Still no decision letter.

[Andyman73]

Not sure what to say, I called the benefits counselor at my local VAMC.  I told him that I had some claims that were closed on January 23rd, according to my ebenefits account.  I said today is February 23rd, and I still haven't received a decision letter explaining why my claims were denied.

Now, I emailed Mr. McDonald on Jan 22nd with questions about 2 of the claims that were denied with out exams, even though I submitted evidence from my SMR.  Guess what, no reply from him or his office.

I sent an inquiry via IRIS regarding same and lack of decision letter.  That was on Feb 2nd.  Only response was the automated 5 business days to reply response.  I sent a complaint via IRIS on Feb. 16th in regards to no decision letter being received, tho my ebenefits account states decision letter sent. 

I explained to benefits counselor that I called Peggy several times on several different days, and could not get through each time.  I told him that I contacted the VA via the IRIS and hadn't heard anything there either.  So he looked me up and saw that a claim filed in August of 15 was closed/denied on January 23rd, 16.  I said yes, and I haven't received my decision letter.  He said he will get it out in today's mail.

Will be mentioning all this to my VA MH therapist when I see him again on the 29th of this month.

[brokensoldier244th]

Go to Ebenefits and print your letter under the documents section. It usually updates before you get your letter in the mail. Your therapist may or may not be able to see your new rating as part of your updated medical history, but it depends. Different sections of the VA computer systems are updated at different times and in different ways. 

 

[tdubya82]

[deleted]

Edited July 21, 2016 by tdubya82

[brokensoldier244th]

Good catch. You won't find a decision letter there, I misspoke. You will find a benefit letter that demonstrates your percentage- if that was the information you were looking for. 

 

[broncovet]

Its a "new" plan to save VA money and reduce the backlog.  Instead of actually sending a decsion letter as required by 38 CFR 3.103, the VA marks your claim as "ignore" instead.  When the Vet calls, give the next answer on this list:

1.  Your decision has been mailed and you will receive it any day now. 

2.  Your decision letter was mailed on the 13th but returned by the post office.

3.  Its your own fault for not reading the mail.

4.  Its your own fault for not moving and not changing your address, so we sent it to the place you used to live as a child.  

5.  "What claim?"  We dont have any claims pending for you, so resubmit them.

6.  " We show that you are deceased, so you have to have a letter signed by 3 doctors and 4 crooked politicians proving you did not die.  

7.  Call us back when we are not too busy to talk to you, on Feb. 32 of leap years, between 10:00 and 10:01 pm.

8.  We show you did not serve in the military, so have all your buddies write letters that you were in.  If any of them died or cant be contacted, its your fault so you will be reduced or sever service connection.

9.  We could not process your payment from benefits from 2004, as there are still employees who have not gotten their bonus yet.  Call us back when all VA executive employee bonuses have been paid in full.  

10.  We think its your lawyer's fault as you should have trusted a VSO even tho they lost your claim 5 times in one year, and not hired a lawyer.  Vets dont need lawyers, they have VSO's.  Now VA will have one of their lawyers write a letter on how wrong you are.  

11.  Your claims file is lost, so we decided to sever all your benefits. 

12.  We decided you can not be competent since there is no history of drug, alcohol, or family abuse, so there must be something wrong, and we decided to hire a fiduciary and funnel all your money through him.  Its too bad he spent all your money and did not give you any, but we can not afford criminal background checks on fiduciaries, so check with your local prison to see if he is there again.  Ask YOur 
VSO if you can serve papers to inmates suing them for stealing all your money.  

13.  Its the fault of Veterans who put in too many claims for too many things, overworking VA employees.  14.  Contact your senator and donate to his campaign, ask him to give VA more money and we will reconsider the fact we cant find your claim, and try to unshred it.  

[brokensoldier244th]

Oh good grief. It took over a month to get my decision letter. Some times it takes time

You don't need the letter right off,  the benefits are the same letter out not

 

[Andyman73]

It's not that it didn't get sent to me, or arrive within the 30 day time limit, it's that it wasn't sent, even after one email to Sec. McDonald, and 2 IRIS complaints.  For those who may have remembered anything I posted in the past few months, these claims were filed in August.  I had 3 C&P exams, 2 on October 30th and one on November 3rd.

One exam ended up as not the claimed body part, so see your PCP for further eval.  Another-at least as likely or more than likely caused by primary SCD.  And the 3rd was the MH that the examiner totally disregarded the reason for the exam in the first place.

Then the DAV told me all were denied on November 23rd.  But my benefits counselor told me that the claims weren't even received at the VARO until December 15th!!!  Then in January, first week, RO called me at home and we spoke over 2 hours.(2hrs 7minutes).  Told me the secondary would be granted, and 2 others would be deferred, until more evidence could be generated.  And 1 would be scheduled for exam. 

Then ebennies showed all denied a week later, and finally on January 23rd, showed decision letter sent out.  So if I were to go with the DAV's lies, my decision letter is 90 days past due.

And that's what I got going on now.