Muskogee Regional Office

There have been a few times I’ve used VA services when I’ve asked, “Why do they need this information from me? Isn’t it out there somewhere?” This is especially true for anyone who has had to fill out an eligibility verification report to confirm eligibility for benefits—an annual event that put the burden of information on Veterans and drew resources away from VA staff.

Now the red tape is coming off the verification process. From WBTV:

VA will implement a new process for confirming eligibility for benefits, and staff that had been responsible for processing the old form will instead focus on eliminating the compensation claims backlog.

Historically, beneficiaries have been required to complete an EVR each year to ensure their pension benefits continued.

Under the new initiative, VA will work with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to verify continued eligibility for pension benefits.

About 100 VA employees handle those verifications, so now they’ll be put to good use by tackling the claims backlog.

Check out VA’s benefits page on Facebook, Twitter, and their home page.

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21 Comments

  1. John Foster January 25, 2013 at 22:39

    I am Commander / Founder of Veterans Helping Veterans & Others, Inc. We have veterans coming to our office all the time needing help for them and their families. Our Service Officer helps them in filing their claims. Some have filed with the VA more than 5 years ago and have not heard from them to date. Some have gone to their graves not receiving a dime. I hope this plan works. We have too many veterans suffering and doing without. They were there for America when they were needed, America should be there for them.

  2. ShawnP January 25, 2013 at 17:09

    Dislike this as a Veteran. I don’t like my Veteran status being shared with the IRS and any other government service. The Veteran and the Veteran ONLY should be able to let the VA share his or her personal information with other governmental agencies. Major privacy concerns VA you might want to put a stop to this.

  3. Mc Henry January 24, 2013 at 15:51

    I have been fighting with VA to re -schedule apt’s with a Doctor for in jury’s received in the Air Force. Every time I call they said they would call me back , this has been going on since early 2012. I e – mailed my congress men and was told he would investigate this for me. Guess I never herd from him. We vets put are life on the line for the U.S. and this is how we are treated. I feel so very bad for those that are at war now,they have know idea what they are in for when they get out.

  4. Al Morley January 24, 2013 at 12:50

    I am not in favor of this at all, I get 20 % Disabily, I served with the 498 Tac Missile GP
    In Okinawa, Top Secret Nuclear, During the Hiigh stress Cuban Missile Criss.

  5. Al Morley January 24, 2013 at 12:42

    I get 20 % Disability, I have to rely on that. Would not like it at all to have that changed other then Incress the amount.do to My servering My Country, In Okinawa, during the Cuban Missille Criss with lots of Issues related to that event. I was in the 498tac Missle groupl Nuclear.

  6. Terrence Urbanis January 24, 2013 at 09:24

    I had commented yesterday whether the EVR would be necessary (at least for one year) since the compensation claims are getting first priority. I do believe you misstated the actual fact behind this supposed EVR policy by using the term “eligibility for benefits” and “eligibility for pension benefits”. Say, I was in the Navy for 30 years and retired and got my pension benefit. Why would I have to do an EVR each year to continue with receiving pension benefits? THAT IS STUPID. On the other hand when will there be an official notification to vets that the EVR is kaput for now, a year, 2 years or whatever?

  7. William Corder January 24, 2013 at 02:27

    Been waiting for over a year to get pay for being a married, disabled, retired Marine. After calling the VA inquiring about the status of this payment, I was told that the claim had to be investigated. All divorce and death certificates had to be checked before a decision could be made. We are in the DEERS system. All this information had to be shown when we received our ID cards.

    Doesn’t the VA have access to the DEERS system or don’t they trust another section of government to report information correctly? Waiting a year for someone to make a decision on something that should only take a couple of computer clicks seems wrong!

  8. Dale A. Greene Sr January 23, 2013 at 21:09

    I don’t know what the problem is I can’t logon to ebenifits and I’ve all the right answers

    • Pete Granato January 28, 2013 at 14:25

      Mr. Greene, thank you for your interest in eBenefits. We apologize for the inconvenience you may have experienced in attempting to create an eBenefits account. If you would like our assistance, please give us a call at 1-800-827-1000 and select Opt # 7 or send us an inquiry by going to https://iris.custhelp.com/ and click eBenefits inquiries. We’ll be happy to assist you in obtaining an account today.

  9. Jon January 23, 2013 at 20:43

    Good info, thanks, but can any of these employees help me get my Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits? I am in the middle of a semester of school, and am being told it will be 16 weeks before I see any tuition, books, or living stipend payments. Is there anyone at the VA who can help? I continually get no responses from the people who should be speaking with me.

  10. Jeffrey Lynn Dodson January 23, 2013 at 20:27

    I had 30% disability when I left the Navy December of 75. Under the Reagan Admin, they cut me to 10%. The Navy had to issue me glasses because my 20/20 vision was destroyed by stairing at the Radar SPS10 CRT from 10 inches for 3 years on a port and starboard watch. My perfect hearing was destroyed by wearing the high freaquency squelch radio communication head sets for 3 years. I went to the VA for years after the Reagan admin. To nothing but a quick denile every year. WHY DO I HAVE THE BURDON OF PROOF, THE NAVY AND THE US GOVT. HAVE THE RECORDS. I SAW THE CORMAN TAKING PAPERS OUT OF MY FILE AND TOLD HIM TO STOP, I EVEN HAD TO THREATEN IHM TO STOP. Now I’m deaf and half blind and the country I defended during Viet Nam and the Yam Kippor couldn’t care less. Ther are records of this and yet for 30+ years, they have crapped all over me! i am asgamed of my country for doing this to me!

    CAN ANYONE HELP? DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT ITS VETERANS?

    • becky January 25, 2013 at 17:08

      I had a really bad issue with the post 9/11 GI Bill and when they tried screwing me over I contacted all my state Senators and House Reps with my story. They were able to help me get my benefits and helped me keep my home out of foreclosure. I had also contacted my local news station told them my story and they were going to do a story on it. I told them they could use the information only if my congress people could not help me. Lucky for the VA the problem was rectified.

  11. Jeffrey Lynn Dodson January 23, 2013 at 20:19

    I had 30% disability when I left the Navy December of 75. Under the Reagan Admin, they cut me to 10%. The Navy had to issue me glasses because my 20/20 vision was destroyed by stairing at the Radar SPS10 CRT from 10 inches for 3 years on a port and starboard watch. My perfect hearing was destroyed by wearing the high freaquency squelch radio communication head sets for 3 years. I went to the VA for years after the Reagan admin. To nothing but a quick denile every year. Now I’m deaf and half blind and the country I defended during Viet Nam and the Yam Kippor couldn’t care less. Ther are records of this and yet for 30+ years, they have crapped all over me! i am asgamed of my country for doing this to me!

  12. Terrence Urbanis January 23, 2013 at 19:28

    Hey, I have the initial info email the VA put out about the EVR and have been trying to get it confirmed because the Burns-Hines (Oregon) VA clinic won’t comply with the knowledge imparted to them until they get a confirmation from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (or maybe someone a little lower). These people are confirmed bureaucrats who won’t do a BM without prior approval from up high. My VA fiscal year is about February 15, or so, so I’m not going to sweat it one bit. The only fly in the ointment is the word “pension”. I don’t get a government “pension”, only Social Security, unless pension and social security are interchangeable. Does this new EVR policy also apply to me?

  13. Mary C Finn January 23, 2013 at 19:05

    I am trying to find a dd214 for my brother James S Knight with no sucess, he served in 1960/1961 Navy Great Lakes Illinois, 4169 Culpepper Ct
    Columbus OHIO 43207

    Is his current residence

    • Kate Hoit January 25, 2013 at 12:45

      Hey Mary,

      You guys can request a copy of his DD214 from the National Archives: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/

      Hope this helps!

    • Dennis January 27, 2013 at 12:08

      Call the nearest VA Administrative Hospital and speak with employees who work in eligibility. They will tell you the process of getting the DD214

  14. Gerald Hicks January 23, 2013 at 17:57

    Sent in my application 7 months ago and was contacted by my local office to send in a copy of my DD214 and names of my parents. I did so and didn’t hear back so I called in December and was told that they would look into it and get back asap. Haven’t heard a peep since. Get a feeling that they are overwhelmed and just don’t care.

  15. Paul Deutsch January 23, 2013 at 17:53

    I typed something here. I typed in that illegible captcha code. Your web site didn’t like the code I entered. It said to press the back button. I did and my comments had disappeared.

    This web site doesn’t work any better than the VA does (and the VA doesn’t work very well at all.

    • Paul Deutsch January 23, 2013 at 17:55

      Let me just add, I’ve been fighting with the VA for 32 years over my level of disability. VA will send me letter. I respond. Two years later I get a response from VA. Two years. I would like to see:

      1. Faster response.
      2. Resolution to my 32 year battle (yes battle) with the VA.

  16. carmelo diaz lopez January 23, 2013 at 17:49

    tremendous wrong doing. if one agency fail or use wrong information pensionees will loose the benefits. it is like giving away your earned benefits until others deside. one more time veterans loose again.

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