Va Form 21-674 And Dependency Claim

[RanRakIT1Ret]

My dependency claim initiated in April 2013, sat in Pending Decision Approval status for 15 of the 18 months. Submitted via ebenefits, to add my spouse to my CRDP Aug 21 2014, and it closed Aug 21 2014, and two weeks later, the claim opened April 2013 was completed, adding two children. ISSUE: I received the decision letter Oct 2014, with all the numbers showing, after adding it all up, what the retro pay was going to be. However, the decision letter basically showed my daughter as being in college (WSU) from January 2013 to June 2013 (she graduated with her BS degree that May,), (a 4 year degree in 4 months, REALLY?). They indicated on page 4 of the decision letter that I needed to submit documentation proving she was in school prior to Jan 2013, I submitted the 21-674 within a few hours along with documents, and now it looks as though they basically voided the Oct 7th decision letter and are now processing the 21-674 as an entirely new claim, and all they needed to do is add the additional dates to what they'd already decided on. It's now sitting in "Under Review", and has been since October 11th 2014. Is this going to be another "wait forever" deal again? It's currently with the Boise Idaho RO at this time.

[broncovet]

In a word, yes. There are financial incentives built into the system to delay your claim for as long as possible:

1. Delay the claim long enough and the Vet dies and the VA owes nothing.

2. Delay the claim long enough and the Vet gives up, abandons the claim (often for health reasons) and the VA owes nothing.

3. Lastly, even if all efforts for the VA to delay your claim fail, and the VA loses with the Vet "victory", the VA gets a zero interest loan, often for years or even decades. The VA never pays interest, 0, zilch nada, all while the VA collects interest from Vets on VA loan money.

In short, there is never a senario where the VA loses a dime by delay. Its the most profitable and the most frequent move by VA so we can continue expecting just that until that changes.

Can you imagine a job that the longer it takes you to complete the job the more you get paid? This is the VA benefit system.

[carlie]

My dependency claim initiated in April 2013, sat in Pending Decision Approval status for 15 of the 18 months. Submitted via ebenefits, to add my spouse to my CRDP Aug 21 2014, and it closed Aug 21 2014, and two weeks later, the claim opened April 2013 was completed, adding two children. ISSUE: I received the decision letter Oct 2014, with all the numbers showing, after adding it all up, what the retro pay was going to be. However, the decision letter basically showed my daughter as being in college (WSU) from January 2013 to June 2013 (she graduated with her BS degree that May,), (a 4 year degree in 4 months, REALLY?). They indicated on page 4 of the decision letter that I needed to submit documentation proving she was in school prior to Jan 2013, I submitted the 21-674 within a few hours along with documents, and now it looks as though they basically voided the Oct 7th decision letter and are now processing the 21-674 as an entirely new claim, and all they needed to do is add the additional dates to what they'd already decided on. It's now sitting in "Under Review", and has been since October 11th 2014. Is this going to be another "wait forever" deal again? It's currently with the Boise Idaho RO at this time.

I believe that dependency claims are worked separately with a bit lower priority.

Hopefully since they have everything it won't be too long.

jmho

[aggie54]

Don't worry, mine has been lingering since 2010, and just a few days ago it went to the Notification stage. Good luck with yours.

[RanRakIT1Ret]

Thank you shipmates, for the input. I realize dependency claims are low-end of the totem pole, what basically

upsets me, is that the claim was completed, and they requested additional documentation that proved my daughter

obtained her bachelors degree in more than 4 months, which I did that same day. What they didn't indicate is that

the decision letter's I did receive null and void, because the whole process starts over. If I'd known this, I would

have just stayed with what I had, even though it would have been a loss of a substantial amount of back pay.

Now, not to get too personal, with my mother having a stroke last week, that back pay would enable us to make

the adjustments she will need, as her income is limited.

Thank you for that little bit of "vent" time.

Glad to be a vet!!!

[MartyL16]

Yes, I also feel that pain. Mine went in Nov. 2013, had a suspense date of early 2014 and now back in the initial stage till 'hell freezes over" is my guess.

Actually, if e-benefits had anything, rather than nothing, it might make thinks easier....maybe.