The VA Disability System Is Still Riddled With Errors, Advises Woods & Woods
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Years of broken promises have failed to improve the VA disability system. Time and time again, the VA rolls out a new program or a new system, yet disabled veterans aren't seeing accuracy or appeal wait times improve. The archaic bureaucracy is not living up to its mission of helping veterans.
Mistakes Are Still Rampant in Application Process
The application process is actually moving faster than in previous years. Veterans are receiving a VA rating decision letter much quicker than they used to. However, that doesn't mean the VA is doing a better job of accurately rating claims.
The VA still continues to incorrectly deny veterans' secondary service-connected disabilities. The VA continually approves just enough conditions that some veterans may not consider filing an appeal. Essentially, many veterans are settling for lower ratings than they deserve.
Lots of veterans have recently received an incorrect VA disability PTSD rating. The VA continues to inaccurately deny combat and non-combat PTSD stressors.
The VA has also continually handed out incorrect effective dates over the last few years. That has forced many veterans to file an earlier effective date VA disability claim. Veterans who fail to challenge their decisions may be missing a VA disability benefits retroactive payment.
The Appeals Backlog Has Not Improved
The VA has rolled out new plan after new plan, yet none of them seem to improve the veterans disability benefits timeline. The initial application process has sped up, yet the VA disability rating appeal process has slowed down.
The BVA also continues to deny legitimate claims causing more and more veterans to hire a Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims lawyer to continue their appeals. Veterans shouldn't have to jump through this many hoops just to get the benefits they earned by serving our country.
According to Neil Woods, a VA disability compensation lawyer at Woods & Woods, the "VA is not taking reform seriously. The entire system is still failing veterans. Some of our clients are having to wait years to obtain benefits. How exactly does the VA expect a veteran that can't work to live for years without an income? This is why we have so many homeless veteran clients - they can't get by for years without any assistance."
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