Claim untouched for 7 months!

[Ramp Ape 1]

I met with my local VSO, Arizona Department of Veterans Services, 16 Jan 2020 to check the status of a claim I filed 13 Nov 2018.

The rep accessed my file in VBMS, searched thru it and told me my claim has sat untouched since Jun 2019.

What recourse do I have if any? Call the WH? Call my Senator?

Or do I just wait out the VA?

Thanks in advance.

[vetquest 1,032]

What type of claim are you using?   NOD's are taking about two years for example.  Is it legacy or AMA?

[broncovet 4,245]

This is typical for VA, and not all that unusual.  Remember, I have been in claims since 2002, so during that 17 years, I waited "much longer" than "just 2 years" for anything to happen.  However, most of the time I had no idea what was going on, and didnt know my claim was doing nothing but gathering dust for 2 years.  VBMS changed that, so now we know a little more of what is going on.  Delays is how I lost my home and became homeless.  

The attitude at VA is

"oh, you waited 2 years?  Do you want us to give you a medal for that?  Maybe we should give all the Vets that because "most Vets" have to appeal "at least once" and that is taking an average of 5 years at the BVA, so you should be "happy" with a delay of "only" 2 years."  

My advice is that you send an IRIS email inquiring as to the "status" of that claim.  It might get it out of the "wait" pile.  

There was a rater on another site, who claimed to me that "claims couldnt take that long" because there were checks and balances to prevent it.  So, he did not beleive me.  Of course, as he said, 
"this was my fault".  Yea right.  If VA can not fix the problem, they fix the blame...right on the VEteran.  

Edited January 21, 2020 by broncovet

[Ramp Ape 1]

39 minutes ago, vetquest said:

What type of claim are you using?   NOD's are taking about two years for example.  Is it legacy or AMA?

The claim was for 

Pending Disabilities

Disability	Submitted	Type	Actions
Gerd Secondary Degenerative Disc Disease	02/13/2019	SEC	View Pending Claim
Hypertension	02/13/2019	REP	View Pending Claim
Radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity Associated With Degenerative Disc Disease, L3-4	02/13/2019	INC	View Pending Claim
Individual Unemployability (iu)	02/13/2019	NEW	View Pending Claim
Tinnitus	02/13/2019	REP	View Pending Claim
Degenerative Disc Disease, L3-4	02/13/2019	INC	View Pending Claim

[broncovet 4,245]

You posted you submitted the claim in 2018, but, according to what you posted the claim is not dated until 2019.  This is "just one more way" the VA hornswaggles Vets 'NOT ONLY" with delays, but watch you get hornswaggled on the effective date, too.   (The same thing happened to me, and Im fighting them on the effective date as we speak!)  

You see, VA "counts the claim date" as the date "received" not the date you mailed it.  This is exactly why Vets advocates advise Vets to send stuff to VA "certified mail return receipt requested".  You see, the VA considers all Veterans liars, and all VA employees as honest, hardworking, trustful employees.  That is so wrong on so many levels.  

Edited January 21, 2020 by broncovet

[Ramp Ape 1]

10 minutes ago, broncovet said:

You posted you submitted the claim in 2018, but, according to what you posted the claim is not dated until 2019.  This is "just one more way" the VA hornswaggles Vets 'NOT ONLY" with delays, but watch you get hornswaggled on the effective date, too.   (The same thing happened to me, and Im fighting them on the effective date as we speak!)  

You see, VA "counts the claim date" as the date "received" not the date you mailed it.  This is exactly why Vets advocates advise Vets to send stuff to VA "certified mail return receipt requested".  You see, the VA considers all Veterans liars, and all VA employees as honest, hardworking, trustful employees.  That is so wrong on so many levels.  

The initial file date was 13 Nov 2018 I don't know why Ebenefits shows Feb 2019.

[Ramp Ape 1]

Tinnitus has been granted SC @ 10%. Hearing loss also granted SC @ 0%. 

[Vync 2,285]

@Ramp Ape Do you have proof that you submitted your claim in Nov 2018? I always recommend using return receipt/certified mail so you can have a hard copy to verify they signed for and received it. I also submit by fax and keep a copy of the confirmation sheet/communications log.

Submitting them online is a bit tricky. I did an online claim in 2018 and uploaded all the documentation. They could see where I submitted the intent request, but all the documentation I uploaded disappeared. Of course, they claim they could not see any documents I uploaded.

 

[Ramp Ape 1]

20 minutes ago, Vync said:

@Ramp Ape Do you have proof that you submitted your claim in Nov 2018? I always recommend using return receipt/certified mail so you can have a hard copy to verify they signed for and received it. I also submit by fax and keep a copy of the confirmation sheet/communications log.

Submitting them online is a bit tricky. I did an online claim in 2018 and uploaded all the documentation. They could see where I submitted the intent request, but all the documentation I uploaded disappeared. Of course, they claim they could not see any documents I uploaded.

 

Per VA.GOV

Claim type

Compensation

What you’ve claimed

• GERD Secondary Degenerative Disc Disease (Secondary)
• Hypertension (Reopen)
• Tinnitus (Reopen)
• Individual Unemployability (IU) (New)
• Degenerative Disc Disease
• L3-4 (Increase)
• Radiculopathy
• Left Lower Extremity Associated With Degenerative Disc Disease
• L3-4 (Increase)

Date received

Nov. 13, 2018

Your representative for VA claims

ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS' SERVICES

[broncovet 4,245]

You are gonna have to wait for the envelope.  Im not speculating on what an unreliable VA.gov or unreliable ebenefits means.  It doesnt mean much, it means its unreliable.