New Twist

[JayBrown1]

Received an IRIS today on my claim and gave me a new twist to my neverending saga at the VA. It stated "Congressional Inquiries usually require a written by the Director. Your file was ready to make the rating decision, but had to be pulled for the congressional response. The management analyst indicated that the file has been sent back to the rating team so the claim process may be continue."

Why would they pull it just before making a decision besides delaying a decision on my claim?

[theotherguy]

Congressional inquiries typically require immediate responses regarding the status of an individual claim and I wouldn't think that it delayed the processing of your claim any unless you receive your decision right away. My claim has been sitting with the rating board since April and I haven't heard a peep yet, and I can't say as that I am surprised since I am not a Global War on Terror veteran.

[JayBrown1]

Congressional inquiries typically require immediate responses regarding the status of an individual claim and I wouldn't think that it delayed the processing of your claim any unless you receive your decision right away. My claim has been sitting with the rating board since April and I haven't heard a peep yet, and I can't say as that I am surprised since I am not a Global War on Terror veteran.

My claim has been with the rating board since February 2007, I contacted my senator's office in November 2006, they contacted the VA in March.

[Berta]

Mine has been in the rating board since last September.

It appears that everytime a rater does something with it- another rater checks their work.

I went through the Congressional Inquiry stuff in the 1990s-

it meant the claim was pulled from them stack and sat on some guys desk for months until he could make up something good to tell my Congressman and two state Senators.

When he did respond to them it was with a false statement.

Luckily- the response did make me realise that something was more screwed up then I thought-

I fixed it and told my congresional reps that the letter they received from the RO was BS and I told them what really happened.

When Nicholson became the Sec the first week he was there I sent him a letter re BW-AO vets.

This had nothing to do with my claim. He found out I had a claim, and he sent my letter to the RO I deal with.

I didnt hear from him so one day I called for a claim status and was told his letter was sitting on the congressional desk for a response-it had been sitting there holding up my claim for 2 months already- I withdrew his letter from my file -it was not an inquiry on my claim)

I suggest only writing for Congressional Inqueries when you have big problems-then again I only found out I had big problems in the 90s by writing them them-

Congressmen/women and Senators cannot make a decision on your claim-and they cant really make it go any faster-unless it is case of a terminal veteran or something like that-

I should talk0I just remembered -the RO has a letter from Senator Craig- he sent it days after hearing from me- January 2006. That is when they decided to transfer my claim to the BVA.

In the few weeks I was at the BVA the BVA told me that letter was still there unanswered-

I said yeah that is probably why they sent it to you-

the RO got my illegally tranferred claim back and also this letter.

It wont hold up my claim though at this point -because they probably have 'lost' it by now. B)

what a system

[Pete53]

My experience with Congressional Inquiries is that they are usually a waste of time unless you are fortunate enough to have a Congress Critter who is a Veteran advocate.

The VA usually sends a form letter saying that the claim is being processed and that a decision will be made in the near future.

However, I believe that when I asked for help from President Bill Clinton I actually got it and the VA finished my claim in less than 30 days.

[jbasser]

Congressional inquiries usually give the VA an excuse to add 60 days to the claim.

[Josephine]

Boy this happened to me time and time again. If Senator Warner wasn't sending a letter to the VA it would be Congressman Boucher.

I finally has to write them both and tell them to stop the letters as they would send one out every 3 months and all they would ever find out was that my claim was being worked on.

They were absolutely no help to me.

I did write to President Bush. I wasn't sure if he even received my letter until his name showed up in my remand from the BVA to the AMC.

He was no help either. The BVA state they received the letter in August of 2005 and my file was at the Huntington R. O until December of the same year.

It wasn't until the remand was sent to me April 18th 2006, that his name was mentioned.

I am not sure if the Appeals Mangement Center is actually doing the claims in order, as date received into the rating section, but if I live long enough, I may find out.

I am sure that the VA has already did that Life Expectancy for me.

I have had promises and promises.

Josephine

Edited July 13, 2007 by Josephine