ptsd Va Letter Yesterday - They Made Mistake

[Michelle]

FYI - Make sure you stay on top of VA when your claim is pending. I am already at 90% but 70% Combined Rating. I submitted an additional claim in Oct 05 asking to be T&P, Unemployability due to my PTSD after I blew up on the Job, and as of Oct/05 unemployed. Anyway, I've been continually in contact with VA and last month they said they had all of the documentation they needed and verified that I was no longer employed. Last Week they told me my claim was now at the Rating Board as of April 7, 2006 and that it shouldn't be much longer. Yesterday I received the yellow envelope, nervous to open it, well the first page stated the wrong condition of my claim and stated I needed to prove that I was Service Connected, send records, etc. I was so angry I couldn't breathe, had a panic attack. I am a Persian Gulf Veteran and have been service connected since 1999. I stayed up writing VA back quoting them the law concerning Persian Gulf Veterans that we don't have to prove SC and the Gulf Vets still can submit a claim through 2011 for diagnoised and undiagnoised illness, etc, etc.

I took all of my records to our local Veteran Service Office and he thought as well that they didn't know what they were talking about and after getting them on the phone they discovered that they made a mistake and they apologized, etc; but that each person has numerous files that they are working on. Anyway, the new person that we talked to said she was printing the letter that should have gone to me and was taking it to her Supervisor for signature so for me to just wait on the new letter. We wrote down the entire conversation, got her name and what she stated to us. When I received my increase to the 70% Combined they stated to me at that time that I met the Schedular Requirements for Unemployability but at that time I was working full time, and if and when my situation changed for me to reapply for Unemployability.

So hopefully, I'll get T&P or IU...we just have to stay on top of the VA...I thought that I was having a heart attack and it took me all evening to calm down. I knew VA had all of my medical documentation from my civilian and VA Doctors....

[Berta]

Michelle- I could relate to everything you said about that letter-

I swear the VA can make a disability worse with the stress they put on us.

It angers me to see what you went through-I am so sorry- I know how you must have felt-

Good thing the vet rep was able to contact someone to straighten this out-

This stuff is why I am so irritated over the recent breach of vets records-

I guess the average public out there thinks it is an isolated VA event about the data theft -but the problems you had, the problems

many vets have -getting someone elses records in their c file, the evidence that gets lost or misplaced- and the downright incompetence (I have VA letters of my own to prove that)

of VA employees who are either illiterate, dumb, or unwilling to spend time to read our claims and evidence-

this is not an isolated event of VA snafu- it is just one of many, that made the papers because it affects so many-

I think lawyers -reading this news about the VA theft -if they see potential in a class action against VA-

will be posting on the net. Maybe the VA isnt liable. Yet.

Sounds like VA Data-Gate- when did Nicholson know and how did he know it-

He knew of this on May 3rd and vets find out just this past week?

What else does he know that affects 26,4 million vets and when will he tell them?

I sure hope they manage to get your claim right now and I commend the vet rep for calling them to straighten it out. Many vet reps are afraid I think to actually call the VAROs and stick up for a claimant when these things happen.

My local vet rep actually told me he had NO way to contact them when they messed up my claim last year.(what a crock)

I called his boss. The error got straightened out.

[Michelle]

Michelle- I could relate to everything you said about that letter-

I swear the VA can make a disability worse with the stress they put on us.

It angers me to see what you went through-I am so sorry- I know how you must have felt-

Good thing the vet rep was able to contact someone to straighten this out-

This stuff is why I am so irritated over the recent breach of vets records-

I guess the average public out there thinks it is an isolated VA event about the data theft -but the problems you had, the problems

many vets have -getting someone elses records in their c file, the evidence that gets lost or misplaced- and the downright incompetence (I have VA letters of my own to prove that)

of VA employees who are either illiterate, dumb, or unwilling to spend time to read our claims and evidence-

this is not an isolated event of VA snafu- it is just one of many, that made the papers because it affects so many-

I think lawyers -reading this news about the VA theft -if they see potential in a class action against VA-

will be posting on the net. Maybe the VA isnt liable. Yet.

Sounds like VA Data-Gate- when did Nicholson know and how did he know it-

He knew of this on May 3rd and vets find out just this past week?

What else does he know that affects 26,4 million vets and when will he tell them?

I sure hope they manage to get your claim right now and I commend the vet rep for calling them to straighten it out. Many vet reps are afraid I think to actually call the VAROs and stick up for a claimant when these things happen.

My local vet rep actually told me he had NO way to contact them when they messed up my claim last year.(what a crock)

I called his boss. The error got straightened out.

[Michelle]

Berta;

Do you have any idea what the correct letter will state, because the VA Person that the VA Service Officer was talking to on my behalf said that she was printing the correct information and taking it to her Supervisory for her signature and I will be receiving it in the mail.

I'm hoping that this is the Award Letter, but what do you think?

[Berta]

Michelle, the only thing I feel is a good sign on a claim is if the 800# vet rep says the claim went to Finance.

Even then - best to call back and get another 800# opinion-they never say if the claim has succeeded however- they are not allowed to tell the vet that on the phone.

Some of the 800 people dont have a clue as to the PC screen- they seem irritated when I ask them to read the covers screen-instead of the VACOLS screen-

Still it could be what you want from them- so hard to say-

Last Sept my vet rep , a senior SSVC at the VARO, was astonished that they denied my claim with the two IMOS I had.

The DRO told him she didnt understand medical info so she denied the claim without even reading the IMOs.

My point is even if they have the absolute evidence that you need to succeed- even if you have supported the Reason and Bases for denial in the denial letter with exactly what they said was missing-

the VA -as many many here know- will still deny the claim-by ignoring the evidence.

They will say they applied Benefit of Doubt but their scale found the weight of the evidence as not in the claimants favor- (of course not- if they dont use all of the evidence )

It is a crime- what occurred recently with the VA data theft-

but the real 'crimes' of VA do not make the front pages-

they deliberately deny many many claims without good cause.