The history of my claim with the VA, and why it is such a damaging part of my life:
honorably discharged from active duty in early 2010
filed claim in june 2010 for injured joints, TBI, PTSD
while going to VA almost daily for appointments, spent majority of savings while unable to get a job due to time spent at the VA taking up most working hours
unable to file for unemployment after return from deployment due to paperwork issues (lack of proper DD214) at the state level resulting from being one of the final soldiers in Iraq to be stop lossed
when finally able to file unemployment and finished with all VA compensation and pension appointments at the end of 2010, found myself with inability to do previously held jobs due to physical/mental restrictions/limitations
took part in a VA work therapy program, but was unable to complete the program due to physical/mental restrictions/limitations which included a brief period in inpatient care at the Hines VA mental health facility, followed by a period of homelessness taking up the summer of 2011
a request to expedite the claim is submitted
Dec 2011 moved to Phoenix AZ to attend school, was told by Chicago VA staff NOT to transfer claim to PHX as it would end up starting the whole process over again
mid 2012 was told by VA staff to transfer the file as it was false that the claims process would be restarted
mid 2012 was told by the PHX VA that the file had been in the decision phase in Chicago when they stopped the process, after one phone call made to me with no message left, to transfer the file to PHX
another request to expedite the claim is submitted
Jul 2012 was told by the VA the claim should be finalized in Aug 2012
Grades slipping in school and limitations beginning to prevent proper completion of work begins to prompt a move back to Chicago
Aug 2012 was told by the VA the claim should be finalized in Sep 2012
Sep 2012 was told by the VA the claim should be finalized in Oct 2012 and a request to expedite the claim is submitted
Oct 2012 withdrew from school in PHX
Oct 2012 was told by the VA the claim should be finalized in Nov 2012 and despite moving back to Chicago the claim should not be transferred back and all the files and other documentation they needed was present
Nov 2012 moved back to Chicago, unable to get through to the VA via phone line due to "call volume"
Dec 2012 finally speak to VA rep via phone line, another request to expedite the claim is submitted, told to call back on the thursday after xmas
As I draw ever closer to the 31st month of the claim having been pending, I find myself bitter, disillusioned, in debt, and with no idea if or how this issue will ever be resolved.
In addition to that problem, I am unable to get my full transfer to the new school in IL finished so my GI Bill can be processed, because the school in AZ, despite giving me my withdrawl papers, decided to keep me on the books, so the gov't has still been paying the school. Which means I will now owe the gov't for the time they have me documented as being registered at the school but not attending- and I will wind up having to pay the tuition at the new school because the GI Bill won't go through... which is bad because I have no money to pay tuition in the first place.
I've done the calculations, and at the lowest rating for a claim the VA will owe me roughly $4000... at the highest they will owe me roughly $86000. This is calculating the time since the claim was filed, as it will be backpaid... once it ever gets finalized. If it ever gets finalized. I assume I will fall somewhere in the middle between those numbers having seen the claims of some of my fellow troops go through. In addition to the money, there are job and school benefits I would qualify for that would improve my station in life considerably.
To date, no one has been able to tell me WHY my claim has fallen so far outside of the range of average time for a claim- the average being just shy of a year from start to completion. No one has been able to tell me anything. It's like I've done something at some point to anger the whole system, and they are just delighting in fucking me over and keeping me in the dark... but no one will tell me what I did, or what I should have done differently.
I've complied with everything they've wanted, given them everything they asked for... and still... here I sit, comtemplating just slitting my damned wrists to get out of the debt and depression and hopelessness of sitting here with so much of my life in some unknown and uncaring system's hands.
Sometimes it's just too much for me to handle.
honorably discharged from active duty in early 2010
filed claim in june 2010 for injured joints, TBI, PTSD
while going to VA almost daily for appointments, spent majority of savings while unable to get a job due to time spent at the VA taking up most working hours
unable to file for unemployment after return from deployment due to paperwork issues (lack of proper DD214) at the state level resulting from being one of the final soldiers in Iraq to be stop lossed
when finally able to file unemployment and finished with all VA compensation and pension appointments at the end of 2010, found myself with inability to do previously held jobs due to physical/mental restrictions/limitations
took part in a VA work therapy program, but was unable to complete the program due to physical/mental restrictions/limitations which included a brief period in inpatient care at the Hines VA mental health facility, followed by a period of homelessness taking up the summer of 2011
a request to expedite the claim is submitted
Dec 2011 moved to Phoenix AZ to attend school, was told by Chicago VA staff NOT to transfer claim to PHX as it would end up starting the whole process over again
mid 2012 was told by VA staff to transfer the file as it was false that the claims process would be restarted
mid 2012 was told by the PHX VA that the file had been in the decision phase in Chicago when they stopped the process, after one phone call made to me with no message left, to transfer the file to PHX
another request to expedite the claim is submitted
Jul 2012 was told by the VA the claim should be finalized in Aug 2012
Grades slipping in school and limitations beginning to prevent proper completion of work begins to prompt a move back to Chicago
Aug 2012 was told by the VA the claim should be finalized in Sep 2012
Sep 2012 was told by the VA the claim should be finalized in Oct 2012 and a request to expedite the claim is submitted
Oct 2012 withdrew from school in PHX
Oct 2012 was told by the VA the claim should be finalized in Nov 2012 and despite moving back to Chicago the claim should not be transferred back and all the files and other documentation they needed was present
Nov 2012 moved back to Chicago, unable to get through to the VA via phone line due to "call volume"
Dec 2012 finally speak to VA rep via phone line, another request to expedite the claim is submitted, told to call back on the thursday after xmas
As I draw ever closer to the 31st month of the claim having been pending, I find myself bitter, disillusioned, in debt, and with no idea if or how this issue will ever be resolved.
In addition to that problem, I am unable to get my full transfer to the new school in IL finished so my GI Bill can be processed, because the school in AZ, despite giving me my withdrawl papers, decided to keep me on the books, so the gov't has still been paying the school. Which means I will now owe the gov't for the time they have me documented as being registered at the school but not attending- and I will wind up having to pay the tuition at the new school because the GI Bill won't go through... which is bad because I have no money to pay tuition in the first place.
I've done the calculations, and at the lowest rating for a claim the VA will owe me roughly $4000... at the highest they will owe me roughly $86000. This is calculating the time since the claim was filed, as it will be backpaid... once it ever gets finalized. If it ever gets finalized. I assume I will fall somewhere in the middle between those numbers having seen the claims of some of my fellow troops go through. In addition to the money, there are job and school benefits I would qualify for that would improve my station in life considerably.
To date, no one has been able to tell me WHY my claim has fallen so far outside of the range of average time for a claim- the average being just shy of a year from start to completion. No one has been able to tell me anything. It's like I've done something at some point to anger the whole system, and they are just delighting in fucking me over and keeping me in the dark... but no one will tell me what I did, or what I should have done differently.
I've complied with everything they've wanted, given them everything they asked for... and still... here I sit, comtemplating just slitting my damned wrists to get out of the debt and depression and hopelessness of sitting here with so much of my life in some unknown and uncaring system's hands.
Sometimes it's just too much for me to handle.
peachysweetlove:
A buddy of mine from the Navy (now living in KY) took about 3yrs to finish his and get it corrected (they fucked up his calculations and had to back pay) .....it was horrible. Between phone calls, visits, and appointments ... their lack of urgency cost him his job, savings, his family (wife couldn't handle the PTSD) and everything he's worked his whole life for. It's sad .... vets shouldn't be jerked around like this...especially w you are trying to progress forward and build a life. **HUGS** I hope this gets resolved soon......and you can continue to move forward.