GBArmy

pacmanx1 respond to this one.

Yes, if it is denied you can submit a supplemental claim, providing you have new and relevant evidence.

I think Buck is right. $25K was the number I recall too. I would check your bank account that you have on record for direct deposit as well as check the payments made on VA.gov too. It could show up there before a change is posted at either place.

I also should explain that the disability payments your husband was getting will stop; they were his and you are the survivor so they no longer apply. That is why DIC is so important. As you go on with this problem, please come back and ask and let us know; we are here to help.

Mrs. Johnson we are very sorry for your loss. I'm sure others will chime in to help. Th VA rep probably asked you to fill out form 21P-534 which is for DIC (Dependency Indemnity Comp.) and you will get about $1100 a month if approved. If that wasn't the form, let us know. I can't answer your home loan question directly. Try 877-827-3702 which is a VA help line for VA Home Loans and they hopefully can provide info, or direct you to someone. I realize this is not a great tie to be dealing with paperwork, but timeliness on the lan stuff is important.

scottishere99 The good news is you have the rating s-c, so you don't have to obtain a nexus. Several Buddy letters are a good start on getting the increase you need.Obviously, your current symptoms have to meet the criteria for an increase. Berta posted a resource back on 1-6-17, but it is gone; maybe she could re-post or add to this string. You don't say what your rating is, but I assume your current rating for Narcolepsy is at 40%. But whatever the situation is, if you can't work, then you should also be considering IU. If your appeal gets to a combined rating of 70% and you meet the IU criteria, you should be putting in for that if the VA doesn't start the process as they should. This is an easy claim to appeal the rating, but not necessarily an easy one to win. Your comment about not being able to afford a lawyer, though, is a little misguided. You're looking for a big increase in a disability rating on a not too common illness. If you hire a lawyer and they win, it will cost you about 20% of the BACKPAY. That is not going to be coming out of your pocket, it is a piece of new money coming in. You should talk to a few lawyers and see a)if they are interested in taking your case IMHO. If they are, then you have a reasonable expectation they can win; they don't take cases they expect to lose. B) if they don't want to take your case, find out what they think in addition you need to win.

I believe from what you said that Christie is correct.

What do you currently have for s-c disabilites and what is your current combined rating?

Fretag Abyss hasn't been on line for over a year and a half, so it's not likely he will be answering. What's the details on your concern? How long have you been s-c for your disability? What does your decision letter say or not say about future exams? Do you have letter from your RO saying they are proposing to reduce your ratings? If so, what is the date?

Christie There may be something where you have a message. If you go to myhealthevet section, under secure messaging, if you click on it it will say if you have a new message. But otherwise, I don't remember seeing an "alert." If you have your email address listed on a IRIS question, they send the answer to you but there is no alert. If there is something else, I'd be interested also.

Mike; it's the VA. They are supposed to answer in 5 business days or less, but not so much. My last and most recent use of IRIS was an inquiry as to why my FOIA request for copies of a C&P contractor exam hadn't been issued after 4 months. I never got a written response. Two weeks after I sent in the request, I got the info in the mail. It's just NOT going to be consistent; it's the VA. However, if they don't respond, don't hesitate to send in a second inquiry. That has worked in the past before. Bottom line, it's a lot better than calling Peggy and getting misinformation.

JaeT.21 The request has to be submitted by Aug. 1st. With the covid going on it is hard to tell. But if my memory is correct, I think a couple months-October. Since it is a benefits question, you can call Peggy. https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/psas/Clothing_Allowance.asp

fbbdab Peggy is our nickname for the VA info line, 800-827-1000. Best not to call right at 8:00 am or noon unless you don't mind waiting. Good time is late morning or late pm. Be aware that the info is not always updated, sometimes in accurate, and is limited in what they can have access to.

Bionoce Here's the VA site, scroll down to frequently asked questions. Your son would have to be a minor, among other things.

As Buck says, it's up to the individual and only they know what they can afford. But Ms. Tbird needs our help; she can't continue to do this all by herself. If you get help from an outside source, like an Agent or lawyer, it sure will cost a lot more than a small monthly commitment to subscription. Please consider contributing.

Joey, some of us are more lucky than others at finding these negative examiners. They're still out there, but I think they are slowly being weeded out. At least, I hope so.

USMC517 It does sound a little quick, but not totally out of the question. Breakout your award letter and it might say words that you will be re-eval in 1-2 years, or something like that. If it does, I would submit an IRIS inquiry on how come it is so quick, like less than a year. In any case, be sure to go if it isn't cancelled, or they will reduce your rating for sure. It's ok to be nervous, everyone is, especially if it's for a MH issue. You are going to be alright. Report back on how it goes.

Wood Undoubtedly you had a bad dude doing your exam. One comment you made is a little strange though. You said the examiner "even went a step further to say I shouldn't be service connected." Of course you realize that is one of the primary functions of the examiner; to determine whether or not it is s-c. If yes, then to what extent ex. at least as likely as not...

deedbub75 Short and sweet! It says it all. The only thing I would add is include a copy of the decision letter.

Hi SPO Here is a directory; I'm not making any recommendations, one way or another, but it is a start.You have to do your digging. Start calling https://www.imenet.com/search?utf8=✓&search[query]=&search[kind]=normal&search[specialty]=&search[location]=49&commit=Search

It's not a new claim. If you're within 1 year, I'd file a HLR.

Christie Congrats! Great news. Hope there are no surprises in the decision letter for you. And, do the math. Figure out what your back pay should be when you get it. If you're done wrong, follow your own advise. Don't give up, don't be satisfied. Get what you deserve.

Vync There are many versions of TiaChi; some more easy on you than others. Armchair? I don't know. Maybe call the Vet Center or your MH office, or even physical theropy and see if there is anyone around.

thegat I believe you are asking if you have a disability claim in the works and they ship you meds for that disability, does that mean you won your claim. If that is what you are asking, the answer is possibly. If you call Peggy, they won't tell you the results of your claim, but will tell you the status. If the VA has issued a decision letter, then she will tell you that. Then, I would ask how to find out how much the meds that were shipped costs you. If they say there is no cost, then it is likely you won. You never will know until you receive the decision letter, but you are not charged $ for meds for a disability.

I just received this notice:On average VBA receives more than 550,000 pieces of mail per month related to benefits and services. The volume of mail comes from submissions by Veterans, surviving spouses, service agencies, attorneys and claims agents. The VA announced that they have improved procedures by incorporating an artificial intelligence (AI) solution to reduce the time it takes to process in-coming mail from 10 days to just one day. The software reads the mail document contents and automatically routes it to VA employees working the next step of the claims process; which means faster processing of the information Veterans send to VBA in support of their claims.“Moving past manual mail processes to automation puts the emphasis on Veterans,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This new capability allows VA to process Veterans’ claims quickly and efficiently.” Now that's positive. (Some would say its just makes your waiting time for your disability claim to be denied, but I'm not saying that.)