Where is the VA accountability?

Waiting on appeal to be finalized. Appeal assign date May 13, 2014 with there completion time within 291 days. Now call center for Winstons Salems Regional Office wants additional 300 days in the decision review office process. Why are there no accountability? Need a advocate that has accessibility to the review officer checking monthly on my behalf. Winston Salems Regional Office do not follow there own est. completion time. Who is working in my behalf?

 

Reply:

The VA has been in the headlines across America for the last year or so. One leading problem that is reported on frequently is the lack of timeliness for responses or claims decisions by VA. In a recent Congressional hearing, a VA representative alluded to the backlog of claims and appeals that have been caused by numerous VA inefficiencies.

 

Many appeals are taking 2 or more years to adjudicate. Even though VA may offer a figure like 291 days, they aren't committed to that and usually can't get an appeal resolved in a reasonably timely fashion.

 

There isn't any reason for an advocate to check the status of a claim on a monthly basis. That wouldn't be productive for anyone. If you're confident that VA has all the forms and evidence necessary to make a decision on the claim or appeal, there's nothing to be done but to wait.

 

In reference to needing an advocate, we recommend that every veteran who is in any appeal of a denied claim should be represented by a veterans law attorney. The VA appeals process is notoriously adversarial and if you appeal a denied claim without attorney representation, you may be disappointed in the outcome.

 

VA processes most claims in the order they are received. There isn't any way to have your claim expedited or otherwise given any sort of priority in processing. That wouldn't be fair to other veterans who are waiting.

 

The VA remains a badly broken agency. The best thing a veteran can do today is to first submit a well prepared claim or to appeal with an attorney at your side and then to wait patiently.

 

/S/ Jim