The VA disability benefits this article addresses is the non-service connected disability pension benefit. This disability benefit is a life saver for millions of older veterans and their surviving spouses who need assistance with everyday activities due to advancing age.
The eligibility to receive these VA disability benefits has not changed. But, qualifying for them seem to be a moving target year to year and throughout the year. It seems it comes down to the luck of the draw on the person evaluating the claim.
Compounding the qualification process for the disability pension benefit with aid and attendance entitlement is the requirement that WWII veterans in their 80’s and 90’s are now being asked to provide the last day of employment on their claim applications. Many are even being asked to have their physicians provide detailed documentation to support their inability to hold employment.
What is going on? Didn’t Congress pass a stipulation that a veteran no longer had to submit evidence and prove that their disability prevented them from working once they were over the age of 65. Is it fair to hold up a determination on a claim for a 93 year old WWII veteran receiving around the clock home care because supporting medical evidence that he can’t hold permanent employment wasn’t included with the medical report showing dementia?
There is even bad news looming for 2010 as it appears there will be no increase in the benefit payment threshold. In the past the amount of VA disability benefits would increase at the same percentage as Social Security and other government payouts. There will be no increase in Social Security benefits for 2010 and thus no increase for VA disability benefits.
Let’s get back to taking care of our elderly veterans and their surviving spouses who have sacrificed such a large portion of their lives to free our European neighbors from oppression and imprisonment from the right to live a free life.
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a law firm completed application for me. my father was army and he died of cancer in 1987. my mom is now 82 we have been waiting almost 6 mo for pension. have received 3 letters from va saying they working on it but in the meantime the credit I got in antisipation of the 3 mo wait I was told it would be in the beginning is going fast . my mom gets 1400 per mo and right now we are paying out 1600 on just care during the day . I work full time and am staying at my moms nights and weekends. I just do not understand why it takes them so long to process application . I am starting to feel desperate. I have had 2 people tell that their parent died before the pension was payed. so I am very discouraged . I can see my mother slowly getting weaker. cannot get up by self any more . using wheelchair more and more. I am just so pissed off that we have not received pension yet that would help so much and allow me to get a break for a couple of nights a week. sometime I worry that the stress of it all will kill me.