Bonzai

In order to draw upon your wife's SSDI benefits, you must be determined to be 100% disabled by SSA's standards (not the VA) and at least 62 years of age. Example: my wife is not 62 yet, but considered 100% disabled by SSA. Before I received 100% P&T by the VA, she got SSI, but when my rating went to 100%, we went past the income limit for SSI. So now she gets nothing until age 62, when she can apply for SSDI under my benefits. Or is at least age 50 and divorced from me, or I die. Hope this helps...

I was service-connected and did not get VGLI. Then I was increased to 100% P&T, but did not qualify as I had been SC'ed for longer than 2 years. However, I was SC'ed for HTN after all that, and then I qualified for getting VGLI within the two year limit for a NEW SC condition and the premium paid for the first $10,000 due to 100% P&T I was already. Hope this helps...

SVR is Surviving Veterans Resolve, a radio show that covers many beneficial topics to veterans. A link to it and its archives is located on HadIt's home page. Hope this helps...

Congratulations! Keep checking your account.

Lots of members have done it different ways, and received different results. Many times, an attorney will tell you to wait until you have received your initial denial from Social Security, while other attorneys represent you from the get go. Not much help, I know. I see advertisements for various Social Security disability advocates all the time, asking you to come on in for a free consultation. I think it really boils down to with what you are comfortable doing. Personally, I applied first, got denied, and then retained an attorney. And then a lot depends on the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), if you go to a hearing, as some are good and some are bad. One thing I would recommend to use is Patrick's Self-Help Report @ http://vets.yuku.com/topic/2822/SSDI-Self-report?page=1 which is an example in converting DSM-IV diagnosis to Social Security Blue Book Listing of Impairments, and explain how each affects you. Hope this helps... BTW. My lawyer thought we had an open and shut case, but now after a bad ALJ, we are awaiting a decision from the Social Security Appeals Council. Never give up...

Just recently, I have been getting a second letter with my appointment slips I receive in the mail. The letter states that the VA is going to start using software that will calculate mileage given from the veteran's home address to the VA. The software is supposed to be installed and in use by Feb 14th. This may only be the Memphis VA sending this out though...

Since you would need records to prove that you were hospitalized more than 21 days, I would think that you have to apply retroactively. I doubt that the VA will pay you in advance for a hospital stay, or even while it is occurring. It has been my experience that the VA pays after the fact. I could be wrong, maybe someone else has done it differently. But after your stay is completed, all you need to do is fill out a VA from 21-4138 Statement of Claim and the records from your hospital stay and sent it to your VARO - remember to put your Social Security number at the top of each page. Hope this helps...

Berta, I just tried accessing the Board of Veterans Affairs site at http://www.bva.va.gov/ and got in with no problem. I even clicked over to the Search link, and that page came up too. Maybe someone has decided to block your IP address because you have helped too many veterans. I sure hope not! Now, once again, my paranoia is starting to click in. Who watches the watchers?

John, If you're 100% like it shows in your status, then why do you have to send in a TDIU employment questionnaire? I am 100% P&T, so I am supposed to do anything?

If a veteran has a disability rated at 100% and then another at xx%, then they will have a 100% + disability rating. If the second rating is for more than 60% or a combination of secondary ratings, they will get SMC S, and possibly more. Hope this helps.

"...and reduce disability compensation to account for Social Security Disability Insurance payments — in other words, an offset." This congresswoman is completely out of touch if she thinks that every disabled veteran receives Social Security Disability Insurance. The DAV has also joined in the outcry against her. http://www.dav.org/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=378 I have sent an email to my Congressional Representative.

My lawyer was a local lawyer in Jackson, TN that my wife's Social Security lawyer recommended. He told us the lawyer was a member of NOVA (National Organization of Veterans Advocates), so I went to him. The funny thing is, my lawyer is no longer handling new veterans cases, but the Social Security lawyer has now become a NOVA lawyer; so all new referrals go to him. It seems that my lawyer has decided to stick with just Social Security. Very sad, because when I went to see him, he wrote up my NOD in about 15 minutes. He even got my entire C-file sent to his office, where his secretary copies it all to a CD, and then gave me the C-file and electronic copy. Mind you, I am not saying that all NOVA lawyers would do what mine did for free, but I shall be eternally grateful to the lawyer who helped me; because I was at a loss - had all my evidence, but no idea of how to proceed. I wasn't a member of HadIt then...

"More likely than not" is better than "at least as likely than not", which is supposed to give a 50/50 probability. If you have a doctor's statement with that, it is great. Personally, I had a NOVA lawyer assist me with my NOD, and ended up being awarded 100% SC P&T. He didn't even charge me, as I had all the evidence gathered for the NOD, and said he would have charged me if we had to go to hearing; which he was willing to represent my case for me. Just my two cents worth...

Just because one brother is Bipolar doesn't necessarily mean the other siblings will be Bipolar also. I am Bipolar, and none of my five sisters or one brother has Bipolar. Lots of research has been done into what may cause Bipolar, and there can be a genetic factor involved, but not in all cases. I am the only one with Bipolar in my immediate family. If you had Bipolar as a pre-existing condition, then they would have to prove that. But not only that, they would have to prove that your condition was NOT aggravated by your service. I may be wrong, but if you had Bipolar prior to entry into the service, then they probably would have denied you as unfit. Bipolar can manifest itself during many phases of life, and stress seems to play a big part of it. I know in my case it does, so I try to keep things as low-stress as I can. Since you have the diagnosis of Bipolar in your Service Medical Records (SMRs), you shouldn't really run into a problem of it being service-connected. How they rate it depends on the severity of your Bipolar. just my opinion... Welcome to HadIt!

Broncovet, I think that Veldrina has made it clear that she is here of her own volition, so therefore there is no "VA change of policy". There have been members, who worked for the VA here before and hopefully there will continue to be so. Their answers are general in nature, and are not for a specific case; and it is even doubtful they could access a specific case. It would be against the law if they did. You are lucky to have the documents to resubmit, some veterans didn't know better and submitted originals that got lost or misplaced or even shredded.

Someone is trying to blow smoke somewhere... Here is a link to the VA's Q&A on Diabetes as a presumptive disease for Vietnam veterans. http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/herbicide/diabete2.htm I hope it helps you, especially question 6 - call them on this.

You can get the letter by calling your VA Regional Office and requesting a letter stating that you are a 90% Service-Connected disabled veteran. Congratulations on your award!

Congratulations John Jr!

Open Office has a program for spreadsheets called CALC. Open Office is free to download and you can use it for looking at MicroftSoft Office products.

Unreasonable fear, paranoia something is going to happen, and it's real! Been there, done that - got the T-Shirt!!! Logically nothing's wrong, but the never-ending (seems like never-ending when it's happening) dread is hard to cope with. I used to kill it (and almost myself) with huge amounts of alcohol. I don't drink alcohol anymore, but I still have those days when I want to lock myself away from the world in a safe place. Carlie, I am sending prayers your way that this will pass quickly for you.

Congratulations Carlie

The National Formularies can be found here: http://www.pbm.va.gov/NationalFormulary.aspx Though you need a program that can open Excel worksheets to read them. Hope this helps

This reminds me so much of the SVR show with Edwin Crosby III; insomuch as he was mentioning the fact that the Board of Correction of Military Records has no one to answer to and no accountability. Once again, we have an part of a 'veteran' organization that is accountable only to themselves, and it seems that they do not take the responsibility of managing themselves at all seriously. What are the requirements of being named a fiduciary? I have read the horror stories, and will continue to read about them until something is done. Edwin had made a comment that if we could all write in to our representatives about his cause, maybe something could be done. I know HadIt stays away from political stances, but what about stances for veterans rights, and protection of the rights of veterans who can't stand up for themselves? I am not trying to be political, just pro-veteran; but that is a stance in its own. Something to think about...

For Dependents Educational Assistance the VA will pay the STUDENT a monthly stipend of $936 ,if the student is going full-time at a VA approved school and taking courses towards a VA approved certificate/diploma. If the student is going either 1/2 or 3/4 time, then the monthly amount is pro-rated accordingly. The VA also pays one month later, so if you start school in January, you don't get your check until February. You can contact CHAMPVA and they will send an application. I'm not sure about the future exam scheduled for TDIU P&T - hopefully it is a mistake on their part.

A letter for a Comp & Pen exam should say it is for a Comp & Pen exam, but then again I have heard stories of veterans never receiving a letter at all and missing their appointment. It is best to call and make sure. The automated appointment line doesn't help much, as they only state date and time, and not what the appointment is for.