We have spent countless hours trying to get the correct amount of benefits for my 92 year-old uncle who is a WWII Vet. My husband has sat with very helpful folks at the local Veterans Affairs office and filled (and re-filled) out form after form trying to get it just right. While my uncle did get approved for a few hundred dollars a month, it still is not the amount for which he clearly qualifies.
In the year since we started the process, my aunt (wife of my uncle) passed away, so we had to update forms and get that information into the mix. My uncle also moved from an assisted living facility to a memory care facility (which is more expensive). He will soon run out of funds and the facility is very aware of that. Last week he was placed on hospice care, so we don’t expect to ever see the money that the VA says he should receive retroactively back to January of 2019.
We love our country. We deeply appreciate those who have served in the military to help us enjoy all the freedoms we enjoy; however, this entire event has made us recognize how poorly the “powers that be” treat those who served. Even local politicians have tried to help, but we think that somewhere in the “system” our uncle’s papers are sitting in a pile on a desk or in a file stamped “wait longer, since he may die soon.”
Since we’re not all that familiar with how long this process typically takes, I thought I’d ask the people most familiar with helping their loved one to rightfully receive their earned VA benefits. Thanks for any insight you can give us!
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Thank you for showing compassion and taking time to add this message to the forum.
May God grant you grieving mercies and comfort during this difficult time.
Your uncle was blessed to have you as his advocate, as frustrating as it was for you it was so loving of you. Hugs!
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Do you know to which "team" (red, green, etc.) your aunt and uncle were assigned? It would probably be in the initial notification papers from the VA. If you have that, call that team and ask to speak with the Social Worker. I found ours to be very helpful. She might be able to suggest a method of correcting this error.
If you don't have that information, call the VA hospital at which they registered and ask to speak with the benefits office. (I'm not sure what it's actually called, and the military has its own nomenclature). You want to try to find someone who can get to the bottom of this situation and find out where why the back funds weren't paid.
If I can think of anything else, I'll post back. This obviously should not have happened.
I'm confused as to the amount issue; if it's to be paid retroactively and hasn't been, that's clearly an issue. Or do you feel that the amount approved just isn't appropriate?
Have you involved the American Legion or VFW? The AL helped us, after the claim was submitted by a local VA office which provided assistance in document preparation and claims applications.
This was more than a few years ago and I don't remember all the details, but I do recall getting a lump sum as well as monthly payments, all within a few months or so after the claim was approved.
Could you elaborate more on the specific issue of the amount your uncle and/or aunt expected to receive?
It might be that one of the service organizations I mentioned could help you. But definitely don't involve one of the attorneys or other organizations that try to recruit Veterans and their families and charge for it.
There has been no “lump sum” and as I said, the death of my aunt changed my uncle’s status, so more papers were submitted. Then, he moved to a more medically necessary facility (memory care), which costs more than the the room he and his wife shared at the AL facility. Most of the rooms at the new facility have 2 to a room to cut costs, and the director of the facility thought my uncle would do better by himself since he was having extreme mental health issues right after his wife’s death—but he did not charge extra and that has been huge in allowing my uncle to stay put for now.
The director of the Memory Care facility has a connection with one of the State Senators and has encouraged us to reach out to his office (we likely won’t be able to speak directly to the Senator, but perhaps someone in his office can help). I think we’re just weary of it all. This same aunt and uncle were at one time taken into custody of DSS and all of that was exhausting. On top of that, we’ve waited for over a year to get guardianship (first for both my aunt and uncle and now for my uncle—which is also likely not to occur). Thankfully, their son has POA and has been able to help when most needed.
Thank you for your ideas. I will pass them along to my husband.
I hear it is a little faster if you go through an attorney who specializes in obtaining VA benefits.
But, I am very worried we will be thrown in a endless merry go round! This Administration is looking to cut everyday the needs for the seniors and Veterans. They seem to think the children will help....not true. They have their own problems with a family. And trying to make the money to survive in this crazy world that is exciting...
i pray for all the older generation.
If Uncle is running out of money, I would take what he has left and pay privately for LTC and apply for Medicaid. Even if he receives A&A, it will not cover the cost of his AL.