UNFILED CLAIMS/DESTROYED DOCUMENTS: SERVICE ORGANIZATION OR VA BLUNDERS?

VETERANS TODAY RESPONDS TO A CONGRESSIONAL REQUEST

VETERANS CHEATED OUT OF BILLIONS – FINDING AN ANSWER

By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER

Yesterday, referred by a senior member of Congress, VT was asked to look into the serious problem of lost claims, often blamed on Veterans Service Organizations (VFW/Legion/VVA/AMVETS/NVOA etc.). 

It’s one thing blaming VSO’s and we certainly have many people out there who are utterly unqualified to work with veterans, even with our oldest and best known organizations, but getting to the truth, the real truth outweighs the need to point fingers.

Thousands of veterans blame their VSOs for failing to file claims after filling out paperwork, however it is quite possible, that in many cases, the claims themselves were destroyed or discarded upon receipt by VA employees, as has been reported. 

VT is going to be looking at this VSO issue and others in the coming days.  If service organizations use competent methods tracking claims then databases which would support individual claimants should be available along with compiled statistics.

These stats will show that the VA has been massively incompetent and veterans have been defrauded of billions in compensation and benefits or that some or even most service organizations are making no attempt to provide the services they promise and are massively irresponsible and cavalier with the lives and welfare of our veterans.  One of these statements is true, at least.

Currently, thousands of veterans have abandoned VA claims for disability because their applications, usually done through service organizations are said to have never been filed, when the Department of Veterans Affairs is contacted directly.

Too often, claims are refiled over and over with the eventual "payout date" years after the real date.  Vets and their families have traditionally been shortchanged.  Most vets are afraid of saying anything, fearing retaliation.

No records of the number of these cases, the "missing file complaints",  or these contacts, is kept by the VA or reported to Congress.  Over the years, on my own claims, I have had instances of documents disappearing from as early as the 1970s.  In fact, most documents filed with the VA disappeared.  Medical examination records, disability filings, appeals, dependent compensation forms, education benefit requests, all filed, all sent, many through service organiztions, have entered "the Twilight Zone."

Congress is overwhelmed with requests from veterans to have problems like this looked into.  The VA has, on occasion (documented fact) taken over 5 years to find missing files at the request of members of Congress.

It is well documented that some veterans organizations fail to adequately train and manage their representatives.  Some never perform background checks nor require basic references.

Our question:  Do service organizations use normal and responsible procedures to track claims filed, perform followups and communicate properly with the Department of Veterans affairs and their veteran clients?

Beyond this, we stil have issues of advice and counsel being given by individuals who, in most cases, have no law license, medical license nor are they licensed as social workers or other professionals, but they still perform tasks that would normally fall under state licensing procedures and accountability.

Before damning all service officers, the service organizations need to "come clean" on their checks and balances and those who are responsible and competent, yet blamed, need to be vindicated.

There is only one real reason for this:

If veterans claims are being filed and service organizations can prove this but the VA is denying their claim dates and filings, then why aren’t service organizations coming to the aid of vets with their records, which for the last couple of decades, should be on easily accessable computer databases?

If, on the other hand, service organizations are hiring unqualified people and costing veterans and their families billions in lost income and benefits, it is a disaster of unprecedented proportions.

Either way, now as things are, the veteran pays for the mistakes of others.

Every case with the potential of a document handling error has to be reopened, blame established and the veteran compensated, even if the amount is in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as many are.

Abusing veterans, lying to them and sending them away, broke, broken and overwhelmed has worked for decades.  It has to stop.

Congress must immediately mandate standards for service organiztion case handling.  I can get full customer satisfaction data on my satellite TV provider but no information on my service organization is available.

Veterans are having their own claim information kept from them, even when they are involved in appeals and legal action over these issues.

This isn’t a few hundred, or a few thousand cases we are discussing.  The numbers are in the tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands with many of the victims of this abuse having died homeless, dispirited or even incarcerated because of our failure to act with common sense.

Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran and regular contributor on political and social issues.

Gordon Duff

Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades.

Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world’s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues.

Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than “several” countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.

• Gordon’s Archives:  2008-2015
• Gordon’s Archives:  2016-2022