A note by David: a poor and many times homeless American Veteran will be inflammatory should you read it. I AM FED UP MR. PRESIDENT.

THIS WRITING IS PERTAINING TO THE WORSENING CONDITION OF THE NEGLECT AND THAT ONGOING HATRED AT EVERY LEVEL OF SOCIETY AGAINST THE SUBJUGATED AMERICAN VETERANS OF ALL 5 SERVICES!
Consider this first and foremost. Criminals, wicked people, who by choice committed felonies against American people (and me) receive three meals per day, have recreation, gym facilities, and television with activities and a clean bed and do also enjoy the intrapersonal interaction with fellow inmates daily. NEWS FLASH: Now, President Trump in a cavalierish statement has stated in a recent speech that he also wants the released wicked criminal to receive preferential hiring treatment! WHAT KIND OF EVIL IS THIS?

Dependant on whoever you ask, here is their wage for being in prison. And this wage is the daily cost to house these career criminals as paid by the American taxpayer. Per inmate, the wage-price is between 32000 dollars annually to over 60000 dollars annually; While the American Veteran who is disabled and most likely poor to boot is treated as a wicked and evil criminal should be and shunned by people and governments at all levels! The people of governments offer bureaucratic bandaids to Veterans while giving jobs to civilian people that seldom really care nor make much difference save for a few dedicated, wonderful people I have met who do make things happen. These other employed civilians who often times do exploit the veteran to attain grant programs for themselves do so with much rhetoric purposed to justifying the grant premium, but, create and affect little change in the life of the vet and their needs. I ask you this: After all, is it NOT about, should it NOT be about improving the quality of life for each and EVERY LAW ABIDING person in these United States?

It was worth it at that so many years ago in time to go and enlist because I wanted to make a difference in the support and preservation of the American dream early on in the Vietnam war! For the poor and those without hope Veterans of America who would have died maintaining for you, YOUR freedom and lifestyle had things been different was not so that you can live large while hating us. But, for many of you, that is what you have chosen to do! Yes, we too wanted our own home and be able to pay for it. AMERICAN DREAM! denied.

Bottom line is this! There is nothing of genuine help for the impoverished Veteran. Mostly, all that is given the poor Vet is a meager sum of conscience. AID & ATTENDANCE BENEFIT ADD-ON IS WHEN YOU ARE TERMINAL, SHOULD A DOCTOR AS IN MY CASE, PUT ME IN FOR IT.

These impoverished American Veterans are without the benefits mentioned above for the felon. I ask you is this just because these American Veterans are: 1. HORRID PLAGUE BEARERS, 2. poor, 3. weak, 4. sick, 5. without hope, 6. victims of crime, 7. suffer from horrors of war, 8. also live with the atrocities perpetrated against them in civilian life, 9. now they often live in a homeless and rejected condition of hopelessness and forbearing, 10. are unwanted, still living individual trash heaps of the populace; is this why you are content to neglect them while loving your felons? Are you one of those who blackmailed a person to have sex with you, lady? Are you the abductor who forced your sexual desires on the abducted? Are you "sitting fat in life" who once have been and are a predator of these former children and young adults who then went into or were already in the military hoping to make sense of life? The federal government and society hate the poor veteran and homeless. They have called them mal-adjusted, mal-content to demonize them early on.

Oh, but the poor miss understood repeat felon and first-time offender and career and institutionally motivated criminal are well taken care of in benefits. Further, according to Mr, Donald Trump, The President of these United States they the wicked criminal felons also are now deserving of Job Hiring Preference. WHY?

Mr. President, that policy will NOT make America Great Again. WHY?
Make the law-abiding, the lost and downtrodden poor veteran worth something again! Not that it matters much I'm thinking, but many of us supported you and voted for you. We even had hopes we would be thrown a bone of compassion when you took office. Remember Sir: Years ago: They gave you a chance to have all that you have and the Top Office In The Land and Highest Prestige In All The World. Yes, the same gift was given to all American Presidents by American Veterans who proudly enlisted and served during a time of war and a time of peace between wars which are inevitable. This time I'm speaking of the living, but my thoughts and my heart are always for my friends that I knew who died fighting a war on foreign soil, or died training for war and who never had a chance to become successful, or the homeless, downtrodden and hated by the American People and America's Government of a now new dedicated service to promote the wicked, felons!


Your actions are criminal!
david.
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Congress has passed a new Law "Preventing Crimes against Veterans Act of 2017" and "Veterans Care Financial Protection Act". The only problem is the VA employees are exempt. They commit more fraud by their lack of knowledge and bad advice. The VA defrauds veterans and their family by canceling the claim if there is no dependent regardless of how much the family has spend or lost caring for the veteran.
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These are only proposed rules. They were proposed in 2015. The VA has no projected implementation dates for these changes.
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We applied to the VA for A&A this past August 2017. My Mom passed away on January 28, 2018 and now the VA has closed her case. I have been told by our County VA officer that she wouldn't have qualified anyway because her income was too high, that she would have needed a number of medical expenses to decrease her income. However, she did have a Medicaid spenddown which did decrease her income beyond what this VA officer told us. Why wouldn't she have then qualified? Why did they submit her application if she wasn't going to qualify? If the VA hasn't approved her application, why shouldn't they have to prove that her application wouldn't have been approved and so we are not entitled to accrued benefits? What is this 21-601 VA form which can be submitted by families for accrued benefits? Any information or answers to my questions is extremely appreciated. I just find it absolutely unfathomable that, so many families like ours, who have spent hours and hours filling out that VA application, should now just be told the case is close because our Mom or Dad passed away. Our parents were depending on that money and to have it slip through our fingers -- almost without a care -- is something families are having to deal with and for what purpose -- there must be a way to secure these benefits -- our parents risked their lives while in the armed forces. There must be a way to help my family and all the other families whose parents have passed away before their applications have been approved.
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Why are single veterans ineligiable for aide and attendance. Meaning they never married, have no spouse. This is descrimination.
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Why can't I get my money made out to me
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My mom and dad are divorced but she was with him when he served in Vietnam. She has tricare for life and gets 1/2 his retirement. Is she entitled to any of his VA benefits?
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Unlike Forrest Gump, the movie starring Tom Hanks, the only combat my husband saw was fighting a dishonorable discharge for being awol in his bunk for 4 straight days, unable to appear for duty due to an undiagnosed disability, unknown at that time as aspergers/autism spectrum disorder.
He was ultimately honorably discharged. He served.
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My disabled, low income, former U.S. Marine husband does not qualify for Aid & Attendance benefits because he did not serve at least one day in a war.

Please, he served...the country has been at war continuously since who knows when, but not a big enough war? Not an "Officially declared war?"

BTW, they took him with his 'disability' of autism/aspergers to serve. Reminds me of the movie with Tom Hanks.
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No one knows. However, if they have not already applied for pension they most likely will be subject to the new rules when or if they go into effect.
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Pretty much your correct. The implementation has been postponed to go over the proposed changes to make sure al i )are dotted and authority is proper.
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The proposed rule changes have to implementation date. Originally the VA had stated that the rules would be implemented in the summer of 2015, then fall of 2015 then spring of 2016. Now there is no projected date for implementation.
It is questionable if the VA has the authority to make all of the proposed rule changes.
Many of the proposed rule changes make absolutely no sense. They really show how little thought went into these proposed changes and how little financial and legal knowledge the VA has in these areas.
Hopefully the VA will realize the complexity of the effort it will take to implement the training to put these changes into effect.
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Please update if this did happen.
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Did this ever actually happen? I know of a few families who applied this year and just got approved, after having moved money to qualify. Wonder if you have any updates?
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Go join your American Legion Hall American Legion . Become her DCF authorized Represenative( you have poa) and have her appoint you as her Appointed represenative, this also makes you her DCF Payee(due to sight disability)
Get a GPOA with aDurable POA clause (is not void if become incompetant)
Because she cannt see she is eligible under ADA act 505 reasonable accomidations. And under 504 least restrictive enviorment she is still eligible for an interperator for her eyes.
Give them notice per cover letterof GPOA still in effect and failure to acknowledge POA and ADA 505 reasonable accomodations by acknowledgement of caregivers/dcf Authorized Appointed Represenative ( makes you incharge of her medicaid appling etc and if you don't approve of services you can submit greviences upon her behalf and as her advocate under ADA 505 reasonable accomodations greater than 30 days . And for each time period greater than 30 days including complaint.
American Legion has very rusty squeeky wheels and is very productive at knowing how to get those wheels lubricated in timely manner.Also have advocates that can help.
ADA Advocates might be able to help also .
Apply to DCF Area On Aging for Long Term Home Based Health Care. Seems to me she should qualify.
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You really need an attorney to figure all of this out. I agree with all the comments. Disgusting that they can't have any money saved or it's counted against them if they go over. Dad could never save cause he supported 5 kids and a wife while at war--and now as a widower, he is finally saving cause he lives modestly. Bottom line, they should get A&A no matter what the financial circumstances...bottom line: they earned it. He served Korea and Vietnam (as a medic). Last year I went to the Austin VA and the idiot told me there is no longer A&A. I looked at him and laughed that he needed to get educated. I wish I had gotten his name and reported him.
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My grandfather was a WWII Army vet who passed away in 1995. He and my grandmother were married for 15 years and had 3 children. My grandmother filed for divorce, but it cannot be proven that she was the recipient of 'physical and/or emotional abuse'. However, there is court documentation to support that he neglected to pay child support. My grandmother is now 93 years old, never re-married and in Assisted Living. Is she eligible for the Aid and Attendance benefit? The application is a lengthy one and I'd like to save myself the hassle of completing it, if in fact she is not even eligible.
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Is there any considerations to including divorced spouses from over 20 year marriage to a vet, being allowed to use this benefit. They spent all of his 16 years military married.
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I never heard of a "VA accredited attorney" since I thought it was illegal to charge for VA advice. I heard from someone that's Federal law.
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The problem with using the VA and service organizations is the amount of experience and training they get on pension benefits. This is a very small benefit in the VA world so it gets little time for training. Also they are not allowed to give any advice. That is one of the reasons the avergae pension benefit is less than half of the maximum.

Also there are less than 100,000 WWII veterans getting this benefit. Why? Becuase the rules are designed to confuse families and cause them to either give up or make mistakes that will prevent them from qualifying for the benefit.

I would warn you about free services. They are generally never free and can cause serious problems. Even when the claimant has little net worth or income there are planning issues. Example WWII veteran is totally disabled and lives with his daughter. He gets $2,000 per month in income. He gets his healthcare provided by the VA. His daughter cannot work because they cannot afford to bring in paid caregivers. He pays he what money he has for room and board. He goes to the VA and they tell him he has too much income to qualify for the pension or worse they file the claim not knowling he does not qualify. They don't know to file a fully develop claim instead of a regular claim and a year later he gets notified that he does not qualify because he makes too much income.

His friend that is in the exact same situation hires a VA accredited attorney to help. He will tell him that he should not pay his daughter room and board but hire her to provide care for him. He will pay her all of his income for this care. They can then qualify him for the full $1,788 per month. The daughter will have to be instructed in how to structure the contyract so she can be treated as an independant contractor so all of her expenses will be a deduction against her income. What was this advice worth? Who was more expensive? Even if the attorney had charged $10,000 it was worth it. I don't know anyone that would have charged anywhere near that much, but it was worth it.
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John L Roberts I am not sure if this is what you are asking or not but here is what I was recently told and made them verify.

I asked about the potential new rules for networth computation, and the agent I was speaking with had no idea what I was referring to. So I had him ask his superior, and his superior said it is not on the books and not being used currently. Is that wwhat you wanted to know? They said it was a proposal only. It was not used on my moms case, approved last week.
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Yes, Cetude, the agency pays all workmen comp taxes, bonds the employee,etc. we do not need or use a CNA. We also have homeowners ins. should anyone be injured in her home, but, again, the caregiveris covered by her employer, and all taxes are handled by the employer, which is Home Instead. I highly recommend them. My mom is blind and needs assistance differently than you may be thinking but regardless, Home Instead offers all levels of service. We are okay, not concerned but ty for the info. These issues ate why I elected to not hire directly. Fyi, I was a stock broker, worked for a large wire house then ran my own investment company for years, holding all insurance and securtities licensure so in that capacity I had to assist clients in these issues as well. Good information for ppl to have. The sad thing is that my dad died in 2007 and BOA has taken state and fed taxes out oh her meager IRA distribution every year, and they had no business doing that as mom does not pay or file taxes. I stopped that when appointed POA last year. The banks take too much liberty, the onus is on the tax payer NOT the bank.
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The agency MIGHT be deducting her taxes as an employee. If that's the case you have no worries. I am aware of some agencies that do NOT take out taxes--you usually have to pay the CNA, and you pay another bill to the agency. If the agency does not take out taxes, there is something called a "nanny tax". Google it. I would make it a point to find out if the agency takes care of the taxes. You really need to know that. Also, if the person gets injured in your home, does the agency cover workman's comp (in other words are they insured?) otherwise YOU can get sued.
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Not sure what you mean Cetude? We pay an agency 18.75 an hour for her care, she only gets soc sec, and the care giver is there 21 hours a week. It isn't that complicated. Mom pays no taxes, she has no taxable income. She wil still be dipping into her savings regardless of what she gets. But her cost for med expense, living and to pay her caregiver far exceeds her income, by a long shot. I do not live there. The caregiver does what she does because she enjoys it, and that is irrelevant.
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Sorry I could not edit that comment but I meant that $1600 is to take care of the both of you--and the parent. So in reality after TAXES you both have $1200 a month to live off of. So A&A won't help at all since most of it covers taxes since you have to report that as income. So it's not worth getting.
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Yeah but if you pay out a caregiver you have to pay their taxes. Say you are the caregiver and you draw out $1600 a month. That also includes having to buy food, electricity, doctor and dentist bills, fixing the car, home repairs, etc. The take home will be about $1,200 a month AFTER TAXES because this is considered income even if it is your own parent. So that $500 a month won't help at all -- it barely covers the taxes.
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While I was told that my mother is approved, I will believe it when I see it. I am awaiting a letter of confirmation. Also, the formula to computer how much she will receive is stupido to the max. Her monthly income from all sources is around 1250 and we pay out, caregiver only, 1400. Then we have to buy food, pay her light bill, her insurance for her home and car, her life insurance prem., buy her food, etc. If she only qualifies for 500 based on this number what does it take to get the full monty and as a totally blind person, she should qualify for the higher level as she is home bound. The ppl that they have working the cases are not well trained or informed. That has been my issue and I would strongly encourage anyone with a negative outcome to appeal it and fight. You may get a bad review because you have an ignorant agent. Sad, but true. I had the commander working with me at the DAV and while they were a wonderful person, they had no idea how to apply for this pension. And at every crossroad, I was told over send, do not undersend,. Then told I oversent and they did not look at the info. Can you dig it? And I sent info that asked for and was told they did not want it prefile, only post, huh? We need a overhaul in this system and training. People's lives depend on it. My mom will die before they figure it out.
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As for your comments to the VA, they would care less what you have to say. They are getting their fat pay checks so nothing else matters. They are going to do what they want -- this nation is run by nothing but crooks and shysters.
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Congress would care less about elderly people. All they care about is lobbying money. Medical science is making people live longer, but nobody wants to take care of them other than throw them in some stinking nursing home where they are slowly murdered with neglect and abuse. I hope to God I don't live that long. I would rather kill myself. The way things are going I doubt any of us have to worry about that as WW III is around the corner anyway.
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Awakening's is asking one of the most important questions: 'Does this change of adding annual income to assets override the current eligibility calculations based on monthly income minus medical/caregiving expenses?" I've asked several experts, and they don't know the answer.

VA received more than 880 comments on the proposed rules discussed in the article. Most expressed criticism. A wide range of organizations commented, from Veterans Service Organizations to direct-care providers.

The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys is taking the position that VA cannot impose the lookback and penalty period regulations, because those must be authorized by a Congressional VA statute to be valid. So, the lookback and penalty periods should be stricken from any final rules because Congress would have to act on those issues.

The comment period has now passed, but it’s not too late to contact your member of Congress. It’s important to get Congress to inquire about these changes. Call your representative in the US Congress to alert them to the problems and questions about the proposed regulations.
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