No Retro!

[COOL BREEZE]

I just received an IRIS letter stating this-

Dear Mr. Cool Breeze-

Thank you for your inquiry of December 08, 2011.

A review of your records shows that you received a Notification Letter on November 28, 2011. A retroactive payment on December 1, 2011 for $528.00 and a regular payment of $941.00 was received on the same day. The two payments received on December 1, 2011 totaled $1,469.00 and your payment on December 30, 2011 was for $1,479.00. No other retro payments are to be received.

If you have further questions, you may call our toll free number of 800-827-1000 and speak to one of our representatives. You may also write to the Phoenix VA Regional Office, 3333 North Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85012, or send us an electronic inquiry through the Internet at https://iris.va.gov.

What the heck? I thought I was waiting for the military retirement to finish there audit, so the VA can pay me 2 years of retro. This is definitely going to my Congressman's office that they are cheating me-this is a Cue claim. How do I go about suing the VA for emotional distress. I am having severe chest pains from this-I'll see what Peggy has to say-someone owes me big time!!

I am not putting up with this *****.

[COOL BREEZE]

After 3 months, My crdp claim for the tax audit by the military retirement has finally been completed and sent back to the VA so they can pay me my retro payment. Now I imagine this will be another 6 months as they have to verify the info, sent this through development again. I guess I have about 10 million Vets ahead of me before I see some $$$$.

[carlie]

I guess I have about 10 million Vets ahead of me before I see some $$$$.

CB - NO - it's down to just under a million :-)

(This is an attempt to help you have a smile)

[COOL BREEZE]

Now I have been told it could be up to one year before I receive my retro. The VA received the audit work sheet back from the military with the 5 figure award.

THe 800# said this is a new claim in development. You must be kidding me. THe claim already was approved, I am already receiving the correct amount.

Please tell me this is not the correct method they now do retro's. Process as a new claim and wait for another year.

Goodness, probably that is why I have been not as active as I wish on this board as I am totally stressed out. Need to have a clear mind to help others.

[Deacon 2011]

Cool,

Have you talked with the folks at DFAS? When we talked about this in the forum about a month ago, I call DFAS and got in touch with one of the auditors in the section formerly known as "VA Retro Pay". She explained the process to me and indicated that all they needed was for one payment to be made with the veterans new CRDP amount, this would trigger the audit and the retro (if any) would be awarded.

Unless she lied to me (and of course that's possible) she did not indicate that retro pay activity would be "actioned" as a new claim.

This is the # I called... if it goes to the retirement pay section, have them transfer you to retro. Hope this helps.

877-327-4457 (then select option 1 or 3)

[COOL BREEZE]

Once this audit is completed(and it has been) it is sent back to the VA to pay me all my back retro. THey send the audit work sheet back to the VA with what the VA should pay me, which is a 5 figure sum.

Now that the VA has it, it sets there and rots till they feel like paying me. It is currently with the VA finance dept.

So far, I have been told this is when I can expect to see my payment.

1. One year.

2. 90 days

3. 45 days

4 1 month

5. 2 weeks

6. There is no time limit when you can expect to be paid.

ALso was told this is now in the development stage. It has to go to the regular process as a new claim.

Before, the VA would just pay your retro right after the claim was done, then send the audit work sheet to DPAS to investigate since you are entitled to CRDP.

Just the thought of going through the same procee with my other claims gives me a severe case of acid reflex!!

So its all depending on the VA now. Perhaps A call to a Senator or Congressman to light of some fire works!!

[Steve G.]

I've been following this as was recently upgraded from 40% to 70% (only a 17 month process). But I'm confused concerning the back and forth to DFAS. Which retro are we talking about, VA or DFAS ? Unless I'm totally mistaken (not unusual) the VA disability (including any retro payments) have nothing to do with my retired pay status and should not require any input from DFAS. I received my new higher disability payment on 1 Feb and would expect the ~17 month retro payments shortly. Or am dreaming ??

Now with the upgrade over 50%, I'm now eligible for CRDP and received that upgrade also on 1 Feb. I would expect my 17 month retirement pay retro payments to have to go through the process you described and don't expect to see anything for some time. But I don't see any reason for the VA to have to audit my DFAS account to compute or pay a VA disability.

Is this correct or am I trying to apply some logic to a bunch of federal bureaucracies ?

As an aside, I'm probably too optimistic, several years ago I had a VA overpayment problem (my fault, a couple of status changes I didn't think to report) and while I was able to resolve that to the VA's satisfaction and repaid the "overpayment", I have never been able to get a refund if the (then) DFAS underpayment that resulted (I was rated at 40% then so all my VA payments were offset from my retired pay). Some local counselor's have advised me that this isn't unusual and the only way they've seen to resolve this issue was to go Congressional.

Thanks for all your input and help.