. They don't care about the veterans, they just see us as a different breed of people, that once belong to the Arm forces, which was something they never did, and so they blame us for their failures.

Stealth, mine did the same today. Went from gathering evidence to pending decision approval back to gathering of evidence. It's done this at least two other times within the last 12 momths. What's going on with these people?

IMO=Independent Medical Opinion.

Only thing I can say is that you're not alone. My claim for TDIU is now going on 15 months. Now, that's way pass any Deadline the VA may have. Just hang in there, hopefully we all hear something soon.

That's happened to me several times, even before Shineaki announced the "pretemination" decisions, so this is not a new thing. VA works like this.

I think the VA owes the Veterans of America much more than the veteran gets compared to what they get. I also believe that the employees that have not preformed well in their jobs should be fired, and maybe charged with Dereliction Of Duty for Poor Performance. Period! This is only my humble opinion.

Nice, 71. You deserve every penny they give you. Shame on them for making you wait for so many years to give you what is rightfully yours. Congrats,,,,, Aggie...

retireda44, I wish you well buddy with your claims through the VA. I also suffer from diabetes 11, and from eye disease, as a matter a fact i can only see through my right eye, lost my sight from my right eye. I also suffer from many other health issues. The doctors keep telling me the same thing, that my diabetes is well under control, hum, wonder why i always seem to feel so under the weather? Anyway, my friend, take care, and I hope you get your benefits and everything you deserve for serving our great country. Thank you for your service. Aggie.

Wicho58, I was stationed in French Creek from 1976 thru 1979, and I was in Camp Johnson for M.T. school in 1977. I would also like information on what to fill out for this water contamination problem but , I would have to wait to file a claim due to having a current claim pending since retiring from the military in 2010. I will probably wait to file a claim after this claim is closed cause I don't want it to delay my claim any longer. I do a lot of reading, and if I run into any information that might help us with this water contamination I will let you know. Take care Marine, and God Bless. Semper Fi. Aggie.

Thank you for the info jbasser, this makes me feel a lot better of things. I was a little worried!

Thank you for the info Berta. No, I'm not employed, I haven't worked since I was injured in the Military back in 2007, but I didn't retire from the Military until 2010, I was at home sick trying to recover. I also received my Social Security about 6 months after I retired due to my service connected injuries. Like I said, I received 90% and 6 other contentions were deferred to include TDIU which I added to my claim after I was rated at 90%, they didn't even suggest that I apply, but my DAV rep told me to fill out the request and submit it and so the VA added it as one of my deferred issues. I hope I made sense Berta. Thank you Berta for all the help you give us Veterans, and may god bless you. Aggie

Yea, great news my friend, you deserve it. Now, kick back and enjoy, but most of all, take care of your health and enjoy every moment with your family. Aggie ;-)

Hello family, a quick question. My claim has been open since July 2010, and on March 2012 I received a partial award of 90% service connected with 6 deferred issues. My regional office is LA, but e-Benefis is also showing Nashville as Temporary Regional office and LA as main regional office. Has anyone seen this, and if so, is there a reason for it? A little confused about it, that's all. Thank you in advance, and God Bless. Aggie

Congrats. So Happy for Ya....

Indyman, like so many of us pending VA claims have been where you are at, as a matter a fact, I am going on 3 years since I first put in my initial claim. March of last year I received a partial award 90% to be exact. I also put in a claim for TDIU due to my service connected disabilities, and I am going on 400 days since putting that claim in. So you're not alone, we all feel your pain. At this point we're in the mercy of the VA, and all we can do is just pray a lot and wait on their decision. Take care, and God Bless. Aggie