Wednesday, January 23, 2013
VA Eliminates Requirement for Filing the Annual Eligibility Verification Report
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is eliminating the requirement to file annual Eligibility Verification Reports (EVRs). These annual reviews are often cumbersome for vets or family members to complete, and could sometimes lead to the loss of benefits if improperly filed.
In the past, 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.
VA estimates it would have sent nearly 150,000 EVRs to beneficiaries this month. Eliminating these annual reports reduces the burden on Veterans, their families, and survivors because they will not have to return these routine reports to VA each year in order to avoid suspension of benefits. It also allows VA to redirect more than 100 employees that usually process EVRs to work on eliminating the claims backlog.
All beneficiaries currently receiving VA pension benefits will receive a letter from VA explaining these changes and providing instructions on how to continue to submit their unreimbursed medical expenses.
More information about VA pension benefits is available at http://www.benefits.va.gov/pension and other VA benefit programs on the joint Department of Defense can be found on the VA web portal eBenefits at www.ebenefits.va.gov.
Are you or your spouse a veteran? Evan H. Farr is an Accredited Attorney with the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, who understands both the Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit and the Medicaid program and the interaction between both benefit programs. If you are a Veteran or spouse of a Veteran and you need assistance, make an appointment for a free consultation. We can work with you to evaluate whether you qualify for The Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit and help you file the paperwork.
P.S. Veterans can take advantage of a special 15% discount at The Fairfax Elder Law Firm of Evan H. Farr, P.C. Call us at 703-691-1888 to make an appointment for a no-cost consultation.
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Thanks for the post, it's very helpful. The VA System can sometimes be difficult to understand. I just read a fantastic book that is another great resource for anyone trying to figure out the VA system, especially those who have aging parents who are eligible for VA benefits but don’t know how to go about applying for them. It’s called “Crack the VA” by Barbara Steinberg. You can check out her site and the book at http://www.blseldercare.com/. Since both my husband and I come from military families, and we are a military family as well it’s been a great help to us. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for reading, Marie, and for your great book and website suggestion! We have a lot of clients who are Veterans, so I will surely take a look. Thanks again!
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