You can file this under the question I posed back in April. Is the proposed look-back law good for veterans and surviving spouses? I told you then that the VA was in the process of extending efficiency of communication between the Department and the IRS. At the time, I had started to see Department of […]
Who Can You Trust At The VA?
No, I’m not speaking to the most recent black mark on the VA’s collective resume. The events surrounding General Shinseki’s resignation are low hanging fruit. And anyway, that’s not my area of expertise. What I want to know is this: when you call the VA’s 800 or 877 number, who can you trust? My experience […]
Aid And Attendance Irrevocable Trusts
I regularly speak with other attorney’s, financial planners, and families about the differences between VA Irrevocable Trusts and Medicaid Irrevocable Trusts. More and more, I’m finding that people misunderstand the crucial differences between Medicaid and VA law as it pertains to VA Irrevocable Trusts. Many professionals and their clients seem to think that any Irrevocable Trust is sufficient to qualify an applicant for […]
5 Tips On Applying For Aid And Attendance
Applying for Aid and Attendance benefits can be a complicated process. The VA doesn’t offer much guidance on the application process, and government forms are burdensome to begin with. The following tips on applying for aid and attendance aren’t designed to be exhaustive. They are designed to help you avoid some of the common pitfalls […]
VA Form 21-534 EZ, Question 16
Question number 16 on VA Form 21-534 EZ asks the applicant what benefit they want to apply for. The Department of Veterans Affairs offers three choices: Death and Indemnity Compensation, Death Pension, and Accrued Benefits. Naturally the VA doesn’t provide clear guidance on what box to check. Before I tell you why it may not […]
WARMS: The VA Employee Bible
On March 18, 2014 the Department of Veterans Affairs updated their Web Automated Reference Material System. The Web Automated Reference Material System, often referred to as WARMS, is considered the “bible” for VA employees. WARMS teaches VA employees how to dispose of issues including, but not limited to, Compensation and Pension. The manual summarizes the […]
How The VA’s Policy On Legal Fees Is Misguided
After reading a great article by Debbie Burak, I decided to write something about the VA’s policy on legal fees. I’ve often thought about the VA’s current policy, but Miss Burak’s piece finally compelled me to put some thoughts to paper. An attorney can charge a veteran or someone applying for benefits under the veteran’s service when […]
Will the VA Accept A Copy Of Your Discharge Papers?
I frequently receive questions about discharge papers. Do I need them? What kind will the Department of Veterans Affairs accept? But I don’t have a DD 214, what do I do? And the big question: will the Department of Veterans Affairs accept a copy of my dad’s discharge papers? Eligibility for VA Pension, and Aid […]
Aid and Attendance: How Dementia Affects Marital History
The Department of Veterans Affairs strives to be veteran friendly and non-adversarial. This mandate is essential to the VA’s founding principles and goes back as far as Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War. In fact, President Lincoln spoke the words, “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and […]
Will the Veterans Affairs Look-Back Law Help Veterans?
On October 28th, 2013 the House of Representatives passed HR 2189. HR 2189 threatens to drastically alter the Aid and Attendance landscape by penalizing most asset transfers. In other words, the Department of Veterans Affairs will penalize gifts if HR 2189 becomes law. In theory the potential law isn’t a negative development. The idea behind […]