|
Hey brothers, just got my rating. I submitted end of Nov, so it moved pretty fast. I think what helped me get a quick rating was sitting down and building a package for each claim. Took a long time, approximately 20 hours of full prep. I felt like a lawyer building a case. I wrote a statement for each claim to walk them through it. Overall pleased I got 60% and got rated for all my foot and knee issues. They denied my tinnitus though, which is weird because I've served over five years in engine rooms, gun ranges, and 5 inch caliber big gun shoots. Not sure if I should claim again for tinnitus because I believe all the issues get re-evaluated again? Like I said I submitted in Nov and get a relatively quick answer in two months. I had an intent to file from Jan, so I made it in under the 12 month cutoff from intent to file. I should have filed as I was leaving active duty but I waited four years to do it. Thank you to all the veterans on this thread who provided a wealth of information and encouragement.
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2022 04:41
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 09:06 |
|
|
Resubmit but have a VSO help you. I think they'll just retest hearing if you petition.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2022 06:14
|
|
|
life is killing me posted:As an aside, my state put Veteran on my DL without hardly looking at me—I requested it and showed them my CAC that hasn’t been valid since 2012, and they shrugged and said, “good enough.” Ludicrous y’all can’t just take your DD214 to your DMV, why does a VSO have to be a middleman? That sounds absolutely unnecessary.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2022 15:02
|
|
|
That's ridiculous that you have to join an org to get access to a DV/HV plate. But different states do different things. My DV plate was $7 and some paperwork from VBA showing 50%+ rating, with no renewal fees ever in Colorado. HV plates are for 100% here and have the wheelchair emblem on them. Colorado is great for vets. In Tennessee, you need to show paperwork assigning a disability rating, but you still need to pay full price for the plate and annual renewals unless you're 100%, which is considered a permanent plate, never needing renewal. DV is 100% there, HV plates are for anything less. If you have/get a 100% rating you need to find out if your state/county will waive your property taxes, too.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2022 15:14
|
|
|
Totally ridiculous. I notice that some state gov run veterans affairs are just another flavor of the boomer/outdated culture of some of the veteran orgs like Legion or DAV. I'm not saying all are bad but they don't seem to provide much despite being part of state gov. Worst of all they are full of red tape and bureaucracy.
|
|
#
?
Jan 7, 2022 16:24
|
|
|
I helped my Vietnam vet father get his rating a few years ago (he got 50%, had a lot of issues including PTSD and was homeless for years following the war.). I'm quite sure my dad undersold and held a lot back in the first pass of the process so I'm thinking of having him resubmit for another rating A friend of mine has a service he's using to resubmit where, but they charge something like 6x the increase they get you as a flat fee (no increase gets them no fee). Anyone ever used something like that vs a free vso org?
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 02:51
|
|
|
El Mero Mero posted:I helped my Vietnam vet father get his rating a few years ago (he got 50%, had a lot of issues including PTSD and was homeless for years following the war.). 6x increase for a flat fee? that maybe reasonable depending on the quality and reputation of service. A friend of mine used a service where the provider charges nothing up front but gets paid 50% of the increase for a set time. He said it was worth it for him because the service walked him through everything and helped get Nexus letters through private providers to establish service connection. On a separate note, now that I've received my rating, how often will I be sent to C&P again to confirm my disability? Also, how do I start getting treatment from the VA?
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 02:59
|
|
|
Howard Phillips posted:6x increase for a flat fee? that maybe reasonable depending on the quality and reputation of service. yeah, it sounded reasonable to me as well - especially because I don't always have the bandwidth to do all of the hand holding and research that my dad needs to get anything done. I'll need to do more research on the service. The person he recommended to me looks like they're out of vaclaimsinsider.com, which...not may not have the greatest reputation.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 05:03
|
|
|
El Mero Mero posted:yeah, it sounded reasonable to me as well - especially because I don't always have the bandwidth to do all of the hand holding and research that my dad needs to get anything done. I like the free info vaclaimsinsider provides but they give me some scummy vibes. Don't know any firsthand experiences using their paid service though.
|
|
#
?
Jan 8, 2022 05:57
|
|
|
I'm a veteran looking to get out of paying rent and into actually owning a home. Can I get some help in getting/using a VA loan? Should I get my loan through Navy Federal, which I already have an account with, or Veteran's United, which is aggressively marketed on Google Search and apparently offers bundle benefits?
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 14:54
|
|
|
jwang posted:I'm a veteran looking to get out of paying rent and into actually owning a home. Can I get some help in getting/using a VA loan? Should I get my loan through Navy Federal, which I already have an account with, or Veteran's United, which is aggressively marketed on Google Search and apparently offers bundle benefits? You don't need to get financing through Navy Fed, USAA, or any specific service/veteran affiliated financial institution. With that said, Navy Federal has a decent reputation for providing good rates and service. USAA mortgage department is generally crap because they outsource it to another lender. First thing I recommend doing is lots of research on the financials. I would watch YouTube videos, back of the envelope calculations, and honest look at your income etc... You should determine how much house you can afford without putting yourself at financial risk. Second, do some market research on where you want to buy. What kind of property, condo, townhouse, or single family home. Each has advantages/disadvantages and only you can make the choices. Your budget from step 1 will also play a factor here. Third, get your credit score through one of the federally sanctioned credit reporting companies. Then apply for pre-qualification through at least two lenders. This will determine your ceiling but keep in mind your own internal calculation for how much house you can afford. With pre-qual letter in hand you are ready to start shopping with a real estate agent and make an offer. Four, happy shopping! Just be ready to pay 1-3% in closing costs. If you have VA disability you can get the VA funding fee waived.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 15:23
|
|
|
jwang posted:I'm a veteran looking to get out of paying rent and into actually owning a home. Can I get some help in getting/using a VA loan? Should I get my loan through Navy Federal, which I already have an account with, or Veteran's United, which is aggressively marketed on Google Search and apparently offers bundle benefits? I used USAA, but I get insane amount of spam mail from random unknown providers. My experience with USAA was good. I was assigned a representative who worked with me on paperwork. There is no downpayment required, but there was a 2% processing fee that was rolled into the total mortgage amount. Check to see if there are any changes for Covid, it might be cheaper now. Fed will also raise interest rates this year so make sure you get a good fixed rate too. I might have gotten a slightly lower rate with other provider, but I like having everything (home insurance, escrow for taxes, car insurance, etc.) under one provider, I feel that bug military credit unions are less shady than random financier. You can always start an application under Navy Fed and see what interest they offer you. After that it is pretty straightforward.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 15:23
|
|
|
You also have a window where hard credit pulls all get grouped into one pull for credit reporting. So if you apply for a loan at Navy Fed and also apply for a loan at USAA or a local lender within 30 days (I think) it’ll count as one credit pull. That means there is no harm in applying at two or three places and taking whoever offers the best interest rate.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 16:54
|
|
|
Just got back from Navy Federal, apparently the time frame for credit pulls for things like home loans and auto loans is 7 days. Guess I better hit up all their competitors and see what's up.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 18:58
|
|
|
jwang posted:Just got back from Navy Federal, apparently the time frame for credit pulls for things like home loans and auto loans is 7 days. Guess I better hit up all their competitors and see what's up. Navy Fed gave that info? Everything I am pulling up online says it’s a 45 day window for mortgages. https://www.mortgagematchmakers.com/what-is-the-mortgage-credit-check-window
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 19:17
|
|
|
Cripes, trying to do Navy Fed's online application and holy hell this is complicated as hell. I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED TOURING A HOUSE TO BUY, WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THESE QUESTIONS?! DON'T YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL MY INFO?!
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2022 22:36
|
|
|
jwang posted:Cripes, trying to do Navy Fed's online application and holy hell this is complicated as hell. I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED TOURING A HOUSE TO BUY, WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THESE QUESTIONS?! DON'T YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL MY INFO?! I just did a mortgage through Navy Fed. Their online application was much easier than the other places I applied, specifically because they already knew all of my account balances.
|
|
#
?
Jan 13, 2022 01:32
|
|
|
jwang posted:Cripes, trying to do Navy Fed's online application and holy hell this is complicated as hell. I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED TOURING A HOUSE TO BUY, WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME THESE QUESTIONS?! DON'T YOU ALREADY HAVE ALL MY INFO?! I'm using navy fed - they ask those things because a lot of people already have a house in mind. Fill out what you can to the best of your ability and they'll get with you and sort out preapproval. They've been asking me for a home contract for 3 months because I hadn't put in any offers until yesterday.
|
|
#
?
Jan 14, 2022 15:54
|
|
|
jwang posted:I'm a veteran looking to get out of paying rent and into actually owning a home. Can I get some help in getting/using a VA loan? Should I get my loan through Navy Federal, which I already have an account with, or Veteran's United, which is aggressively marketed on Google Search and apparently offers bundle benefits? I assume you've got your VA certificate already? Just bear in mind that with the VA loan that while you do get out of paying PMI, sometimes fees can outweigh the benefit - my last mortgage was less expensive via traditional financing than going with a VA loan. Also, VA loans can be extremely difficult to get, due to the VA wanting a home to be essentially perfect before they will release a loan. If they see peeling paint, loose mortar, or things a lot of inspectors would consider relatively minor, they can deny the loan until the seller remediates - and in this market, that ain't gonna happen. Here's what I've been told by both my real estate agent and a couple of loan officers: get qualified for a traditional loan. Base your budget using monthly payments off of a trad loan (include PMI) in case you find the house of your dreams and the VA denies the loan. Go in with the plan of using a VA loan, with the contingency of a trad loan in case the VA falls through. Keep in mind that the order of operations for a seller are cash > trad loan > VA loan > FHA. Going in with a traditional as a backup is going to give them peace of mind, give you a fallback, and in very rare cases, possibly give you the upper hand in making an offer if the seller is someone with a soft spot for vets (my realtor says this is very rare - money talks louder than sentimentality.)
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2022 14:56
|
|
|
^^ That's great advice and in line with my experience buying a home late last year. I wanted to go VA because I'd heard so much about the benefits (like no PMI), but the added red tape would have made a purchase more difficult, if not impossible. In the end we were able to go with a traditional loan that was still in our price range.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2022 15:11
|
|
|
If you're planning to move into an area the USDA considers rural, you can apply for a Rural Development loan. They're typically lower rate than traditional mortgages and can be stretched to nearly 40 years. There's a map on the USDA RD website that breaks down which counties are rural or not. You can't go whole hog and get hundreds of acres to farm under RD, but you can get a reasonable amount of acreage for a homesite without too much hassle.
|
|
#
?
Jan 18, 2022 16:02
|
|
|
OMG...just got my VA rating..100% permanent and total. I'm a bit in shock. Time to research the bennies in Nevada!!
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 05:23
|
|
|
BULLETKISS posted:OMG...just got my VA rating..100% permanent and total. I'm a bit in shock. Great news. If I remember correctly your disability check will run a month behind your retirement check. So if it doesn’t come the first time you get your retirement bucks, it’ll be on the way the next month.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 05:27
|
|
|
BULLETKISS posted:OMG...just got my VA rating..100% permanent and total. I'm a bit in shock. One of the big ones you'll notice is the tax break. Use as much as you can on your vehicles, then the rest on your home if you own. Vehicles are taxed at a higher rate than property, so using it there first gives you the most bang for your buck. I recommend submitting the paperwork right away before you're an idiot and forget like I did. It has to be done before June to count.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 05:35
|
|
|
Thanks for the tips! I'll keep an eye on my account and get the ball rolling on any paperwork right away.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 07:34
|
|
|
Check into disabled plates, usually they're free or reduced and you don't pay for on street parking either.
|
|
#
?
Jan 21, 2022 17:48
|
|
|
Saw this floating around instagram on a couple of different pages
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2022 05:40
|
|
|
I think this is an improvement. VA.gov portal is much better than ebenefits and the app is actually useful.
|
|
#
?
Feb 1, 2022 13:21
|
|
|
Changes coming to ratings evaluations for apnea, tinnitus, and MH. https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2022/02/15/vets-disability-benefits-for-tinnitus-mental-health-issues-may-change/
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2022 05:18
|
|
|
CRUSTY MINGE posted:Changes coming to ratings evaluations for apnea, tinnitus, and MH. Bit I read suggested they can only go up, not down.
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2022 07:18
|
|
|
Yeah, won't affect any current ratings, only evaluations going forward.
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2022 12:43
|
|
|
I was denied for Tinnitus. I guess now you Tinnitus can only be rated as a symptom of another issue.
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2022 14:06
|
|
|
How does going about seeing if you can get a disability increase work? My knees have been getting really bad as of late, and I'm a little concerned that if I get in to see someone, they're going to wind up lowering my rating. Can that happen?
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2022 22:14
|
|
|
berzerkmonkey posted:How does going about seeing if you can get a disability increase work? My knees have been getting really bad as of late, and I'm a little concerned that if I get in to see someone, they're going to wind up lowering my rating. Can that happen? The way I understand is that if you file for increase, you will be scheduled for another C&P exam. That exam could end up lowering your rating. Not sure if filing for one condition increase will automatically trigger C&P for all other conditions. Anyone know?
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2022 22:28
|
|
|
Howard Phillips posted:The way I understand is that if you file for increase, you will be scheduled for another C&P exam. That exam could end up lowering your rating. Not sure if filing for one condition increase will automatically trigger C&P for all other conditions. Anyone know? I don't think that it does. I filed for an increase on my knees (and got it - saw a non-VA doc who was like "gonna do what I can to get as much as I can get you") and they only looked at my knees.
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2022 22:39
|
|
|
CRUSTY MINGE posted:Changes coming to ratings evaluations for apnea, tinnitus, and MH. The MH changes seem interesting, especially because the test group they evaluated under the new system almost universally increased in rating
|
|
#
?
Feb 16, 2022 23:30
|
|
|
The MH changes might be beneficial for me enough to file for re-eval. IU is fine and all, but there's a solid chance they just put me at 100% for MH and call it a day. No idea how long IU is supposed to last or when I'll be re-evaled for it.
|
|
#
?
Feb 17, 2022 00:06
|
|
|
McNally posted:I don't think that it does. I filed for an increase on my knees (and got it - saw a non-VA doc who was like "gonna do what I can to get as much as I can get you") and they only looked at my knees. The non-VA doc you saw - was that scheduled through the VA system (i.e. filing a claim) or was this you going to a specialist and then submitting?
|
|
#
?
Feb 17, 2022 13:40
|
|
|
berzerkmonkey posted:The non-VA doc you saw - was that scheduled through the VA system (i.e. filing a claim) or was this you going to a specialist and then submitting? It was scheduled through the VA. I even got paid mileage!
|
|
#
?
Feb 17, 2022 14:23
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 17, 2024 09:06 |
|
|
McNally posted:It was scheduled through the VA. Ok, that's how my initial evals went. I'm going to check my approval date and make sure it's over a year and resubmit. Thanks. EDIT: I went ahead and contacted DAV to see what I should do. They just went ahead and initiated the claim. Guess that answers that. berzerkmonkey fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Feb 17, 2022 |
|
#
?
Feb 17, 2022 15:17
|
|