Jump to content
VA Disability Community via Hadit.com

VA Disability Claims Articles

Ask Your VA Claims Question | Current Forum Posts Search | Rules | View All Forums
VA Disability Articles | Chats and Other Events | Donate | Blogs | New Users

  • hohomepage-banner-2024-2.png

  • 27-year-anniversary-leaderboard.png

    advice-disclaimer.jpg

  • donate-be-a-hero.png

  • 0

Ilp Independent Living Program Or Voc Rehab Have You Applied For It This Year?

Rate this question


Tbird

Question

  • Founder

I'm doing a little research if anybody has applied for ILP or Voc Rehab this year 2014 can you tell me what your experience was.

Some veterans awhile back said whether they had wanted to apply for ILP or Voc Rehab they all had to attend the same class at the same time and it was only once a month and it was not helpful for them, I'm just trying to see if that is still happening.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 answers to this question

Recommended Posts

  • 0
  • Moderator

Tbird, I started to respond yesterday and decided to wait and see if others will respond.

I applied for and received VA Voc Rehab "about" 10 years ago. My state also has a Voc Rehab plan, or did have one, and it is somewhat similar to VA's, as I have been in both.

ONE very good thing about VA Voc Rehab. You deal with a person, not a form you send in (tho you do have to send forms in also) ...but someone who works for VA Voc REhab.

My Voc Rehab counselor had been there many, many years, and they pretty much gave him decision making authority, so what he said is what happened about 90% of the time. (Altho, he was very non committal, and made no promises until approved).

Its impossible to overestimate the value of good communication between VA, and the Veteran. The Voc rehab guy made that all work, and he made it work well. If benefits worked like that, decisions would be quicker, fewer errors, and, when errors were discovered, they would be fixed faster. You see, the Voc Rehab counselor "takes responsibility" for your case. He follows it, not 200 people in a regional office where you are just a cfile, and no one is responsible or cares about whether you get benefits or get them delayed 10 years. Social security is similar to Voc Rehab. You sit down with a SS counselor, she inputs your info. She now has personal responsibility for your case. Her supervisor will be calling her as to why your case was not completed in 90 days, and you better have a good reason...you can not blame the whole office or that the mail room lost it, because you send additional iinformation to your case worker who takes heat if your case is out of order or not timely decided.

Probably the best info on ILP is here:

https://asknod.wordpress.com/tag/va-independent-living-program/

There are dozens of articles, some helpful and some humorous, but the encompas some aspect of ILP.

Because of my VA voc rehab counselor, I give VA voc rehab 5 stars. Its hundreds of times better than Va benefits because SOMEONE is responsible for your case, while at the VARO no one is responsible so no one cares.

Edited by broncovet
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0
  • Moderator

Instead of assigning your claim to one person who is responsible, the VARO method is to have dozens of people who work your claim:

Mail room, triage, gather information, ordering C and P's, prep for decision, and decision are almost always many different people who do NOTHING but their little piece hundreds of times, and then pass it to the next stage.

This creates multiple errors, with multiple teams blaming each other. So, every one just plugs along, and shuffles the next vets pile of paper.

If they assigned your case to the "Blue team", and the blue team sup kept track of where your claim was, and how old it was, it would be way, way better...just like social security and voc rehab. The "stage method" creates more delays and no one is responsible or cares how long the Vet waits. The delays and errors are built into the system, along with great coverup methods.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 0

Sorry Tbird. I didn't see your post. Go to my site and read about individualized Independent Living Programs. I've been through the mill on it and currently have a F9 on a greenhouse in. The gomers who run the whole VR&E program for a VARO will be the ones in charge of your ILP and they are horribly stingy. With 2,700 slots open annually to the most severely disabled among us, and a maximum allowable expenditure of $65,000.00 per Vet locally without going to VACO in DC for a higher authorization amount, you would think it was a slam dunk. I had to fight a year to get a a computer out of them for what should have been a legit. enterprise.(asknod.org). You ought to get one for Haddit easily. Each VR&E program is an entity unto itself with no oversight from DC. Very strange way of running a railroad considering you can't fart at VA without three signatures.

As for ILP, it is a nuanced approach. Yes, you have to fill out a Form 1900 and you can find them over at my place. Yes, to the dog and pony show and a brief interview. Once it is determined you are not going to begin your new career at Walmart, you go down the ILP path and a counselor tried to fit you for a cordless phone and grab bars at the toilets and shower/tub. VA just revamped the M28 in a further effort to curb VA's largesse.

Each succeeding War, VA enacts new barriers to this 1980 program. They tried to make it strictly vocational in 96 and lost on a OGC precedent. It does comprehend recreational pursuits but they are getting stingier by the moment. Any big $ items will require a true administrative review in DC which is a Godsend. It's a viable first step before a full blown NOD and appeal.

My good friend Bruce in Atlanta got a 30X60 heated greenhouse with raised tables and a hydroponic feeding system in 2008. He fights hard for his buds thereabouts. Woodworking shops, photo/art studios etc are the norm. OGC PREC 6-2001 opened up the world of the outdoors to us. Everyone needs some sunshine. I'm fighting for one too just to preserve our right to access this valuable program in a meaningful way.

https://asknod.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/va-ilp-the-secret-handshake/

​Make no mistake. VA is just as recalcitrant in providing you with VR&E for avocational pursuits as they are in granting claims. Same game, slightly different rules.

Edited by asknod
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Guidelines and Terms of Use