One of the last benefits veterans may get from the Department of Veterans Affairs seem to be taking too long in many situations, according to Aaron Glantz of the Center for Investigative Reporting. Documents from VA have shown a larger numbers of widows and widowers are still waiting for veterans benefits to help plan for burials and planning for survivors’ pensions.
Glantz told the story of Jack Cornelius, a veteran who committed suicide, and his wife Sheryl Ann Cornelius. Jack was tortured during his time in the Army serving in Vietnam and received an honorable discharge, later seeking treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. However, VA denied his widow’s claim for help with burying her husband. The decision was reversed a year later. However, by this point, his wife had lost her home to foreclosure and had a $700 high-interest loan she took out for the funeral.
“Internal VA documents obtained by the Center for Investigative Reporting reveal an escalating number of widows and widowers are waiting for burial benefits and survivors’ pensions—breaking America’s final promise to its veterans,” Glantz writes.
Documents showed that veterans waiting more than a year for disability compensation increased from 11,000 in 2009 to 245,000 in December of last year, with veterans waiting for burial benefits seeing a long wait.
The Law Offices of Harold W. Conick and Associates are prepared to assist veterans and their surviving family members with their claims for benefits from VA.
