The process is the problem: Small paperwork mistakes can block VA benefits for veterans and spouses

The process is the problem: Small paperwork mistakes can block VA benefits for veterans and spouses Berkeley Brean News10NBC The process is the problem: Small paperwork mistakes can block VA benefits for veterans and spouses GREECE, N.Y. — Tracy Ladue spent two years applying for the VA’s Aid and Attendance pension benefit years after her Vietnam-era Navy veteran husband died. She lives at Legacy Park Crescent, a senior living home in Greece, and faced denial after denial from the VA. “It was just on and on and on,” Ladue said. “And probably one denial after another,” I said. “Right, continually,” Ladue said. “And what did that do to you? “ “It just made me stronger. You have to fight,” Ladue said. Help arrives And you need help. Ladue finally got it from Chelsea Crawford, a care manager at Together in Caring, an upstate geriatric care organization. Crawford said she met Ladue after giving a presentation about veteran benefits. “And right away I knew this was something that was easily fixed,” Crawford said. Crawford got a missing document and checked a few boxes, and Ladue was approved in five days. “I’m just watching the bank,” Ladue said to Crawford recalling the last couple of weeks. “And it comes through!” When asked how many veterans or spouses are denied benefits, Crawford said, “Thousands.” The money saves homes The money from the VA helps Ladue and others stay in their homes. “My social security check covered my rent. And that was it. I didn’t have a penny left. It’s my life. It’s my whole life what I got from the Veterans Administration. It’s a whole new life,” Ladue said. The VA pays out more than $3 billion in pension benefits every year, ranging from $18,000 to $46,000, and about 35 percent goes to widows like Ladue. The VA recently increased the number of veterans who are eligible, especially from the Vietnam era. If you have difficulty with the applications, contact Together in Caring .