ptsd Desperately seeking advice...

[savage3]

Im mentally sinking fast here and looking for any advice anyone can offer. I have now been in the disability process for 4 years. Recently things became bad enough financally that my family and I were in the eviction process. I sent these documents to the va asap and was placed in hardship status. At the time i had two seperate claims going, one for ptsd and one for physical disabilities. Now for a bit of backround so the full situation is understood. I was in the meb process and on my way out of the army when I had a dirty UA. Im not proud of it... but at the time it was the only way i could sleep at night. This prompted the meb process to end and i was then chaptered out with a general under honorable conditions discharge. At the time i was rated for my physical disabilities i was aparently in the "idees system" (not sure of spelling). So from what i was told by a va rep in washington who has my case is that once the discharge process started i should have been removed from that system and started my claim over under regular disability. But this somehow managed to slip through the cracks for 4 years. They just discovered this issue last week. I have now been informed that i have waited 4 years for squat. I will see no payment from that claim ever even though it was a mistake they made and there was nothing i could do about it. I was informed that i will now have to start the entire process over and file, see the doctors, and then go to the back of the ine to be rated. We are drowning... my lights are past due, i owe 2 months rent, my water is off, there is no food in the house. My children have been with their grandparents for 2 weeks cause we cant even keep food in the house. I have reached out to every VSO in the area, foreign legions, and several other organizations who say they help vets in their times of need and have gotten either no responses or basially sucks to be you responses. I had one lady from the vso in fayetteville nc offer me a phone number i could call once my family and i are actually homeless but she had no other hep to offer. Im supposidly going to be paid for my ptsd claim which is now 4 months old in the next few weeks. I have no idea what ive even been rated as they will not tell me which worries me a lot. Do I have any kind of case or any options here??? Im beyond desprate.... my life is falling apart and im in a very bad place mentally right now. I thank anyone who took the time to read this whole thing and glady will take any suggestions. I have zero faith in the VA anymore, Im hoping a few vets out there may have some pointers though.

Airborne... All the way...

[broncovet]

You came to the right place.  Like yourself I was "hours" from homelessness, and would have been had it not been for help from a few friends.  I had applied in 2002, and VA "lost" my TDIU application, so they gave me 0% for hearing loss.  My VSO suggested not appealing since they could take away my zero percent.  

I did loose my home to foreclosure and my car.  However,  I persisted with God's help and won 100% in a 2009 RO decision 7 years later.  (They only went back to 2006, and Im fighting them for my 4 years...that will be just about enough to buy my house back.).  

This is what you need to do:

1.  Go to your VAMC and tell them you are being evicted and need help NOW, not 4 years from now when BVA gets their appeals done.  

2.  Apply for NSC Pension..if you are a war period Vet, and have very low/ no income.  I got about 1000 per month pension..and its fairly easy to get.  You can get pension while you are waiting for some VA rater to decide your claim.  

3.  Apply for Social security disability if disabled.  Social Security is much faster..they can get it done in a couple months.

4.  Email Bob McDonald and tell him you are about to be another homeless Vet, slipping through the cracks, and you need help TODAY.  

5.  After you get your benefits, donate some of your retro to TBIRD to keep this site up, learn about VA benefits, then give back by helping other Veterans.  That is what Im doing.  

 

Edited August 15, 2016 by broncovet

[seejeremy]

Plus one on emailing Bob McDonald.  I received very positive results after emailing him and Allison Hickey.  Magically my claim started to move faster, C&P exams were scheduled and the retro was in my bank account.  

Your congress people may be able to help as well.  Email your senators and representatives for your district.  In my case I didn't hear back from the senator at all.  However, the representative had someone on her staff that dealt specifically with constituent services.  They contacted me within a day or two of emailing them and were very helpful in getting my VA money to me.

[Berta]

 "Im supposidly going to be paid for my ptsd claim which is now 4 months old in the next few weeks."

How do you know that? I hope it is true info from whoever told you that.

The VA's Secretary is at 

robert. mcdonald @va.gov

[Buck52]

call your RO and let them know your in a hardship for you and your family and you request they adjudicate your claim ASAP that your desperate  & If nothing is done or expedited   your only recourse is to send Bob McDonald office an email & let them know your claim has been under prosecution way to long & will they please check on your claim.

When a veteran has the right to his earned benefits and is homeless/despair for his family  then the VA has a duty to assist the veteran with his/her claim and put at the front of the line & expedite the claim ASAP  so -to - speak.

broncovet has great advise here. 

jmo

..........................Buck

[Gastone]

If you filed an FDC (Fully Developed Claim) as opposed to a Regular Axx Claim, and it's been 4 mos since your PTSD C & P Exam, maybe, just maybe, a Decision Award/Denial will be issued shortly.

Any chance you could post a redacted copy of your PTSD C & P DBQ, would give us a better idea of your SC situation.

I feel for your financial problems but unless your about to die, become Homeless or file Bankruptcy, the chances of getting your claim decision pushed ahead (Advanced) of other Vet's is slim & None. But it's the VA and you never know.

Your an FNG to VA Claims, right. Who filed your PTSD Claim, you or a VSO Rep? What does your VSO have to say.

If your claim gets Awarded, Retro usually hits your Direct Deposit Bank/CU account. about 2-4 weeks before you receive the actual VA Award/Denial Letter.

Might be wise to set your Bank Accounts to txt/Email you, regarding all transactions, in real time.

Semper Fi

[63SIERRA]

squeaky wheel gets the grease, you got good advice in the above posts, I would START with emailing the honorable mcdonorable . I emailed them at noon on one day and got a call from my RO the next afternoon. It got the RO in motion, thats for sure.

Edited August 21, 2016 by 63SIERRA