Veteran's Administration: It's Criminal to Make Vets Wait Years for Benefits
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: Scott Gould, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The number of U.S. veterans still unable to claim their hard-earned benefits after a year of filing has raised from 11,000 in 2009 to 245,000 in 2012 — a 2000% increase in three years. Almost a million veterans are on hold for their benefit claims to be processed, and it's getting worse every day.
Tell the Veterans Administration (VA) that they need to fix their backwards filing procedures.
There have been several reports of salary bonuses given to employees who save the government money, rather than rewarding agents who help the most veterans. This incentive system is deplorable and we cannot afford to let it continue.
Internal reports indicate the current backlog came from the VA's use of a 90% paper trail, coupled with poor communication with the Department of Defense's record keepers. Sign and tell the VA it's time to join the 21st Century. Let's get our veterans the benefits they deserve on time.
Dear Scott Gould,
Only a quarter of the benefits denied to veterans by your office last year were upheld in the Court of Appeals. With tens of thousands of troops headed home from the Middle East, the last thing our nation should be worrying about is taking care of our soldiers at home. We should be celebrating their return, but instead we are subjecting them to endless red tape, backwards scrutinization, and obsolete filing practices. The buck must stop here.
As a veteran of the US Navy yourself, your public service record mirrors that of the individuals who put their safety on the line for our country's freedom. If anyone should understand the necessity for reciprocity, it is you and your office. Please put more effort into digitizing the VA system, and less into rewarding those who cut corners for the government.
[Your Comments Here]
The fact that 2000% more veterans will wait over a year for their benefits than in 2009 is an inherent systemic failure. We are depending on you to do what it takes to get your office back up to speed.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
