Veterans Groups Sue U.S. Government Over Benefits
By Annabel Gould - Nov 12th, 2008 at 1:49 pmYesterday was Veterans Day, a holiday created to honor military veterans. However, the members of the Veterans of Modern Warfare and the Vietnam Veterans of America were feeling all but honored by their government. In fact, the two organizations sued the Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday, demanding the VA adhere to its promised time line of 90 days to decide initial claims for disability benefits and 180 days to resolve appeals.
The lawsuit comes at a time when the average time for processing claims for disability stands at 182 days, and the average appeal takes four and a half years to resolve. As a result, many veterans are left unemployed and without proper health care. The lawsuit requests that if a claim takes longer than 90 days to process, the VA must provide an interim payment of $365 per month (for a single vet with no dependents) in order to help him or her afford expenses while waiting for the claim to process.
Donald Overton, executive director of Veterans of Modern Warfare, describes the lawsuit as “a last resort” and acknowledges that “everyone knows that the delays are terrible, but nothing has changed.” The lawsuit serves as another reminder of the poor care our nation’s veterans receive after returning home from war.
Hopefully, suits such as the one filed on Monday will contribute to increased federal attention paid to veterans’ benefits and will help address a problem that has been afflicting our nation for years. Respect and honor for veterans should not be reserved for just one day a year. Rather, the value of our military should be appreciated on a daily basis, and ensuring proper benefits is one way that the U.S. government can show that we take care of our own, especially those who have sacrificed to protect the freedom of the American people.
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