veterans-affairs7.46 min read
"Commemorating Vietnam Veterans: Events Across the Nation"
1 year ago•Source: VA.gov Home | Veterans Affairs
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7.875 min•1 year ago
"Proposed Legislation Aims to Protect Veterans from Foreclosure on VA Loans"
Lawmakers are pressing the Department of Veterans Affairs to address a crisis that has left thousands of veterans at risk of losing their homes. The VA abruptly ended a crucial part of its COVID mortgage forbearance program, leaving many veterans in a financial predicament. As a result, veterans are being pushed to pay all missed payments immediately or accept costly loan modifications. The VA has promised a new loan modification plan to help veterans, but lawmakers are seeking answers on how the VA plans to assist veterans who have already ended up with more expensive mortgages due to the VA's actions.
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More Veterans Affairs Stories
"VA's COVID forbearance program termination leaves veterans vulnerable to foreclosure"
Thousands of U.S. military service members and veterans, including Army veteran Ray Queen and his family, are at risk of losing their homes due to the end of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Partial Claim Payment program (PCP) that allowed homeowners to move missed mortgage payments to the back end of their loan term. The VA is working on a new program to replace PCP, but it could take several months to implement, leaving many veterans vulnerable to foreclosure. Advocates are calling for a pause on foreclosures and the restart of the PCP program to provide immediate relief to veterans facing financial hardship.
"2024 VA COLA Increase: Single Veterans' Boost Revealed"
The VA COLA increase for single veterans in 2024 is 3.2%. This means that single veterans who receive VA disability benefits will see their benefits increase by 3.2% in January 2024. The amount of the increase will vary depending on the veteran's individual disability rating. The increase will be automatically calculated and applied by the VA for the first payment of the new year. Single veterans may also be eligible for additional benefits such as increased disability compensation, assistance with activities of daily living, housebound allowance, and dependent parent benefits.
"Landmark Law Marks Anniversary: Veterans Reap Historic Benefits for Toxic Exposure"
As the first anniversary of the PACT Act approaches, which expanded veterans assistance, the Department of Veterans Affairs is working to enroll as many veterans as possible for benefits related to toxic exposure. The law allows certain cancers and ailments to be presumed connected to burn pits and Agent Orange. The VA has received nearly 786,000 disability claims, processed almost 435,000, and approved over 348,000. However, the backlog is expected to grow to 450,000 in October and 730,000 in April. Despite challenges, the VA has been conducting outreach efforts and using new technology to process claims faster.
"Landmark Law Marks Anniversary: Veterans Reap Historic Benefits for Toxic Exposure"
As the first anniversary of the PACT Act approaches, which expanded veterans assistance for toxic exposure, the Department of Veterans Affairs is working to enroll as many veterans as possible. The law allows certain cancers and ailments to be presumed connected to burn pits in Afghanistan and Agent Orange in Vietnam. The VA has received nearly 786,000 disability claims, processed almost 435,000, and approved over 348,000. However, the backlog is expected to grow to 450,000 in October and 730,000 in April. Despite challenges, the VA has spent $7.5 million on advertising and hosted events to raise awareness. The law's anniversary will be marked by President Biden at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Salt Lake City.
Investigating the Connection: VA Explores Military Toxin's Impact on Cancer
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is conducting scientific studies to determine whether acute leukemias, chronic leukemias, and multiple myeloma outside of the head and neck should be added to the list of conditions presumed to be caused by exposure to toxic smoke from military burn pits and poor air quality in combat zones. This review could potentially allow thousands more veterans to receive expedited disability benefits. The move is part of the administration's focus on toxic exposure issues and follows the passage of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (PACT Act). Since the PACT Act was signed into law, the VA has paid out over $1.6 billion in related benefits to veterans and their survivors. Veterans suffering from the three new conditions are encouraged to apply for benefits even before the review is completed.
Decades of Questions: Families Still Seek Answers as Fire Destroys Veterans' Records
Fifty years ago, a massive fire at the Military Personnel Records Center in suburban St. Louis destroyed an estimated 16 to 18 million personnel files, causing significant challenges for veterans seeking benefits and recognition. The fire, believed to be the largest loss of records in one catastrophe in U.S. history, continues to impact families trying to document the achievements and sacrifices of their loved ones. The facility, which lacked proper fire safety measures, housed millions of Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs) containing vital information about veterans' service. Efforts to recover and reconstruct the lost records have been ongoing, highlighting the need to preserve and protect the history of veterans.
"VA Expands Benefits for Veterans, Including Retroactive Toxic Exposure Enrollment"
President Joe Biden signed the Veterans Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act of 2023, guaranteeing a cost-of-living adjustment for Veterans benefits in 2024. The adjustment will be equal to the COLA applied to Social Security benefits, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The exact amount is yet to be determined, but it will affect VA benefits such as disability compensation, clothing allowance, and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) for spouses and children. The adjustment is expected to be announced by the Social Security Administration in October 2023, with new payment amounts starting in January 2024.
Supreme Court to decide on expanded GI Bill benefits for veterans.
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the Rudsill vs. McDonough case, which could result in additional tuition money for millions of veterans. The case centers on how the Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded education support through its Post-9/11 GI Bill program and the Montgomery GI Bill program. The VA currently makes students give up eligibility for the Montgomery GI Bill program when they register to begin using the Post-9/11 GI Bill. If the Supreme Court rules against VA’s interpretation of how the programs must be administered, veterans who use up their post-9/11 GI Bill program might still get 12 more months of money for school.
Honoring Veterans: Memorial Day Efforts Across the US
The Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded its Veterans Legacy Memorial project to include former service members interred at 27 cemeteries managed by the Air Force, Navy and Army, including Arlington National Cemetery. The expansion adds more than 300,000 veterans to the online memorial, which now contains landing pages for roughly 4.8 million veterans. Each memorial page includes a veteran's dates of birth and death, dates or eras of military service, grave location and photo of grave, as available. The site is fully interactive, allowing family members, friends and colleagues to share photos, documents and memories.
Ex-Marine Urges Action on PTSD Partnerships After GOP Rep's Questioning.
A retired Marine with PTSD called for the Biden administration to partner with faith-based veterans' mental health programs after a Veterans Affairs official was questioned on the issue during a hearing. The founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation criticized the VA's report on suicide prevention and accused the department of cherry-picking data. The VA responded by saying it offers a comprehensive continuum of specialty substance use disorder services for veterans and that its National Suicide Prevention Annual Report includes overdoses deemed to be suicides. The department also said it is willing to meet with Mighty Oaks to discuss a potential partnership.