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| Injuries incurred by service members are covered by the Veteran Administration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
New Policy Eliminates Paperwork, Allows
More VA Staff to Focus on Eliminating Claims Backlog
WASHINGTON –
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today it is cutting red tape for
Veterans by eliminating the need for them to complete an annual Eligibility
Verification Report (EVR). VA will implement a new process for confirming
eligibility for benefits, and staff that had been responsible for processing the
old form will instead focus on eliminating the compensation claims backlog.
Historically,
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.
“By working
together, we have cut red tape for Veterans and will help ensure these brave men
and women get the benefits they have earned and deserve,” said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
VA estimates
it would have sent nearly 150,000 EVRs to beneficiaries in January 2013.
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.
"Having
already instituted an expedited process that enables wounded warriors to quickly
access Social Security disability benefits, we are proud to work with our
federal partners on an automated process that will make it much easier for
qualified Veterans to maintain their VA benefits from year to year," said
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security.
"The IRS is
taking new steps to provide critical data to help speed the benefits process for
the nation's Veterans and Veterans Affairs," said Beth Tucker, IRS Deputy
Commissioner for Operations Support. "The IRS is pleased to be part of a
partnership with VA and SSA that will provide needed data quickly and
effectively to move this effort forward."
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—VA web portal eBenefits at www.ebenefits.va.gov.
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