The A to Z Guide to VA Disability Benefits
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How My Internet Collection Works Best For You:
My only goal is to ensure you have the knowledge available
to make the most of the benefits you've earned with your
honorable military service. There are a series of sites
that work together to keep you informed.
This site, The A to Z Guide to VA Benefits is a
benefits data clearinghouse and is arranged
so that you may find the benefits facts you need quickly and easily.
Next up is Straight Talk For Military Veterans.
This is a forum for interacting among others; Veterans, VA Staff, Lawyers, VSO's and
survivors are all welcome here. Sign up now to talk with
professionals and veterans who have experienced just
the challenges you're facing.
The Facebook page is where you'll find the latest breaking news
about your VA benefits...headlines from around the world.
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I'm Jim912 over there
I'm answering questions and opining editorially at
VAWatchdog dot Org as well as
The Veterans Voice twice weekly.
Finally, the personal Facebook page of Jim Strickland.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan...
Abraham Lincoln
(Motto of the Department of Veterans Affairs)
Abraham Lincoln
(Motto of the Department of Veterans Affairs)
Welcome Aboard to the A to Z Guide of Veterans Disability Compensation Benefits.
Your journey into learning about your VA benefits begins right here.
PLEASE; Read This Page Entirely Before You Begin! If you'll take 5 minutes to read through this page, you may save yourself a lot of time.
Since 2006 I've devoted time to writing about the proven best approaches to securing your benefits. Most of my work is published at VAWatchdog Dot Org. I also publish at The Veterans Voice and Military Dot Com.
The editors at those sites above have provided the veteran with an oasis of reliable information on an often hostile Internet. Be sure to visit them often. I'll continue to publish on each of those sites.
My approach to how you win your earned VA benefits is unique. Read on.
I am a Do-It-Yourselfer. I believe that VA prefers to interact directly with the veteran when at all possible. I do not recommend the VSO system as it is structured today.
I believe that a veteran who can read and write well enough to follow some simple rules and use a computer to write letters and print them is well equipped to handle their own claim. You do not need a representative to file a claim.
I know that Nobody Cares About Your Claim But You!!!
This A to Z Guide will provide the reader with the tools and the basic knowledge necessary to determine what benefits you are eligible for. You'll learn how to file a claim, ask for an increase or begin to appeal a denial.
You may notice that much of the data presented here is taken directly from the DVA web site. That's because the DVA site is full of information and is often the best place to start a search to learn about your benefits. The problem with the DVA site is that it's huge and isn't usually very easy to navigate. I've tried to help you by aiming links directly into the DVA site for the data that you need most often.
I suggest that from there you use the search engines I've provided for you and do a more thorough Internet search for yourself. If you aren't expert with how to use key words and phrases for a search, have a look here first http://www.googleguide.com/
And also have a look at Google It.
This web site will always be a work in progress, always unfinished. If your question isn't answered here, email me and I'll do what I can to find an answer for you.
I've learned that The Veterans Benefits Administration has a process. To VA, the process is all that matters.
Few people at VBA care what the outcomes are so long as process is followed and t's get crossed and i's get dots.
The process applies to everyone...even you. You can't skip any details of the process. It doesn't matter to anyone at your Regional Office that you need the money or that you really are sick, if you don't stick to the process, you lose.
On the flip side of that, if you have a well grounded case and you are meticulous in how you work through the process, you'll be awarded what you deserve. It may not happen as quickly as it should and somewhere along the way you'll probably get a denial letter but that too is part of the process.
Those who accept that, prepare for it and deal with it as a matter of fact will fare much better than those who try to game the system to their advantage.
All that's required of you is perfection in every piece of evidence you submit, the patience of a saint and the tenacity of a junkyard dog.
No problem....right? Now, get to work.
Your journey into learning about your VA benefits begins right here.
PLEASE; Read This Page Entirely Before You Begin! If you'll take 5 minutes to read through this page, you may save yourself a lot of time.
Since 2006 I've devoted time to writing about the proven best approaches to securing your benefits. Most of my work is published at VAWatchdog Dot Org. I also publish at The Veterans Voice and Military Dot Com.
The editors at those sites above have provided the veteran with an oasis of reliable information on an often hostile Internet. Be sure to visit them often. I'll continue to publish on each of those sites.
My approach to how you win your earned VA benefits is unique. Read on.
I am a Do-It-Yourselfer. I believe that VA prefers to interact directly with the veteran when at all possible. I do not recommend the VSO system as it is structured today.
I believe that a veteran who can read and write well enough to follow some simple rules and use a computer to write letters and print them is well equipped to handle their own claim. You do not need a representative to file a claim.
I know that Nobody Cares About Your Claim But You!!!
This A to Z Guide will provide the reader with the tools and the basic knowledge necessary to determine what benefits you are eligible for. You'll learn how to file a claim, ask for an increase or begin to appeal a denial.
You may notice that much of the data presented here is taken directly from the DVA web site. That's because the DVA site is full of information and is often the best place to start a search to learn about your benefits. The problem with the DVA site is that it's huge and isn't usually very easy to navigate. I've tried to help you by aiming links directly into the DVA site for the data that you need most often.
I suggest that from there you use the search engines I've provided for you and do a more thorough Internet search for yourself. If you aren't expert with how to use key words and phrases for a search, have a look here first http://www.googleguide.com/
And also have a look at Google It.
This web site will always be a work in progress, always unfinished. If your question isn't answered here, email me and I'll do what I can to find an answer for you.
I've learned that The Veterans Benefits Administration has a process. To VA, the process is all that matters.
Few people at VBA care what the outcomes are so long as process is followed and t's get crossed and i's get dots.
The process applies to everyone...even you. You can't skip any details of the process. It doesn't matter to anyone at your Regional Office that you need the money or that you really are sick, if you don't stick to the process, you lose.
On the flip side of that, if you have a well grounded case and you are meticulous in how you work through the process, you'll be awarded what you deserve. It may not happen as quickly as it should and somewhere along the way you'll probably get a denial letter but that too is part of the process.
Those who accept that, prepare for it and deal with it as a matter of fact will fare much better than those who try to game the system to their advantage.
All that's required of you is perfection in every piece of evidence you submit, the patience of a saint and the tenacity of a junkyard dog.
No problem....right? Now, get to work.
While you're working on your claim using the information and resources you find here, don't forget to head over to the VAWatchdog often. Larry is posting up to the minute data so that you may rank as one of the few, the informed and the ready for action. My most recent opinions and Q & A columns are there too.
Keep scrolling down for more.
Keep scrolling down for more.
DISCLAIMER
I'm not a lawyer. I don't play lawyer. I don't pretend to have anywhere close to a legal mindset. This isn't legal advice. I refer a lot of veterans to lawyers because I have limits to my knowledge. I'm offering this advice to you based on my personal experiences as well as what I've learned from others over the years. The process of filing a claim for disability compensation at the VA is not supposed to be a legal process, it's an administrative process.
I'm offering advice on how that game gets played.
As soon as your claim becomes "legal" work, I will always refer you to a lawyer. That occurs (in my mind) when your claim goes to the Board of Veterans Appeals or to a higher court.
The VBA has hundreds of lawyers earning nice paychecks to defend against you. For you to not have a lawyer as soon as you even remotely need one is foolish and self destructive.
This site offers you advice on how to do the administrative work yourself. If you have a good case, if you do this first level of work properly, if you're patient...you probably won't need the lawyer and eventually you'll have a fair adjudication from VBA.
Keep in mind that my work is offered a guidance only and there is no warranty, express or implied.
Read Carefully Please.
Once you finish this page, before you begin your search for the info you need for your claim, read The Dirty Dozen. I've put together the only list you'll ever need of the do's and don'ts of working with your VA.
If you will stick by the basics outline in A Dirty Dozen, if you have a well grounded case, you're much more likely to win than your peers are.
This stuff isn't advanced rocket surgery but you must play by their rules. To file with the VA is where players are separated from pretenders. The VA plays rugby with a hard ball. You must enter the scrum prepared.
Nobody cares about your claim but you. Nobody!
Have I made my point?
The answer to your question is probably in here somewhere. If you can't find it, email me. If it's in here and you just didn't take the time to look for it, I'll refer you right back here. If you don't have the time to look through here and find information to help yourself, I don't have the time to do it for you. I'm not paid that well.
This is your claim, not mine. This guide will help only if you do the heavy lifting.
Housekeeping Notes
This is a larger project than I'd anticipated.
I've received a lot of assistance from my friend Janet Jennings. Janet has been reading all this for me and continues to proofread, checking my spelling and looking for non-functional links. Janet is a veteran with her own disability issues but still is out and about on the Internet helping other vets. That's in her spare time, when she isn't busy raising her kids and spending hours reading my scribbles.
Thanks Janet.
Even Janet may miss something so if you see a dead link, misinformation, misspelling or if I've failed to give a source proper credit for something I've used, please email me and let me know. I'm open to suggestions for topics and improvements.
Much of the photography you see is my own work. I believe that the images I use from the Internet are freely available for such non-profit use. If I've somehow infringed on your property, a quick email to me will assure that it's promptly removed.
I'll be sending out an occasional newsletter if you care to sign up. That's as easy as emailing me to tell me you'd like to receive my newsletters.
Thanks for stopping by!
I'm not a lawyer. I don't play lawyer. I don't pretend to have anywhere close to a legal mindset. This isn't legal advice. I refer a lot of veterans to lawyers because I have limits to my knowledge. I'm offering this advice to you based on my personal experiences as well as what I've learned from others over the years. The process of filing a claim for disability compensation at the VA is not supposed to be a legal process, it's an administrative process.
I'm offering advice on how that game gets played.
As soon as your claim becomes "legal" work, I will always refer you to a lawyer. That occurs (in my mind) when your claim goes to the Board of Veterans Appeals or to a higher court.
The VBA has hundreds of lawyers earning nice paychecks to defend against you. For you to not have a lawyer as soon as you even remotely need one is foolish and self destructive.
This site offers you advice on how to do the administrative work yourself. If you have a good case, if you do this first level of work properly, if you're patient...you probably won't need the lawyer and eventually you'll have a fair adjudication from VBA.
Keep in mind that my work is offered a guidance only and there is no warranty, express or implied.
Read Carefully Please.
Once you finish this page, before you begin your search for the info you need for your claim, read The Dirty Dozen. I've put together the only list you'll ever need of the do's and don'ts of working with your VA.
If you will stick by the basics outline in A Dirty Dozen, if you have a well grounded case, you're much more likely to win than your peers are.
This stuff isn't advanced rocket surgery but you must play by their rules. To file with the VA is where players are separated from pretenders. The VA plays rugby with a hard ball. You must enter the scrum prepared.
Nobody cares about your claim but you. Nobody!
Have I made my point?
The answer to your question is probably in here somewhere. If you can't find it, email me. If it's in here and you just didn't take the time to look for it, I'll refer you right back here. If you don't have the time to look through here and find information to help yourself, I don't have the time to do it for you. I'm not paid that well.
This is your claim, not mine. This guide will help only if you do the heavy lifting.
Housekeeping Notes
This is a larger project than I'd anticipated.
I've received a lot of assistance from my friend Janet Jennings. Janet has been reading all this for me and continues to proofread, checking my spelling and looking for non-functional links. Janet is a veteran with her own disability issues but still is out and about on the Internet helping other vets. That's in her spare time, when she isn't busy raising her kids and spending hours reading my scribbles.
Thanks Janet.
Even Janet may miss something so if you see a dead link, misinformation, misspelling or if I've failed to give a source proper credit for something I've used, please email me and let me know. I'm open to suggestions for topics and improvements.
Much of the photography you see is my own work. I believe that the images I use from the Internet are freely available for such non-profit use. If I've somehow infringed on your property, a quick email to me will assure that it's promptly removed.
I'll be sending out an occasional newsletter if you care to sign up. That's as easy as emailing me to tell me you'd like to receive my newsletters.
Thanks for stopping by!
