| Benefits Web Sites |
| Tuesday, 25 March 2008 | |
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There is a VA web site at http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/ that is the Compensation and Pension Benefits Page and provides access to a number of articles on this subject.
Click here to go to an extensive pdf file list of mostly VA related web sitesthat provide information on Veterans benefits and how to file/ask for them. Accordingly, there are many sites that explain how to obtain books, military/medical records, information and how to appeal a denied claim with the VA. Nearly 100% of this information is free and available for all veterans, the only catch is: you have to ask for it, because they won't tell you about a specific benefit unless you ask for it. You need to know what questions to ask so the right doors open for you and then be ready to have an advocate who is willing to work with and for you, stay in the process, and press for your rights and your best interests. Click here to go to the Military.com web site for information on benefits and other items of importance. The list below is a sample of the types of information available. You can click on them to go directly to the information about that specific topic.
SSDI Expedited for Wounded Warriors Men and women serving in the U.S. military who become disabled while on active duty on or after Oct. 1, 2001, regardless of where the disability occurs, receive "expedited processing" of disability claims from the Social Security Administration. Service members can apply for and receive benefits even while receiving military pay. Visit Social Security's Disability Benefits for Wounded Warriors webpage. The website has everything you need to know about Social Security and military service, including a link to apply for disability benefits online. Eye Glasses for Retirees All retirees, including TRICARE for Life recipients, may receive one pair of standard issue glasses each year from the Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity. Visit the NOSTRA website and select the "How to Order: Retirees" link for more information. Family members and surviving spouses are not entitled to NOSTRA support. Learn more about TRICARE vision benefits at the TRICARE beneficiary portal. Estimate Your Disability-Retired Pay DFAS has launched a new Medical Disability Retired Pay Estimator. It is an interactive online tool for medically retiring Wounded Warriors, available at the DFAS website. The calculator uses your input to drive the process to help medically retired service members estimate their retired pay, Combat Related Special Compensation and VA disability compensation. To use the calculator go to the Retired Pay Disability Income Estimator. New Veterans Job WebsiteThe Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has launched FedsHireVets.gov, a critical component of President Obama’s Veterans Employment Initiative. This new website will become the main source for veterans employment information and resources for both veterans and hiring officials. The launch of this new site represents phase one of an ongoing effort to help the men and women who have served our country in the military and their families find employment in the Federal Civil Service. You can view the site here. VA Reaching Out to Students and Schools to Speed Benefit Payments This week the VA announced that it has been reaching out to student veterans, service members, university officials and other partners to meet the commitment to its aggressive processing goal by Feb. 1, 2010. Feb. 1 is the first date spring payments are due. VA has processed over 72,000 of the approximately 103,000 spring enrollments received. Since inception of the historic new program last year, VA has paid over $1.3 billion in benefits to more than 170,000 students. VA has sent letters to university presidents and school certifying officials, state Veterans affairs directors, and notified Veteran service organizations, congressional members and other education stakeholders highlighting VA’s emphasis on the importance of timely submission of school enrollment information. VA also released a "Hip Pocket" guide and checklist, with helpful tips to assist Veterans in the application process. The guide and checklist can be found on college campuses and VA’s GI Bill website VA is working to provide timely payments to all eligible Veterans to ensure that students are spared the financial hardships which some faced during the fall 2009 term. To help address the high volume of claims received for the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, VA hired 530 employees, bringing the total number of education claims processors to 1,200. Employees have been working mandatory overtime since August 2009. Additionally, the department awarded a temporary contract to assist with education claims processing. Information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill, as well as VA’s other educational benefit programs, is available at VA’s Web site, or by calling 1-888-GIBILL-1 (or 1-888-442-4551). DoD Seeking Applicants for MHS Internships DoD is recruiting applicants for a paid two-year Military Health System Internship Program. Applicants generally need a Masters degree or two years of progressively high-level graduate education and one year of specialized experience that would give them the skills needed to perform the duties of the position. Positions are currently available in the Washington, D.C. area in human resources, information technology, management analysis, financial management analysis, and health systems analysis. Applications must be e-mailed by Jan. 29, 2010. For more information, visit the Military Health System Blog webpage or call the MHS Human Capital Office (571) 296-2960 |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 07 April 2010 ) |