VVA AND VMW ASK SECRETARY SHINSEKI TO CUT THROUGH VA "RED TAPE"
In a letter delivered to Secretary Shinseki, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) and Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW) raised concern about a growing epidemic among America's veteran community. More than 600,000 men and women, who served this nation honorably, often with great personal sacrifice, have been forced to endure excessive delays in receiving the disability benefits they have earned due to a service-connected disability. Disability benefits are not only an entitlement – but an essential lifeline - for many veterans, and the failure to provide them in a timely way has had terrible consequences. Sadly, this backlog will only increase as more of the 1.7 million troops who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan become eligible for benefits.
In his confirmation hearings Secretary Shinseki expressed a desire to transform the Department of Veterans Affairs to a 21st Century Organization that is people-centric, results-driven, and forward-looking. Additionally, General Shinseki pointed out the need to "streamline the disability claims system, increase quality, timeliness and consistency of claims processing."
Documenting the wide-reaching impacts of disability benefit delays, the VVA and VMW's letter summarizes the tragic consequences of the VA's failure to treat America's disabled veterans with dignity. These consequences extend beyond the individual veteran to spouses, children, and other family members who suffer from the stress and economic burden caused by the failure to award their veteran husbands, wives, parents, sons and daughters the benefits that they need to survive.
VVA and VMW are taking action to Band-Aid a disability claims system that the General Accountability Office and the Congress have, on numerous occasions, deemed broken. These organizations are suing the VA in Washington, D.C. federal court. The groups have asked the Court to impose a 90-day deadline for decisions on initial claims for disability benefits, and resolve appeals of those decisions within 180 days, as a way to force the VA to act promptly. If the VA fails to meet these standards, VVA and VMW requested that the Judge order the VA to provide interim monetary payments equivalent to a disability rating of 30 percent to those veterans whose claims have been delayed as a minimal lifeline of support when it is most needed.
The VA acknowledges that it takes at least six months to reach an initial decision on an average benefits claim; in its federal lawsuit, the VVA and VMW assert that the delay is actually a year or more. While veterans await resolution on their claims, they receive no benefits whatsoever from the VA. Moreover, appeals of initial decisions average more than four years, with some stretching 10 years or more. More than half of those appeals, when finally heard, result in reversals of benefits denials.
Information for the Media
Veteran Profiles
Seven veterans tell their stories
