Veterans benifits

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Veterans Claims Hurry Up and Wait!
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You may have heard in recent months that the wait
time for Veterans benefits claims has decreased
but many have had claims pending for months or
even years. So which is it?
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Well, for one, the astounding decrease only
applies to new applicants not those who have
claims on appeal. VA has also instituted some new
programs in the last few years in order to make
initial claim processing faster.
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One of these is the Fully Developed Claim
program, which allows claimants to submit all of
their evidence at once, certify that there is no
additional evidence, and thereby in theory throw
the ball into VAs court for a faster decision.
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This is not always the best course of action,
however, as VA has a Duty to Assist claimants in
developing their claims, and many claimants need
that assistance in locating service records and
medical records and obtaining a medical exam
before there would be enough evidence for VA to
issue a favorable decision.
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VA also has a few other fast track programs,
including for Agent Orange claims and claims
filed by Veterans who are homeless or in grave
need of financial assistance.
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The VA says they used to have 600,000 cases
backlogged, meaning having been waiting more than
125 days. Now they are reporting only 73, 000
cases that have met or are over that 125 day
limit. But, as a reminder that is just new
applicants.
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While there might only be roughly 73, 000 new
applicants, there are still over 400, 000 claims
waiting on appeal. This means that there are
roughly 500,000 claims pending.
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We are committed to working ardently to file
claims for veterans with all types of
disabilities. If your VA claim is denied, or if
you wish to seek a higher disability rating, we
can help you file, appeal, and litigate your
claim.
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If VA has denied your claim, call Levine-Piro Law
at 978-637-2048 to schedule your consultation. A
certified Veterans law attorney can assist you in
developing the evidence in your case,
strengthening your claims, whether for service
connection, increased ratings, or earlier
effective dates.
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