THOUGHTS OF A POET IN THE RAIN

I accompanied the widow of a friend of mine to the Regional Office of the VA located at Bay Pines, Florida. She had been a widow for just one week. We had the long form death certificate and she had already filed for the DIC claim through the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs. All was in order. All that is except the VA.

Chuck had been disabled permanently and totally by the VA for over 10 years. Brandy and he had been married for many years past the ten year requirement to obtain compensation from the VA upon the death of the veteran.

In this case, Brandy is to receive DIC payments for life following the death of her veteran husband. Brandy has spent years taking care of her husband. She has no income other than what her husband brought in from his VA pension and some Social Security. None meaning …. none. She expected and expects to receive a benefit package from the VA which is about 1/2 of the money paid to Chuck monthly as disability income from his service and injuries while serving in Vietnam.

Well, guess what? She was told that she would have to wait up to maybe a year-and-a-half before she would get a check from the government. WHAT????? She will have NO income from the VA for one to one-and-a-half-years.

That is what we were told at the VA Regional Office.

She sat there crying telling the man she had NO income. NO INCOME means NO INCOME. Oh, the guy said, but in a year-and-a-half you will get a check for the full amount covering that time. EXCUSE ME….. Between now and then what is she supposed to do to pay her bills and provide herself with food. SHE HAS NO INCOME. Well, in case they turn off her utilities or she becomes homeless there is another form she can fill out and file for hardship…..WHAT????….. She has to file another form and then wait for that form to be processed which could take how long? A few months.

Excuse me but this pisses me off. The widow of a 100% totally disabled veteran with no income has to wait up to possibly one-and-a-half-years before getting any compensation which by law she is qualified to receive.

WHY? Because the VA is so backed up with claims that she will have to wait for her Dependent Income and if she starves to death well, that is just too bad. If she has to live in a house with no electricity well that is okay. If she loses her home well that is just the way it is.

I say bull shit. This is governmental bull shit.