Veteran's Disability Benefits, question?

I have seen people get their rating in as little as one year and some have taken over 20 years. It all depends on who is handling the claim. You must remember that if you don't appeal a denial right away, you can forget about retroactive payments.

My claim even with doctors, long hospital stays, weekly treatment and group therapy took me 13 years to get it service connected.

The medical condition has to be shown to have been caused by military duty otherwise, the best you can get is 10% to start with and then keep appealing to get it raised.

Good luck and remember DON'T EXPECT the VA claims adjusters or other service organization to be on the ball, I went through both the DAV and the American Legion service reps and both dropped the ball and cost me any retroactive payments by not filing appeals in the timely manner.

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Dear Stuck, unfortunately all the answers you've gotten so far I've heard before. Just look at the way Iraq veterans are being treated. Same disparity. Length of time depends on the discipline and compassion of the desk-bound people handling his case. I came back from Vietnam where I was a fighter pilot, taught at the Air force Academy for four years. got out of the service, taught for a few years, then a neourological disease set in. The military denied the claim (not service-related), even though many civilian doctors said I had somehow come in contact with Agent Orange, though there were other theories also. Best advice I saw was the man who told you to pursue Social Security disability. In my case, they were very prompt. The military matter is still going on. Thje hidden cost of the Iraq war is the treatment of injured veterans, may of whom commit suicide at an astounding rate. The cost of treating them is estimated to be three trillion. Hard to get to the top of such a list. Write your congressman--hope he's not a Republican!

If he is awarded a Service Connected Disability

his payments will go back to the Date of Claim...

Meaning the day he filed the Claim...

Does he have a Veterans Service Officer

helping him or his he going it alone ???

(I don't mean anyone that works for the Dept of VA)

Is the VA Doctor a Cardiologist(Heart Doctor) ???

Has he been treated at the VA Hospital for his condition ???

If not why Not ???

He is entitled to Free Medical Care for 5 years from

Date of Discharge..for everything...

Contact me by email and send me yours...

as there are a lot of unanswered questions...

My initial claim took about 8 months. i did all the paperwork myself on www.va.gov the went to the VONAP site, submitted it on line and they mailed me a list of everything else they needed. I had already been assigned a doctor at my local VA. good new is that once you file, and you do an appeal, the payment is backdated to the original date that you file. Also make sure that you continue to make appointments at the VA. and if you receive at least 70% disability, you can file for social security disability also.

It took six months from the time of VA Dr's appointment to the date that I received my first disability check.

Mine was almost immediate!

I was a homeless vet with near-depression over my situtation and I had developed diabetes. Once the doctors diagnosed my diabetic condition and my unhappiness for my situation, they qualified me for a partial disability pension! Lucky thing that after my three years of active duty and six years of active reserve after that, I qualified!

On the other hand, read the other postings, I know of a World War 2 vet who lost both of his legs from a land mine, and he receives HALF the pension I receive, and my pension is a partial pension !!! I've talked to vets who had to go to the DAV for help and it took several years to straighten up their records and obtain their pension!

This is not a fair country. Some of us get it and some of us do not. The whole system sucks, but i am grateful for the pension and help I have received. STILL... they will not do dental and eyesight remedies to me. I still have to pay for that out of my partial pension!

Mine took 8 months to get processed. And there were alot of appointments before and after the final ruling. If he makes it to 30% he'll get paid backpay for some of the time he was made to wait.

it shouldn't take more than 6 to 8 weeks. you will be notified by mail with a copy of the rating. mine came in about 6 weeks and the back pay was put into my account in about 5 days after i was rated and then the next month on the first my disability check was in the bank. good luck mr doodles

I've been fighting for 15 years. Good luck I hope you are not stuck going to Shreveport VA, they suck.