menieres disease Pending Approval status, waiting to see effect of potential government shutdown on completion

[GeekySquid]

So today my Vertigo claim status on Ebenefits moved to Pending Approval with an estimated completion range of Dec 28, 2018-Jan 8, 2019.

As always these statuses mean squat as they can change.

What I am monitoring will be the effects on the timeliness of our monthly checks and if the status extends past the dates listed.

The VA is funded but the Treasury isn't and it is the Treasury that processes our checks out through the ACH to our banks and also prints any physical checks.

In one of our past shutdowns I had a few days delay in a payment not related to the VA. The only department (involved in my payment) that was affected by that shutdown was the Treasury. They literally did not have enough people left to "push the button" on each of the transfer batches in their queues when the shutdown occurred. The money was pushed out about 3 days late if I remember correctly.

Based on what I know and feel about the existing vertigo claim and what is in my cfile for the last 5 years on the subject, i suspect I will either be flat out denied (and have to fight) or be rated as Meniere's disease and at a high percent.

Since I am already 100% on a single isssue, 60% or higher on Vertigo would/should move me to SMC S and if that happens the issue about the timing of our checks becomes more interesting.

Personally I won't suffer if our checks are delay a few months, but so many other veterans will be harmed that even contemplating a negative effect of a shutdown is just disgusting.

Once again "hurry up and wait" has affected my life and I can do nothing but find patience.

 

[Vync]

1 minute ago, GeekySquid said:

as I said in the original post, it is the Treasury that I am concerned about. They are not funded. Treasury is the agency between the VA and our banks. If they got to skeleton crew, or less, there are not enough people (from past shutdown experience) to authorize the transmission of batched checks and electronic payments.

The impact TO VA is minimal, the potential impact TO VETS is considerable if they absolutely need their checks by the 1st of the month.

The difference is essential vs. non-essential personnel. Treasury it is also between social security and recipient banks. During the last partial govt shutdown, social security and VA recipients got paid. However, some VA services will be put on hold temporarily, like making payouts for life insurance.

[Buck52]

Fox News has learned the House will try to amend the Senate bill with an additional $5 billion for a border wall, as sought by Trump. But it's unclear whether that would pass -- and it would face an even tougher time in the Senate, with the clock ticking before a Friday shutdown deadline.

Things are complicated by the holidays, as well as the fact that some lawmakers leaving Congress this year are already back home. The House Republican whip team is checking in with members who aren’t in town, and trying to talk anyone that isn’t a hard “no” into flying back to Washington as soon as possible, a source said.

The Senate bill, as passed, would keep several key departments of the federal government funded through February and avert a partial shutdown. The Senate measure does provide a total of $1.6 billion for border security and funds other agencies at current levels through Feb. 8 -- but does not include new wall funding.

After the White House initially indicated a willingness to consider such a short-term compromise measure, Trump faced mounting pressure from immigration-minded conservatives to dig in on his demand for $5 billion to fund a border wall, a signature campaign promise -- before Democrats take over the House in January. The president apparently did just that in his meeting with House GOP leaders, seeking more border security and wall funding.

“The president said what the Senate sent over is just kicking the can down the road,” McCarthy said. “We want to solve this problem.”

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders made clear Trump was renewing his demands on a border wall, saying after the meeting: “We protect nations all over the world, but Democrats are unwilling to protect our nation. We urgently need funding for border security and that includes a wall.”

Sanders earlier signaled that the compromise deal was in trouble when she put out a brief statement saying “the president does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall. The president is continuing to weigh his options.”

The statement came after House conservatives fumed over the stopgap measure -- and its lack of new wall funding.

“The House Republican Conference is ready to fight on the wall. Let’s get the $5B vote on the floor - today!” Rep. Mark Walker tweeted.

Source: ''Fox News''

 

[GeekySquid]

16 minutes ago, Vync said:

essential vs. non-essential personnel.

as stated in the original post, Treasury has not been funded according to all the bills that have been passed, and in a previous shutdown one of the hangups that occurred for people expecting Treasury checks was that they were pared down  to a skeleton crew.

Checks eventually went out but that was no help to those on SS and Vets who relied on their checks being available on the 1st of the month. That is the crucial concern for many veterans and SS recipients, getting the check on time.

It is conceivable that the administration will decide that the financial needs of the elderly, poor, and veterans who live on their checks is handled by 'essential' personnel , however considering the lack of humanity the current administration demonstrates daily i have doubts that decision is likely to occur.

Further, the new house will never approve the wall funding and as of right now members of the current Senate don't have the votes for that money and in fact some like Bob Corker have left or are leaving soon for their home towns. They won't come back for a vote they cannot, by their own estimations, win.

 

[Buck52]

We Should Know by Midnight Friday 12/21/2018

After that its anyone's guess what happens.??

[Carl the Engineer]

House folded today, Senate tomorrow....

Every Federal employee that does not work because of a shutdown, not only gets a free vacation, they get their money back as if they worked.  I have two brothers that work for the Feds.  They just laugh.  Stay home, get paid.  Dose not count against their vacation time, etc...

So, shutdowns are a scam.

SSI, SSDI and Veterans Comp will not be touched, ever, political suicide,

Just sayin,

Hamslice

 

[GeekySquid]

in the event the government does get shutdown there are two very important points you glide past. The first is that military and all mandatory workers are made to work without pay. The second is there is no guarantee that  back pay will be paid as the law does not make that a requirement. there was a huge political fight over that back pay the first time the R's shutdown the government and the workers nearly lost,. To me it is a sad thing your  brothers think that depriving people of their paychecks, even for a week, is funny.

As for the senate "falling"....it takes 60 votes to pass this bill in the Senate. Republicans don't have 60 seats and some of their members like Bob Corker of Tenn have already headed home. From his on air laughing on the subject of being called back to vote for a new bill, it is unlikely to happen.

it is all great to say that people will 'eventually' get their pay, but as we all should know, many vets and people on SS, military people, government workers and retirees, live paycheck to paycheck. Some will face problems with their landlords if their rent is late over this shutdown. Some will not have the money to keep the lights on, some won't be able to buy gifts for the holidays...etc etc etc. there is nothing humorous about their lives being damaged by a government shutdown or delay.

These people don't deserve to be pawns in a boondoggle that only serves the political promises of a individual who has no respect for the Law, Americans or the Military.