Opinions

[green]

I would appreciate your opinions given the following information

• Processed out of the military in 1983 and given a 20% rating
• Requested a reevaluation of disability in 1993 and given a 60% rating
• Requested consideration for 9 secondary conditions December 2014, used Fully Developed Claim format, my claim was in preparation for notification for about 2 weeks but went backwards... the claim is currently "gathering evidence"

I called Peggy today to get a status update and was told that the RO had requested records from three different Regional Offices.  I haven't lived in one State since 2002 and the other two were prior to 1993. 

This is interesting as I had a call from the RO working my current claim back in September and asked if I would give them permission to not go to any RO for information I hadn't submitted and I gave them permission.  Does anyone have an idea of what might be going on?

[ArNG11]

It is not unusual for the status on ebenefits to bounce back and forth. It can even get to what might be the last stages and then go back to the early stages. Also, it is entirely possible for the claim status to never change. It has to be updated manually by VA staff. Some of them are lazier than others.

Regarding them asking for older information from other RO's, it is not uncommon. I assume they might be trying to consolidate your records, look for continuity of treatment, or even could be correcting some errors. It's hard to say exactly why they do that. I had something similar happen when a claim was outsourced to a different RO. They ended up leaving some records there on accident and were consolidating everything here at my RO.

Head games, psychological warfare???

[Vync]

Head games, psychological warfare???

Perhaps. Instead of the old days where everything went into a void until you suddenly get something in your mailbox, the VA has taken a more high profile perspective in the news due to scandal after scandal. Because of it, now they give just enough of a peek behind the VA claims processing veil to present the appearance that something is happening and periodically offer a glimmer of hope. I think some of the employees started working at the VA because they wanted to help, but comfort can breed laziness. After years of the same old same old, never ending piles of c-files, managers breathing down their neck, they may have just given up and are biding their time until retirement, but are less concerned with helping than they are for closing time to arrive.

[ArNG11]

You have a point Vync, it just shouldn't be that way.  Green I think, this is just my opinion now, regarding your subject matter on your post, I believe it just another delay tactic.  More hands touch your file, more delays, more avenues of passing the buck of blame.  It makes perfect sense in my mind.

I think the VA is running out of excuses and while the VA tries to complicate things even more, this process, becomes all the more evident that it is a hostile process.

Why else would the VA go through these changes.  Save public face, maybe, make it harder for the Veteran to organize and prove their claim.  Heh, remember these changes are for the good of the Veteran.  Not to complicate things further and make more room for mistakes by "having more hands in the cookie jar". You believe that right?  

I think the VA is just going to use the excuse that they are so overwhelmed with claims that they have to "outsource" claimant's cases.  To me it's just another delay tactic and sabotage to the" Veteran friendly process".  

JMO

[Vync]

Yeah, I can definitely see green being a factor. If they processed everything adequately the first time, instead of the typical delay and deny tactics, then there would not be a need for all of the behind the scenes red tape. They are more worried about funding their own staffing levels to sincerely care about those who they serve.

[waccamawwild]

I agree with Vync. The VA just wants their cut of the pie. Merry Christmas to all of you!

[john999]

 

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