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1、FORIMMEDIATERELEASEAugust1,2013VAGrantsuptoOneYearRetroactiveBenefitsforVeteransFilingFullyDevelopedClaimstoHelpReducetheBacklogNewBenefitTakesEffectAugust6forFirst-TimeFilersWASHINGTON–TheDepartmentofVeteransAffairsannouncedtodaythatVeteransfilinganoriginalFullyDevelopedClaim(FDC)forserv
2、ice-connecteddisabilitycompensationmaybeentitledtouptoone-yearofretroactivedisabilitybenefits.Theretroactivebenefits,whichareineffectAug.6,2013,throughAug.5,2015,arearesultofacomprehensivelegislativepackagepassedbyCongressandsignedintolawbyPresidentObamalastyear.“VAstronglyencouragesVeter
3、anstoworkwithVeteransServiceOrganizationstofileFullyDevelopedClaimsandparticipateinthisinitiative,sinceitmeansmoremoneyineligibleVeterans’pocketssimplybyprovidingVAtheinformationitneedsupfront,”saidAllisonA.Hickey,UnderSecretaryforBenefits.“Atthesametime,ithelpsreducetheinventoryofpending
4、claimsbyspeedingtheprocess.”FilinganFDCistypicallythefastestwayforVeteranstoreceiveadecisionontheirclaimsbecauseFullyDevelopedClaimsrequireVeteranstoprovideallsupportingevidenceintheirpossessionwhentheysubmittheirclaims.Often,thisisevidencethatVAlegallymustattempttocollectontheVeteran’sbe
5、half,whichisalreadyintheVeteran’spossession,orisevidencetheVeterancouldeasilyobtain,likeprivatetreatmentrecords.WhenVeteranssubmitsuchevidencewiththeirclaims,itsignificantlyreducestheamountoftimeVAspendsgatheringevidencefromthemorothersources--oftenthelongestpartoftheclaimsprocess.WhileVA
6、willstillmakeeffortstoobtainfederalrecordsontheVeterans’behalf,thesubmittalofnon-federalrecords(andanyfederalrecordstheVeteranmayhave)withtheclaimallowsVAtoissueadecisiontotheVeteranmorequickly.Typically,VAprocessesFDCsinhalfthetimeittakesforatraditionallyfiledclaim.FDCscanbefileddigitall
7、ythroughthejoint,DoD-VAonlineportal,eBenefits(www.ebenfits.va.gov).VAencouragesVeteranswhocannotfileonlinetoworkwithanaccreditedVeteransServiceOrganization(VSO)whocanfileclaimsdigitallyonVeterans’behalf.WhilesubmittinganFDCprovidesafasterdecisionforanycompensationor
