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ekford
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« on: January 14, 2012, 11:50:38 AM » |
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Thank you, Debbie, for this very informative website. Due to the information you have provided, the VA made a decision to approve my father's Aid and Attendance request in 15 days (yes----15 DAYS). I was anticipating six to nine months based on people's feedback and experiences.
In August 2011, my father fell and broke his ankle after becoming weak from not eating due to dental work. After surgery and three months of rehab in both rehab hospital and long-term care facilities, we decided that the best course of action would be for him to reside in an assisted living facility. He moved into a wonderful facility mid-November.
I collected all the information required prior to submission. I couldn't find his DD214 so I electronically requested a copy in September. I filled out/gathered all the documentation and had him sign where necessary. On Dec 19th, I mailed all of the following (as described on your website):
A cover letter listing all of the following
VA Form 21-4142
VA Form 21-0845
VA Form 21-22a
VA Form 21-4138
VA Form 21-526
VA Form 21-2680
VDVA Form 10
Assisted Living Statement
Countable Income Calculations
I also included copies of my father's DD214, income statements (SS & retirement pay), bank account statements, the assisted living facility statement, and additional medical expenses.
On Dec 30th, he received a letter from the VA stating that they had received his application for benefits.
On Jan 8th, my father and I each received two letters both dated Jan 6th. One was their proposal to rate my father incompetent for VA purposes and that a fiduciary may need to be appointed. The other was a reward decision awarding him $1561 with a payment start date of Jan 1, 2012. This one also detailed what they decided, how they decided, the evidence used to decide on the claim, what income and expenses were/were not used.
I’m not sure what to attribute the swiftness of their approval to - whether it was because my father had retired from the military, his retired pay & SSA were electronically verified by VA, or the inclusion of all the documentation needed.
I hope this helps and encourages others. I saw another post of an approval in three weeks so let’s pray that we see faster approvals for all. Thank you again for your providing all the information!!
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