I am not overreacting because I KNOW how the VA worked before the Mar-a-lago friends of this administration got involved and I have many questions about this form being sent out. These men tell the VA secretary what to do.
We received a letter today from the VA dated January 31,2019. The letter came from our regional office with a self addressed envelope to be completed and sent back. In the 21 years my husband has been disabled, we have never received one of these letters. I read every word, every form # and every date. Many many questions I do have for this sudden inquiry of dependents and the disabled veteran.
If the letter is not completed and received within 60 days the dependent coverage will be dropped. This is the kicker. The letter was dated over two weeks ago from a regional office not 80 miles away. They could have walked the letter in less time. Nothing changed for us. Same dependents. I called the 1-800 -827-1000 and was told this was a new rule being sent out to all disabled veterans with dependent coverage. ( which is not a great amount) except for insurance which is a huge amount with Champ VA and college, but would impact and disenfrancise the vet a lot in my opinion. I agree that if a veteran is claiming a wife or dependent that is not entitled to that benefit, then they should be eliminated as that would constitute fraud but this new thing under this administration is not what I feel they are trying to do. To be honest, I know not what their full intentions are.
There is a paragraph at the end that is unbelievable and I wonder what they are trying to do. Keep in mind, this does not impact me or my family unless they toss the outdated form, because I am sending copies of all birth and marriage records to two locations certified. This is an alert to veteran families who will receive this letter. I also want some feedback on WHY….and what is the Trump Administration’s intent with this letter. I found a copy of the letter online without having to scan mine. First of all the return envelope is designed to go back to the regional office but found out that is not the intake address. Keep in mind the vet only has 60 days to respond. I was told at the main 800 # they would probably reroute the letter to the Wisconisn VA. Probably. Got that word?
Question # 1...Why send the envelope to be returned to the regional office when I was told the info had to go to Wisconsin. This is where the info has to go to intake.
Question # 2...Why after many many years are they questioning the validity of documented dependents they show in their own files. I know.. I asked how many did they show and it was the correct amount of dependents. A dependent adding is very much like a claim and it takes awhile to get them added but no time to get them removed once they become age of majority. I know...I have removed 3 other children when they turned 18. I did this the day they turned 18 if not a week or so before their birthdays… It took a good while to add a dependent when we adopted our last child in 2009. It was treated as a claim just like the first three when they were adopted and when my husband and I married. It only took one pay period to remove them on their birthdays which I initated on their 18th birthdays ...years ago.
The Form I suspect under other administrations was initiated when there was suspicion of fraud or just a random thing but not this letter. I was told these letters were sent out to all disabled veterans with dependents. New Policy.
I will get to the last paragraph in a moment.
Here is a letter from concerned veterans receiving these letters.
Hi all, about a month ago I received VA form 21-0538 requesting the status of my dependents. Nothing has changed with my dependents. I have seen post that some people have experience problem with the VA treating this form as a claim. Well, the problem with that is I have a current claim that is getting close to closing and I don’t want them to treat this form as a claim and combine it with my current claim. So my question is should I just sit on the form until my claim is finish? Thanks in advance!
Answers:
Dont sit on it. If the VA requests information, and you fail to give it, this is a perfect reason for VA to deny. And, then it can/will take 5 plus years to straighten it out in appeals.
Whether your dependents is a "claim" or not is irrelevant. Let the VA choose whether your dependents are a "claim" or not, dont get caught up in a dispute of whether this is called a claim or a whoopie cushion. You have to supply the requested information or you can expect, delays or denials. Dont give VA excuses to delay or deny. Make VA make up their own delay/denial excuses, dont give them to them.
Edited May 11, 2017 by XXXXXXXX
Thanks XXXXXX and XXXXXX I will send it in ASAP! I'm just so skeptical of the VA....
Now I looked at this form and this form expired April 2017. The 2017 expiration form is the one I received today but not exactly with this info on it… I will post that one as well.
The compensation you receive for your service-connected disability includes an additional amount for your spouse and/orchild(ren). You are responsible for reporting any change in the number of your dependents.To show continued entitlement to this additional amount, you must complete and return the form starting on page 2 of thisletter. You can also provide the information by calling the VA, at 1-800-827-1000. If you use a TelecommunicationsDevice for the Deaf (TDD), the federal number is 711. If the number of your dependents has not changed, we willcontinue your benefits at their present rate. If the number of your dependents has changed due to either the loss oraddition of a dependent, we will adjust your payments accordingly.If you do not notify us of the status of your dependents within 60 days from the date of this letter, we will reduce youraward by the amount of benefits you are receiving for your dependents.VA now uses a centralized mail system. If you choose to respond in writing, please put your full name and VA filenumber on each page. Send your application and any evidence in support of your claim to the following address:Department of Veterans AffairsEvidence Intake CenterP. O. Box 4444Janesville, WI 53547-4444If you are unable to mail your application or evidence, please use the following Fax Lines:• (844) 531-7818 (Toll Free)• (248) 524-4260 (Utilized for Foreign Claimants)You have the right at any time to submit additional information or to have a personal hearing to explain or clarify yourstatements. You also have the right to be represented at the hearing by an authorized veteran's service
This one does not have that last paragraph in it as well and much more detailed info and correct addy for return to for intake.
Now this answer says random and the VA 800 # told me today they had to send this new one out to all disabled vets with dependents
Will post that one in a sec… this was this guy’s answer
As long as you fill the form out and send it with return receipt so you know they got it that's all you need to do....> do so ASAP
sending in this form should not interfer with your current claim, if you added a dependent it will help. so they can get your dependent status correct.BUT AS YOU STATED YOUR DEPENDENT STATUS HAS NOT CHANGED SO YOU NEED TO LET THEM KNOW THAT.
they send this form out to veterans at random.
I got one last year! and my dependent status has not change....my spouse is my only dependent and I can't run her off so my dependent status is still the same.
This is the one I got...and check out the last paragraph …..Except for the info part...It looks like the one I got is combined of two forms and this one is before the marriage equality …This is what is going out to veterans today. The form I received today is 2 pages excluding the marriage equality act and looks like a combination of dependent update from 3 forms.
The compensation you receive for your service-connected disability includes an additional amount for your spouse and/or child(ren). You are responsible for reporting any change in the number of dependents. To show continued entitlement to this additional amount, you must complete and return the form on page 2 of this letter. If the number of your dependents has not changed, we will continue your benefits at their present rate. If the number of your dependents has changed due to either the loss or addition of a dependent, we will adjust your payments accordingly. If you do not complete and return the form to VA within 60 days from the date of this letter, we will reduce your award by the amount of benefits you are receiving for your dependents. After completing the form, please place it in the enclosed envelope so that the return address of the regional office shows through the envelope window. You have the right at any time to submit additional information or to have a personal hearing to explain or clarify your statements. You also have the right to be represented at the hearing by an authorized veteran's service organization. Veterans Service Center Manager Enclosure VA FORM XXXX 21-0538 Page
This is the last paragraph and it looks like this form was combined with the form before the marriage equality act.
I questioned the VA rep why that question was on there and she said, “Oh that is for common law marriage not pertaining to you”.
If you are certifying that you are married for the purpose of VA benefits, your marriage must be recognized by the place where you and your spouse resided at the time of marriage or where you and your spouse resided when you filed a claim at a later date when you became eligible for benefits. Additional guidance on when VA recognizes marriages is available.
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is launching an investigation into whether President Donald Trump’s country club friends had undue influence over Veterans Affairs Department policies or violated any laws. In a letter to VA officials Friday, committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., said the department needs to turn over dozens of documents by the end of the month to clarify the role of “these individuals who have not served in the U.S. military nor U.S. government, and are not accountable to veterans and the American people.”
The problem I see is the form at the bottom states VA Form 21-0538 Jun 2014
Expiration Date 05-31-2017
This is dated Jan 31 2019….Then another form came out posted above and who knows what the new one is.
From the looks of the forms unless this one was recycled to replace the one above...the marriage question is still there. WHY? The VA at the 800 # was comfortable with the form but it is outdated. It might get tossed upon submission but she would not listen to the argument. I was also told to mail to Wisconsin and the return form was the regional office. More time to sit and then rerouted and then BAM….the veteran loses dependent benefits and that includes dependent insurance for 100 percent disabled permanently disabled vets families.
The Form sent with questionnaire about marriage and dependents appears to be merged from one form to another and bears an ALERT status.
I do not know if the two docs and lawyer and Trump at Mar-a- lago are trying to cut dependent coverage by including these questions in 2019..Or if this applies to immigration ( legal) that was born in another country..and residing here will be cut. The questions on my form are all about who ( last name of spouse when married) where and where you reside now. This set off a red flag for me. The VA 1-
800 # had all the info in their files...CORRECT info and documentation.
I am concerned that when these forms are received..screwed up as they are….they will be ignored...not knowing the cut will take place if not filled out...or be tossed because the forms do not line up with the marriage equality act...or since they are being given two different addresses including a regional office self addressed envelope when the info actually goes to and intake office..thus taking longer than 60 days and being cut ...This is concerning and there is no way so far to contact anyone other than a congresscritter to find out how the military families are about to expect with another screwup from this administration and it’s oversight.
The bottom line is ….Vets are going to get screwed… If they can’t keep up with simple forms, then we have yet another mess. If it was a combination of all 3 question forms by design well then it is a bigger mess. If you get this form as a disabled vet with dependents..DO NOT LET IT LAY THERE AS A 60 DAY FINANCIAL TIME BOMB.
My suggestion is to send info back to regional office and ONE to iNTAKE OFFICE Janeville, Wisconsin with documentations of birth certificates, marriage license, etc. CERTIFIED RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED. DOCUMENT DOCUMENT DOCUMENT !!!!! The Intake office address is: Dept of Veterans Affairs VA intake Office...4444...Janeville, Wisconsin 53547
I am so wondering is this the new and improved form (snark on improved) reduced to two pages and consists of wording from 2014...2015 and 2017? It has wording and questions from all 3 forms.
Is this about immigration from legal immigrants born in one country, served in this one or married in another?
Is this about the equal marriage not being recognized?
Is this about hoping some forms that clearly say. (ours does)...outdated form do not use.. intentionally designed to get tossed thus costing vet dependents their insurance through Champ VA and entitlement?
I want answers and like RIGHT NOW. I did not get many at the 800 #. They did not seem like they knew what they were talking about and they could not explain the envelope or outdated forms. I will call the Veteran Integrated Service Network tomorrow because YOU cannot get anyone at VA headquarters in DC.
Please take this as a warning and under advisement. Please do not ignore these letters. So many older or severely disabled veterans will not understand or not be able to fight this so please get with a service officer.
Seems like our veterans have to fight for everything they deserve and then spend the rest of their lives trying to keep it.