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Thank you. I will have to go back and check my applications - I have been fighting this fight since 1998 and I'm really tired. I don't want to have to fight anymore but also don't want the VA to get away with wearing down another vet!

I was recently awarded p/t but have not seen anything yet. I went back to my award to see if I could figure appx what I might receive and I noticed that my sc was granted for fibro on the date of my application (3/2006) rather than the date of onset (2/2005). Are they supposed to award from the diagnosis date or the date of my app for compensation/pension? Thanks.

Well, I finally talked to my rep on Thursday. He said that I should expect a large deposit in the next few days and that the hold up was because the amount is over $25K. So should I hope to see something on Friday in my account? I thought VA only paid on Fridays. Can anyone help with this. I've checked my account every day and nothing yet.

Called my so yesterday and he was out sick. Hoping he will call today. Maybe he'll look into it before calling me. I'm sure he remembers me from two weeks ago since he had an ordeal trying to get someone at VA to find my claim. I'm sure that doesn't happen often !!!!!

No, I'm 5 hours away from the VARO. I'll call my service rep tomorrow. Does anyone know about the ch.35? does that mean p/t?

Here is the latest from VA. I spoke with my service rep two weeks ago who said I was approved for 100% IU with ch.35 benefits and I should be getting word in the next two weeks according to VA. They had misplaced my claim and then said there was a glitch in the computer system. Here is the latest exchange. I don't know what the hold up is. Do you think it is with finance? I should have a pretty sizeable retro payment and I've read about others on here that were decided in July 08 having delays getting their info. Does ch.35 mean that I have p/t? Mr. XXXX, Response (Department of Veterans Affairs)09/06/2008 08:15 AM Mr. , We have not completed our action in the computer system. It is back with the individual who will authorize the decision by the rating board. We hope to notify you of our decision within the next two weeks. If you do not receive our decision by 09/22/08, please send us another inquiry and we will check into the delay. Thank you for contacting us. If you have questions or need additional help with the information in our reply, please respond to this message. If at some future time we can help you on a different subject, you may submit a new inquiry at https://iris.va.gov, call us toll free at 1-800-827-1000, or visit our web site at www.va.gov. Sincerely, D. Svirsky Veterans Service Center Manager 217/250/94 Veteran/Inquirer09/02/2008 01:26 PM I am requesting information about the status of my claim for unemployability. I understand that there was a decision made July 2008 but I have yet to receive any paperwork on the decision. I was told that there was a computer glitch and they were trying to get my information in the system to get it mailed out to me. I was also told that is should arrive before now and to check back again if I hadn't received anything by 09/01/2008. Thank you. Response (Department of Veterans Affairs) 08/20/2008 05:08 PM Mr. , We are almost finished with your claim, but we need a little more time. You should receive notice of our action within 30 days, but probably much closer to two weeks. If you do not receive notice by 09/01/08, contact us again for an update. Thank you for contacting us. If you have questions or need additional help with the information in our reply, please respond to this message. If at some future time we can help you on a different subject, you may submit a new inquiry at https://iris.va.gov, call us toll free at 1-800-827-1000, or visit our web site at www.va.gov. Sincerely, D. Svirsky Veterans Service Center Manager 217/233/94

Finally fed up with the info from VA CS and IRIS I contacted my service rep and asked him to look into my claim. I knew that it had been decided the first week of July and I have been waiting patiently for the decision. They told me 30-45 days. When that passed I finally called my DAV Rep who looked into the matter. He couldn't find any information on my claim or decision other than one had been made and get this - when he walked over to discuss my case with VA, they were gone! It was 3:00 on Friday and the dept had left early!! He said he would call me back on Monday and he was very irritated that he couldn't find anyone down the hall. About 15 minutes later, he called back with a VA supervisor lady (I guess) on the phone. She said she wasn't sure what has happened but it looks like that once it was decided, it was just in limbo and nobody was doing anything with it!!!!!!! They told me I was approved for 100% IU (didn't mention if it was TD) and that my family is eligible for ch.35. They said I should receive something by September 1st and that my backpay would be substantial! I am thrilled that my decision was fully favorable although I have nothing in writing, the DAV rep has always come through for me in the past. He once saved me a trip to Roanoke by calling the day before my hearing to tell me that I didn't need to come because they went ahead and gave me the award. VA didn't bother calling at all! I am also distressed thinking about how many other cases this has, or is happening to right now. For me, I was lucky - at least I was able to know that a decision was already made but what if I thought it was still being "decided"? I would still be waiting patiently as many of you are. I am really advocating the use of a good service rep. They can find out things for you like mine did for me! I anxiously await my decision, and my $! Now it's back to SSD. Maybe they will approve me this time? Maybe not. But I have to keep trying.

Yeah, that is a shame that it works that way. I think saying if you don't hear by 9/1/08 then contact again is just like saying 30-45 days. It's just another delay. I've been waiting since February and fighting the fight since 1998. Getting there slowly. . . . . . . very s l o w l y.

After numerous inquiries about my claim for IU, I finally found out a decision was made on July 4, 2008 (I didn't know they worked on holidays?) They told me that it could take 30-45 days for me to receive my decision and that it was sent for "Authorization". I'm not sure what this final step of "Authorization" is but I waited. Yesterday was officially past the 45 days so I sent a question to IRIS. Here is my question and their response. Why is this taking longer than expected? Does anyone know? Is that a good sign or a bad sign? Any help appreciated. Mr. , We are almost finished with your claim, but we need a little more time. You should receive notice of our action within 30 days, but probably much closer to two weeks. If you do not receive notice by 09/01/08, contact us again for an update. Thank you for contacting us. If you have questions or need additional help with the information in our reply, please respond to this message. If at some future time we can help you on a different subject, you may submit a new inquiry at https://iris.va.gov, call us toll free at 1-800-827-1000, or visit our web site at www.va.gov. Sincerely, D. Svirsky Veterans Service Center Manager 217/233/94 Veteran/Inquirer08/20/2008 09:13 AM I have been waiting for a reply back from CS who sent an IRIS inquiry last week about the status of my claim for Unemployability. A decision was made on July 4, 2008 and I was told it would be 30-45 days to receive my decision in the mail. Yesterday was officially 45 days and I would like to know the decision. Could you please let me know when I might receive the decision on this claim? Thank you.

Thanks so much for the information! I am still waiting for the Decision from VA re: TDIU. CS & IRIS both mentioned that a decision has been made and it went to "Authorization" on 7/11/2008. Once authorized, it will be mailed. As of Friday 7/25/2008, nothing has been mailed. IRIS mentioned the "Authorization" process takes 30-45 days. Hopefully, we will hear something soon. I really don't think my SSA Lawyer did me any justice. I'll certainly find a new one when I decide to apply again!

Berta, This is so sad. I am wondering if the vet is a widower with surviving children, are the children able to open the claim? Or can children submit a new claim for a deceased parent?

UPDATE: Received a reply back from IRIS. On 7/11/08, it did go to authorization, which means the rating decision has been completed. The authorization unit will complete the claim and issue you a letter along with the rating decision. You should receive this information in about 30-45 days. Why does it take ANOTHER 30-45 days for it to "complete"? Apparently, they have made a decision and have written the claim so can they tell me what the decision is? Should I send a reply back to IRIS asking for the decision? I know I'm being impatient but I've been fighting this thing for 10 years. I know some of you have been doing this longer and I almost feel beat down. I can't imagine going another minute let alone 30-45 days!!!!!

Yes, they are the ones that called me BEFORE I drove 5 hours for an unecessary hearing. I will call them and see if they can check it out for me. Thanks for the replies.

I submitted for TDIU in 02/2008 after a long battle to get awarded for fibro. I'm a GWVet and began the fight in 1998 when I was medically discharged with 10%. I was increased to 60% over the years for other disabilities and they denied SC for the fibro. I asked for a DRO de novo who also denied, then I asked for a hearing by a letter that also stated the facts of the code pertaining to my fibro. They sent me a date for a hearing and get this - THE DAY BEFORE THE HEARING, my VSR calls me to tell me they awarded for the fibro (40%) and that I didn't need to come to Roanoke (5 hours away) for the hearing. I would be getting the paperwork soon. Sure enough I got everything in the mail from VA but what really bothers me is that THEY, the VA never called to tell me this, so if it hadn't been for my rep, I would have made the trip for nothing. Along with the paperwork they sent info for TDIU. I filled everything out and sent it back in. (sorry for the long history) Here is the question: For the last two months the CS reps have been telling me where my claim is, at the raters, it is being written, and as of Friday it went for authorization before it goes out. In the meantime, since I saw everything on hadit about the CS reps making up lies and telling people, I sent an inquiry through IRIS and got this response on 07/07: Information in the systems shows that your claim file is assigned to a Rating Specialist. It has not been rated as of this date. I can not gvie you a timeframe, because I don;t know what the work load of this individual. If they have claim older that yours; then they must work them first. Once they received your claim it could take them anywhere from 30 to 60 days to make a decision, that is if everything is in order. I suggest you check back in about this days for an update. Thank you for contacting us. If you have questions or need additional help with the information in our reply, please respond to this message. If at some future time we can help you on a different subject, you may submit a new inquiry at https://iris.va.gov, call us toll free at 1-800-827-1000, or visit our web site at www.va.gov. Sincerely, D. Svirsky Veterans Service Center Manager Granted, this was on last Monday and the CS rep told me on Friday that it went for authorization (whatever that means?!) So can anyone tell me when I should check back again? They told me it was with the raters since the beginning of May. I thought is would be moving by now?! I sent a reply back to IRIS letting them know that it has been with the raters since the beginning of May and what the CS rep told me on Friday to see if it was true, but should I trust the IRIS reply more than the CS rep, or is it a crapshoot? The CS reps progression made sense to me but now this reply does not and I question whether or not they are even working on it yet.

Thanks TEAC, what a great idea! I mean they are both government agencies?!?! I just don't get it. USUALLY, if someone is 50% + disabled, they typically are unable to work enough to make a living without some sort of supplement. I think I'm gonna play that card when I reapply.