ptsd When Do They Call Your Employers ?

[conway]

Hello. I have a claim in for my hearing & mental issues, PTSD, and others.

A few months later I also submitted a IU application on the advice of a county Vet Rep. I cant stay employed and can't find jobs, sometimes for years.

Well they approved the hearing but deferred the PTSD / mental. Just the other day I found out they contacted three of my last employers with a form 4192 about my mental claims. The VA themselves told me they did this. Since my mental claims are still deferred and they haven't decided if they are service connected yet, I am wondering.........

When do they contact past employers? Do they do it ONLY if you have a service connection?? or will they do it just because you submitted an IU application (even if you don't yet have a service connection)??

I am hoping maybe this is a good sign that maybe they service connected me for the mental issues & just haven't told me yet- pending my IU application outcome. thank you

[broncovet]

They do this whenever you apply for IU. The va wants to KNOW everything about you, so they can use it against you.

Edited July 7, 2015 by broncovet

[MPsgt]

Hello. I have a claim in for my hearing & mental issues, PTSD, and others.

A few months later I also submitted a IU application on the advice of a county Vet Rep. I cant stay employed and can't find jobs, sometimes for years.

Well they approved the hearing but deferred the PTSD / mental. Just the other day I found out they contacted three of my last employers with a form 4192 about my mental claims. The VA themselves told me they did this. Since my mental claims are still deferred and they haven't decided if they are service connected yet, I am wondering.........

When do they contact past employers? Do they do it ONLY if you have a service connection?? or will they do it just because you submitted an IU application (even if you don't yet have a service connection)??

I am hoping maybe this is a good sign that maybe they service connected me for the mental issues & just haven't told me yet- pending my IU application outcome. thank you

Do you have any treatment records for your MH issues? If you are a Combat Veteran and you've not done so already. Utilize the nearest VetCenter to your location. IMO, they've a much better treatment program setup to accommodate Combat Veterans suffering from PTSD.

Edited July 7, 2015 by MPsgt

[conway]

They do this whenever you apply for IU. The va wants to KNOW everything about you, so they can use it against you.

I was thinking maybe I should write up a statement that tells my side of it with each employer? Maybe this is a bad idea or there is no good idea, but these employers basically hate me, like i hate them, so I don't expect them to tell the truth. What do you think? write my side up or just let them be told whatever people I hate will tell them?

[conway]

Do you have any treatment records for your MH issues? If you are a Combat Veteran and you've not done so already. Utilize the nearest VetCenter to your location. IMO, they've a much better treatment program setup to accommodate Combat Veterans suffering from PTSD.

I do have one entry in my SR/HR when I was suicidal that mentions my dsm symptoms, but the VA psychologist says it ain't good enough and that all they did was see me and say i should go to stress managment. his sticking point is they released me for "full duty". no history of MH before the service either

[broncovet]

Its a sign they are making progress on developing your IU claim if they contacted previous employers. Remember, VA can and does "sit" on claims and do nothing, sometimes for years or sometimes they just "lose" your paperwork, and you have to start over. You see, VA keeps numbers on claims pending, and it makes bosses look good when they "reduce the backlog". So one good way of "reducing the backlog" is to lose your claim and quietly delete it off the computer, or, they never put it in the computer in the first place. "Poof" your claim disappears, VA execs get bonuses, and you get, well, you know.

I have personally seen my own "claim closed" without a decision..more than once. You see, VA can ask you for information, and if you dont provide it, they can close your claim. So they "close it". This way, they can get away with "closing" your claim, and no one asks questions, well, no one except the Vet. If you contact them, expect them to say things like, "Gee, are you sure you sent in a claim? We did not get one. Send it again."

They have done this to me at least 5 times with dependents..over and over and over. I enclosed birth certificates back in 2002. In 2005, they finally awarded benefits "as a single Vet". So, I send in the dependent BC, and wait. Nothing. I resend them in 2006. Nothing. Sent again in 2009. Still nothing. In 2012, I went to the board with the issue. Guess what. The board says, send it again. I do. In 2013, I get a denial because I did not send it in. Im sending them to Allison next time. And they wonder why Im claiming my evidence was shredded?

Edited July 7, 2015 by broncovet

[DDuck]

I can only speak for my claim on the request from employers.

I had not worked in quite awhile so when the VA sent the requests out none of my employers filled them out. So I responded with all my information (when the VA sent me a letter requesting that information about employment history). Personally I just filled it out and submitted it, I stated the date and time and telephone and person I talked to when I called to ask the employers to fill it out the form. I filled them out 4 different times, as they kept sending me letters on the request to get them to sign it. I just kept calling my past employers and writing the date, time, and person I talked to then submitted them to the VA.

I was stuck in that stage for about a year and as far as I know they never returned the form. My case was granted without the employers submitting them, I hope that helps.