Hardship

[JayBrown1]

A fellow vet with a claim in asked me if I know about getting claim expetited due to hardship, I was not sure if they do that but told him I would ask that question here and get back to him. Would the VA expedite a claim if a veteran is having financial hardship?

[Ron II]

I have not heard or read of an accomodation such as you discuss. However, I did read about one case where a stage four cancer patient was approved by the VA within 30 days of application. I suspect that was a VRO-specific case though.

[Berta]

See paragraph 4.10 within:

http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:wlXNHB...us&ie=UTF-8

The va apparently will consider Hardship-which must be proven and then possible expedite-

but he has to realise Expidite usually means something different to the VA than it does to clamants-

I am on remand for expeditious treatment-

at least that is what they said in Aug 2006.

My claim has certainly had considerable movement since then but only last week did something really positive happen after a year had passed under expeditious treatment.

[Berta]

PS (gee I miss the edit button)

A request for advancement on the BVA docket due to hardship or serious illness must be filed with the BVA as a Motion for Advancement.

Dont know if this vet is at the RO or the BVA.

[entropent]

A fellow vet with a claim in asked me if I know about getting claim expetited due to hardship, I was not sure if they do that but told him I would ask that question here and get back to him. Would the VA expedite a claim if a veteran is having financial hardship?

you want the real answer? you can ask. they will tell you on the 800 number that they will expedite the claim. they may even slap a "hardship please expedite" flash on the front of the c file. but if the raters and vsrs handling the claim do not expedite it, and they generally do not, it will not be expedited.

the only real way to push a claim is to get your vso to bring the file to the supervisor and plead the vet's case. but it needs to be a really good case so it depends what your vet friend considers a hardship. if the supervisor buys off, he or she will give the file straight to the rater as a "rate next." but this only works if there is sufficient evidence in the file to make a decision. your vet friend needs to get all the relevant evidence submitted together with a signed VCAA statement indicating he has no further evidence to submit. and while you can possibly get the rater to expedite a VA exam request, i know of no way to get the hospital to expedite the exam scheduling.