By Larry Dandridge
A quarter of the VA’s workforce is comprised of veterans. According to the PBS NewsHour YouTube video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtQNVoEWsP4, the Trump administration announced its plans to cut thousands more employees (as many as 83,000 more) at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Also, according to Military.com, the VA Chief of Staff, Christopher Syrek, stated in a recent memo that the department’s initial objective is to return to 2019 staffing levels of 399,957 — or about 83,000 fewer employees than the VA has now.
Massive cuts in the VA workforce will hurt veterans. It does not take a staffing expert to predict that these wholesale and sudden cuts will adversely affect VA services, delay claims, slow down services, and cause many veterans to lose their jobs. This article is part one of a two-part series encouraging veterans to file for VA service-connected disability compensation and their other hard-earned VA benefits and services before this massive VA layoff.
Get moving and file your claims.
With this dark cloud hanging over the VA, VA employees, veterans, and VA services — veterans with service-connected disabilities caused by or worsened by military service wounds, injuries, illnesses, traumas, and Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) contamination and exposure injuries should move now to file military service-connected disability compensation claims. Veterans should also notify their Congresspeople and state leaders if they disagree with these massive layoffs and see their services being reduced or delayed.
Submitting a claim with the VA is complicated
Do your homework. Veterans should use a VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) or a VA-accredited Attorney or Claims Agent to help them prepare, submit, and manage their claims. Veterans should also become educated advocates for themselves by reading the information at www.va.gov, on the VA websites below, and in the Island News articles listed below.
VA websites on filing for service-connection disability compensation.
- How to file a VA disability claim: https://bit.ly/3wYGMRJ.
- How to File a VA Disability Claim VA YouTube Video: https://bit.ly/45lZEck.
- Eligibility for VA disability benefits: https://bit.ly/3GxrxTG.
- Intent to File a Claim for Service-connected VA Disability Compensation or Pension, Survivors Pension, or DIC (VA Form 21-0966): https://bit.ly/3Rzq8Qk, https://bit.ly/3W9mzlP, https://bit.ly/40PxbMT, and https://bit.ly/3DtFaWE.
- Types of disability claims and when to file (Original claim, Increased Claim, New Claim, Individual Unemployability Claim, Secondary service-connected Claim, Special Claims, Supplemental Claim, Pre-discharge Claim Program): https://bit.ly/3m6K3M9.
- Standard Disability Claim: https://bit.ly/3Z7UGNg.
- Fully Developed Claims program: https://bit.ly/3CTtFV0.
- Pre-discharge claim (90 to 180 days before leaving the military): https://bit.ly/3vmbvaa.
- Separation Health Assessment Form: https://bit.ly/4etMQ7H.
- About VA Form 21-526EZ (Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits): https://bit.ly/3xtZZLp.
- Evidence needed for your disability claim: https://bit.ly/3w6YGAN.
- File additional forms for your disability claim: https://bit.ly/3XgpDxU.
- Supporting forms for VA claims: https://bit.ly/3KPYQ7I.
- About VA Form 21-10210 (Lay/Witness Statement): https://bit.ly/3sPpxD8.
- Submit a lay or witness statement to support a VA claim: https://bit.ly/3YNARMi.
- Request your military service records (DD214, medical, and personnel): https://bit.ly/41ydmaU or https://bit.ly/41DdFlq.
- Request Veteran Records through eVetRecs at the National Archives website: https://bit.ly/4b3r5KD.
- Getting military records through the Department Defense website (USAF discharged after 1 Oct 2004, U.S. Army after 1 Oct 2002, USMC after 1 Jan 1999, USN after 1 Jan 1995): https://bit.ly/3WHL4Zy.
- Evidence needed for your disability claim: https://bit.ly/3w6YGAN.
- Statement in Support of Claim (About VA Form 21-4138): https://bit.ly/3Y6KSmY and https://bit.ly/4kAJC6x.
- Exposure to hazardous chemicals and materials (Agent Orange, Asbestos, Burn pits, and other specific environmental hazards, Gulf War Illnesses in Afghanistan, Project 112/ Project SHAD, Radiation, Mustard Gas/Lewisite, Birth defects: https://bit.ly/3Rrz3E8.
- Get help from a VA-accredited representative (Attorney or Claims Agent) or VA-accredited VSO: https://bit.ly/3WwDXmN.
- Find a VA-accredited representative or a VA-accredited VSO: https://bit.ly/4g9yGdW or https://bit.ly/3QnCk5M.
- Learn more about VA-accredited representatives (Frequently Asked Questions): https://bit.ly/3TcLOoK.
- Appointment of Veterans Service Organization (VSO) as Claimant’s Representative (VA Form 21-22): https://bit.ly/3Tf6D0z.
- Appointment of Individual (Attorney or Claims Agent) as Claimant’s Representative (VA Form 21-22a): https://bit.ly/3DtRJkO.
The Island News articles on filing for service-connected disability compensation
Things you (Veterans) need to know about Veteran Service Officers, by Larry Dandridge, Sept. 4, 2024: https://bit.ly/3OgLZwl.
How to file a VA disability claim (Part 1 of 2), by Larry Dandridge, Aug. 16, 2023: https://bit.ly/4cWYzvh.
How to file a VA disability claim (Part 2 of 2), Aug: 23, 2023, by Larry Dandridge: https://bit.ly/3VZZGU4.
How to get copies of a veteran’s military service records. (Part 1 of 2), by Larry Dandridge, May 24, 2023: https://bit.ly/4bCdcTD.
Suggestions for Veterans filing a Service-Connected Disability Compensation Claim (Part 1 of 2), by Larry Dandridge, Sept. 13, 2023: https://bit.ly/4ePHyox.
Suggestions for Veterans filing a Service-Connected Disability Compensation Claim (Part 2 of 2), by Larry Dandridge, Sept. 20, 2023: https://bit.ly/4eSh7OR.
Filing additional forms for military service-connected disability claims (Part 1 of 2), by Larry Dandridge, Nov. 20, 2024: https://bit.ly/4fHbtzj.
Filing additional forms for military service-connected disability claims (Part 2 of 2), by Larry Dandridge, Nov. 27, 2024: https://bit.ly/3DznusH.
How do I get a copy of my DD214, military service personnel, medical, dental, and other records? (Part 2 of 2), May 31, 2023, by Larry Dandridge: https://bit.ly/45X7RVC.
What Veterans Should Know about VA Claim Exams (Part 1 of 4), by Larry Dandridge, Nov. 15, 2023: https://bit.ly/3R0jfcA.
More of what veterans should know about VA Claim Exams (Part 2 of 4), by Larry Dandridge, Nov. 22, 2023: https://bit.ly/4izOlUe.
More of what veterans should know about VA Claim Exams (Part 3 of 4), by Larry Dandridge, Nov. 29, 2023: https://bit.ly/3DwWmug.
(Final) Tips on Preparing for Compensation & Pension (C&P) Exams (Part 4 of 4), by Larry Dandridge, Dec. 6, 2023: https://bit.ly/4fz7xAz.
Filing additional forms for military service-connected disability claims (Part 1 of 2), by Larry Dandridge, Nov. 20, 2024: https://bit.ly/4fHbtzj.
Filing additional forms for military service-connected disability claims (Part 2 of 2), Nov. 27, 2024, by Larry Dandridge: https://bit.ly/3DznusH.
Lay Witness (Buddy) statements are important to submit with VA Claims for service-connected disability, by Larry Dandridge, July 26, 2023: https://bit.ly/3Tean5w.
VA service-connected disability for scars, by Larry Dandridge, Feb. 26, 2025: https://bit.ly/43AWWBP.
What is Veterans Administration (VA) Individual Unemployability (IU) and how do I file for it?, by Larry Dandridge, July 7, 2021: https://bit.ly/3VZDPKc.
Should veterans continue to apply for disability after they reach a 100% rating from the VA? by Larry Dandridge, Oct. 26, 2022: https://bit.ly/4hmOn0H.
Continued next week.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at his local VA Hospital, a Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the past VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association and Military Officer Association Chapters. Larry is also the author of the award-winning “Blades of Thunder (Book One)” and a contributing freelance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
