Veterans Benifit - Pensions

“If you know a vet or a surviving spouse who served during wartime, please pass this on!

This does NOT require 20 years service, and doeas NOT require you to be disabled, even though it is called a disability pension...read on:


Veterans, Survivors Miss Out on Pensions
Charlotte Observer | December 23, 2005
Nearly 2 million poor veterans or their impoverished widows are likely missing out on as much as $22 billion a year in pensions from the U.S. government, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has had only limited success in finding them.

Widows are hardest hit. According to a VA estimate, only one in seven of the survivors of the nation's deceased Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines who likely could qualify for the pension actually get the monthly checks.

What's more, participation in the program is falling, according to a Knight Ridder analysis of VA records.

The reason for the lax participation, a VA study said, is that poor veterans generally "are completely unaware that the program exists."

"Veterans simply don't know about it," said Despina Hatton, who runs a senior law program for residents of Washoe County, Nev., that seeks to help veterans or their widows receive the benefit.

They're people such as Rose Davidson, a 72-year-old widow of a World War II sailor who lives in Sparks, Nev., on $9,732 a year in Social Security benefits. Frail, legally blind, suffering from dementia and in need of regular assistance at home, she could be eligible for $1,608 more a year under the VA's formulas. That would boost her income by about 17 percent.

But her daughter said that neither she nor her mother had ever heard of the VA pension until recently. She's working to apply.

The VA knows that many veterans and widows are missing out on the benefit.

"We obviously are here for any veteran or survivor who qualifies," said Tom Pamperin, a VA pension official. "But so many of these people -- we don't know who they are, where they are."

Indeed, a VA report from late 2004 recommended that the agency "improve its outreach efforts" with public service announcements and other pilot programs.

While it made limited efforts to reach veterans or their widows through existing channels, it is "difficult to determine" whether such efforts have been successful, Pamperin said.

The numbers don't suggest they have been. In fiscal 2005, there were fewer veterans and widows added to the pension rolls than there were in 2004, according to the Knight Ridder analysis of VA data.

World War II and Korean War veterans are dying and rapidly falling off the rolls. At the same time, the department said it's been "reasonably successful" in signing up new Vietnam vets.

Nonetheless, one VA estimate of the program shows the potential pool of poor veterans and widows without the pensions has remained unchanged the past four years. The total number of pension cases fell to 541,000 in fiscal 2005, the sixth straight year of declines.

The VA actuary's office predicts that pension participation is likely to drop further, losing between 7,000 and 8,000 enrollees a year and falling below 500,000 participants by 2012, according to a VA actuary report obtained by Knight Ridder.

At the same time, the separate 2004 report estimated that an additional 853,000 veterans and 1.1 million survivors -- generally widows -- could get the pension but don't. Of all those likely eligible, only 27 percent of veterans and 14 percent of widows receive the money.

The VA's pension program is targeted at veterans who served their country during wartime but have fallen into poverty. It's also there for the widows of veterans who have fallen on hard times.

The program provides a monthly check to bring incomes up to a certain level. A veteran can make up to $10,579 a year and qualify for the VA pension, while veterans' widows can make up to $7,094 a year. Those who are homebound or in need of extra assistance can receive more.

In Reno, the reason why so many veterans are missing out on the program seems obvious to Hatton, who runs the senior law program.

VA literature lists the program among the dozens it provides. But the program's name confuses many veterans: It's called a "disability pension," but a person doesn't have to be disabled to receive it. Further, a "Summary of VA Benefits" on the department's Web site doesn't spell out a central criterion of the program: that veterans can qualify based on their age. (The age requirement is listed in other parts of the VA Web site, and the VA said it will correct the error.)

Basically, a poor veteran who's 65 or older and served during a war, in combat or not, is eligible for the program.

Hatton's team, however, discovered that a majority of the poor elderly veterans in Reno had never heard of the program. Working with researchers from the Sanford Center for Aging at the University of Nevada, Reno, Hatton set out to measure how many veterans were missing out and to help them sign up.

Using a county meal-service list, researchers fanned out across the city, asking senior citizens about their involvement with the VA.

One elderly World War II vet, Merril Robinson, invited the researchers into his small apartment, where he was getting around in a motorized wheelchair as he made breakfast.

Researcher Teresa Sacks asked Robinson if he wanted to read the consent form.

"You can probably read it to me, because I can't see," he said.

Then, after explaining that she came with no guarantees of additional benefits, Sacks led Robinson though the interview, asking when he joined the military and his familiarity with VA benefits. He was "somewhat" familiar with VA benefits and did rely on the VA health system.

But Robinson, who lived in subsidized housing and had a nurse come to help with some of his activities, wasn't familiar with the pension program.

As she walked out of the house, Sacks said, "He's almost a slam-dunk" -- meaning that he certainly should qualify for some benefits. (Robinson is now eligible for a pension benefit of $58 a month, or $696 a year.)

The project proceeded, door to door.

So far, the researchers have helped 11 veterans or widows get their benefits, in amounts ranging from $144 a year to $5,748 a year.

For Gordon Croft, being awarded the largest benefit means his income will jump from $6,816 a year to $12,564. Croft, a veteran of the Korean War who suffers from arthritis, emphysema, osteoporosis and other conditions, had no idea that he could qualify.

And while he does get medical care through the VA, the pension side of the VA didn't know about him. "That's something I always find kind of peculiar," said Heather Traverso, one of the researchers. "Why don't the two sides of the agency communicate?"

How to Get Help

Veterans and their widows or other dependents might be eligible for the Department of Veterans Affairs pension if they meet certain requirements.

** Veterans must have served during a time of war, even if not in combat, and they must be either permanently disabled or 65 or older.

** Their incomes must fall under a certain level.

** Widows of veterans can also apply, although their incomes must be even lower.

If you think you may qualify for the benefit, go to: www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Milsvc/Docs/Pensoneg.doc

If you are a widow of a veteran, go here:

www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Milsvc/Docs/Dpeneg.doc

The VA also has a toll-free number for more information: (800) 827-1000.

Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion”

“My girlfriend works downtown, sometimes with a depressing number of homeless/poor vets. I'll give her this contact info. Thanks, Troll.”

“Thanks ST, my father in law is eligible for this.”

“Interesting. I'm poor, served during the Gulf War, but I'm not 65 yet. I'll remember this in 25 years...”

“This is good.

I wonder if they'll consider the War on Terror a "war" for purposes of wartime qualification.

In fact, you could make a case that all of the time after World War II until 1989 or 1991 was "wartime" given the fact that the Cold War was just as hot as the War on Terror.

This kind of reminds me of how the Catholic Church is arguing in legal proceedings that local parishes own their buildings so that they don't have to pay victims. But then, when they close the parishes in struggling diocese', they argue that the bishop owns everything so that the diocese can take the money.”

“I recently got a letter from the Veterans Administration, maybe some of you other vets have as well. They said that an employee had taken home electronic information from their office. The employees house was robbed and the information has been stolen. The employee was not authorized to bring that information home with him by the VA. Now 26.5 millions veterans are potentially vulnerable to having their birthdate, SSN, disability status, address, phone number, etc., used for other than official intent. This really pees me off. The VA or anyone else that you trust with personal information should have the highest regard for that informations security. Hopefully this person has been fired or at least separated from access to such information in the future. I'm sure some of these vets have enough problems as it is. With that information in the wrong hands they could have a drained bank account as well.”

“You're just hearing about this? I think it was all over the national news about a month ago. Birch got his letter about a week and a half ago.

We're fortunate (depending upon your way of thinking), that our mortgage company lost all our records about four months ago and footed the bill for a watch company to keep an eye on our financial stuff, credit cards opening up, phone lines, etc, for a year or so.

If you're worried you might look into a service like that.”

“It probably has been a week or so that I've had the letter Sass. I'm cleaning up an packing right now. I just reread the letter and got peed. Was just curious if others had the same letter. I didn't hear it on the news. But it is not unusal for me to miss the news. The VA should be footing the bill for the watch company.”

“Bateaux, with a private company you can SUE (hence the reason they are more customer oriented)...there is more interest in maintaining security. The credit watch program may be worth your time.

What is more disturbing is the rampant Identity Theft stuff going on today. A close friend of mine had his SSN stolen. His credit was damaged, it took damn near an act of congress to have him keep his job (due to "claims")

The clown who did it....No real time, more or less a slap on the wrist. If he had been illegal...NOTHING would have happenend.

There needs to be a better way to make these scum PAY. Personally I would like to see the Injured party have a lifetime ability to claim any and all property of the scum who took their ID. So Jimbo gets out of the hoosgow starts getting his life in order....You can walk in ANY TIME AS MUCH AS YOU WANT ...take his car, his house (any property of his family).

Would most people do it? NAH, but the long term FEAR would be the COOL thing. Say he hits the IDIOT TAX for 10 mil....You get it...and there is NOTHING he can do but pay the taxes.”

“Yes. he was fired. just recently an Ing laptop with all/most of DC govt employee info was stolen from a home. Unfortunatly, bringing home this info in the private sector is generally not against protocol.

Do you know who has your info?”

“VA to Offer Credit Monitoring
1 Year of Service Free To Data-Theft Victims

By Zachary A. Goldfarb
Special to The Washington Post
Thursday, June 22, 2006; Page A27

The Department of Veteran Affairs said yesterday that it will offer free credit monitoring for a year to the millions of veterans and military personnel whose personal information was stolen last month. The department said the plan will safeguard the credit records of those affected and provide them with peace of mind.

But Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson told reporters that there has been no progress in finding the stolen electronic devices containing the data

The credit-monitoring plan received high marks from some VA critics on Capitol Hill, as well as from representatives of veterans -- although questions were raised about how the department would pay for the monitoring

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/21/AR2006062101788.html

I believe the investigation has already cost @15 million. But I can't confirm that number.”

“I think the letter stated something like 26.2 million veterans info was lost. That's alot of monitoring!”

“Hmmm, I never got a letter. I wonder if they lost me again.”

“i got my letter coupla weeks ago.

to quote lyra, "how craptabuler"”

“Got mine also. Not sure what if anything I'm going to do about it all. I watch the accounts I know about pretty closely but that's not to say someone can't start up others. What a world!”