Vet Died & Widow Needs Help Fast!

[Cavman]

A local 72 year old vet who was 100% passed recently that I know and am trying to help his widow. He was 100% rated for about 3 years when he died of cancer. He also received A&A for the wife and now widow. He was getting ready to file for homebound for her also. She is totally disabled and has to have someone take care of her 24 hours a day. Their income went to 1900.00 a month with his VA money gone once he passed. Her mortgage payment alone is 1200.00 per month plus he had just financed a new car for 400.00 per month to get her and him to doc and back weekly. I know its a 10 year thing for her to continue to draw his VA, but is their anything I can file for her to try and get her help? Is she elgible for anything from the VA?

[deltaj]

What were this veteran's service connected conditions? There have been cases where veterans with varicose veins died from pulmonary embolism possibly caused by varicose veins. I know this veteran died from cancer but I mention this example because sometimes a death can appear to be non service-connected when in fact it is due to service connected causes. Where was this veteran stationed during service? Was he ever stationed at Camp Lajeune? I mention this because Camp Lajeune's water supply was tainted with cancer causing chemicals (i.e. carcinogens). Our government also had other military facilities that had tainted water supplies. Please make sure that this veteran's widow applies for Social Security survivor benefits. Also ask her whether her husband ever had his 100% rating reduced [The rating could have been reduced contrary to 38 CFR 3.343 and 38 CFR 3.344].

[Berta]

This link has information as to how she can apply for the last compensation check due the veteran:

Delta raised a good point and this is a very good reason I always say that autopsies should be done on any deceased veteran.

Without an autopsy I would have never succeeded in my claims.

My husband was an organ donor and this is why he was autopsied. But years later as VA fought me bitterly over my death claim, the autopsy then had extreme significance.

It revealed his true cause of death and was far more detailed then the death certificate.

[broncovet]

I have told my wife that when I pass away to get hold of Berta on hadit immediately. Frankly, I think there needs to be a special part of hadit just for widows, because I think this is one of the most complex parts of VA benefits...it has all the already complicated stuff about the VA, plus all the DIC stuff, and I think most widows are simply not up to this challenge and loose out on their benefits. I am making a suggestion that his be moved to a "Widows/Dic" section, where widows can easily find out what they need to do. Oh, yes, Berta I want to thank you for being an encyclopedia of VA-ology, especially when it comes to widows benefits. I think you know more about VA widows benefits than most, if not all, VA attorneys.

[Berta]

Thank you Broncovet-

My husband did not die in vain as his death is what helped me to learn VA 101.

Something is in the wind regarding more info available on the net for widows and widowers of veterans-cant say more on that yet- it will be possibly after first of the new year-contacts to web sites like hadit and VA for DIC help as well as a contact for the many other issues survivors of veterans deal with that are not appropriate here as they don't involve the claims process.

In any event- there is considerable info here at hadit on DIC -

Maybe we should have a widows/widower section or better yet a Dependent Survivors Section as the new AO claims in many cases involve a part of Nehmer that is unique.

For regular claims there is no Next of kin provision.

For Nehmer claims there is.

I just received mail from a friend who has a next of kin AO Nehmer claim.

VA cannot absorb any Nehmer retro.If the surviving spouse dies and the claim is awarded -the VA MUST pay the money to the surviving spouses estate Estate or to the next living next of kin.(which could be more than one person and then is divided up).

There is plenty of help here for widows as it is but it can take time to find it under the search feature.

[Berta]

PS dont forget there are archived SVR shows here too as to what vets can do in their lifetime to prepare their families for their deaths and VA issues.