Check On Folia Request?

[kate7772]

Is there a good contact number to check on the status of a FOIA request for claims file? My husband submitted the request through DAV on Mar 5. Receipt was acknowledged but have heard nothing since.

Thanks,

Kate

[Berta]

As I have mentioned here before many times, a veteran does not need to send the VA a FOIA request for their records. FOIAS are handled differently than Privacy Act requests. tHEY TAKE LONGER TO FULFILL.

These are the veterans records, and I have never used FOIA to get any of them.

Records Access Officers at VAMC usually have a brief request form to fill out.

Or just do what I always did and send them a letter, with your C file one it, and signed, requesting a copy of the specific records you need.

Sometimes I cited the Privacy Act , 5 USC 552, and sometimes I didnt.

The veteran must sign the request, or widows like me had to sign it and identify our relationship with the deceased veteran and give our C file number.

I came in to cool off from yard work and Fox news was disxcussing how the press was having hard time getting FOIAs responded to by the gov.....

Geraldo , a lawyer himself, told them there really is no set limit on FOIA responses to the Gov.

I got a response under FOIA to GOV that took 3 years to process once.

Our records are ours period. FOIA only adds more time to these requests.

[kate7772]

We just did it the way DAV said to do it. Is it okay to now send a request another way? Would it mess things up and confuse the system somehow, causing more delays? What address (or online) would we send it to?

Thanks

[stillhere]

Yes in answer to each your questions. Unfortunately the VA has its on system as to how to handle request and the priory of the same. I hope you are on ebennefits by now.

Kate this can not be done like anything you have ever done in business or at a shopping mall. They will get to it when they get to it complain I feel actually slows us done more.

You need to get a hobby but stay alert and answer them whenever they call or you will find if you don't they will drop you like a hot potato and use their damn laws against you!

Good luck,

Stillhere

[Berta]

It will be OK Kate. sorry if I sounded abrupt....

I am surprised the DAV made this a FOIA request.

If I were you I would IRIS them to make sure they got the request.

www.va.gov

Click on the Contact us thing on the right ,then on Ask a Question, and the VA site will transfer you to IRIS.

I always recommend getting either an email or snail reply and not a phone call, because via phone, they can make stuff up.

[kate7772]

I have come to realize (through this forum) just how much we need to stay on top of things. We got some very bad and inaccurate information from my husband's previous VSO and now also apparently from the DAV. We do need to get these records pretty quickly because my husband needs to get an IMO to file for a reconsideration and has until Sept. to do so. I know the IMO can take a while also, so need to get it going. We've been trying to get the file for some time, including the SMR which Dr. Bash will need for the IMO.

[kate7772]

Sent an IRIS request a couple days ago.