Retroactive Veterans Benefits

Aug. 8, 2013

The Veterans Affairs Department announced that veterans filing an original fully developed claim, or FDC, for work-related disability compensation could get up to a year of retroactive disability benefits. The retroactive benefits are in effect from Aug. 6 to Aug. 5, 2015, according the VA’s Aug. 2 release. “VA strongly encourages veterans to work with veterans service organizations to file fully developed claims and participate in this initiative, since it means more money in eligible veterans’ pockets simply by providing VA the information it needs up front,” said Allison Hickey, VA’s undersecretary for benefits. FDCs increase production of claims decisions and decrease waiting times, thus reducing the VA’s claims backlog, states the release. The retroactive benefit is a result of the 2012 Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, VA spokesman Randy Noller told the Daily Report.

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