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Did You Serve at Camp LeJeune?

Over the past several years, there has been considerable attention in the media to the past contamination of the water supply at Camp Lejeune. From 1953 to 1987, the water supply was contaminated with TCE, PCE, benzene, vinyl chloride and “other compounds.” For background information on the problem, see https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/clwater/Site/background_information.html Based on legislation passed in…

6 Year Battle For 100% Disability Rating For Veteran Pays Off

In February 2013, Goodman Allen Donnelly obtained approximately $825,000 in retroactive benefits on behalf of a veteran from the Department of the Veterans Affairs Montgomery, Alabama Regional Office (VA). The attorneys and paralegals in our Veterans Benefit Group worked tirelessly on this matter beginning with representation at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims…

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2013 Disability Compensation Rates

VA’s disability compensation rates for 2013 include a 1.7 cost of living increase. You can see the 2013 table here – https://benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/resources_comp01.asp One of the issues that is currently being discussed in the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee is the impact of the proposal for a “chained CPI” index to be used in calculating benefits. This…

Continued Delays at the VA

A recent story published in the Bay Citizen, a local San Francisco, California paper, indicates that an increasing number of veterans are dying before receiving their benefits. Data obtained by the Bay Citizen indicates that last year the Department of Veterans Affairs “paid $437 million in retroactive benefits to the survivors of nearly 19,500 veterans…

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Will My VA Benefits be reduced if I receive SS Benefits?

The Department of Veterans Affairs offers two major disability benefits programs: (1) service-connected disability compensation and (2) non-service connected disability pension. Both benefits are based on the disability of the veteran and the disability’s effect on employability. VA pension is a needs based program. To be eligible for pension, a veteran must have wartime service,…

From Military to Manufacturing

A number of corporations, including GE, Alcoa, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin have joined in a new coalition to train veterans for jobs in advanced manufacturing technologies. The coalition will focus on assisting veterans and employers to translate military skills to advanced manufacturing jobs and on empowering employers to recruit and mentor veterans. The initial program…

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VA releases new update to eBenefits website

In October 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs, in conjunction with the Department of Defense, launched a web portal that provides resources and self-service capabilities to Veterans, Servicemembers, and their families. It provides the ability to research, access and manage their VA and military benefits and personal information. The site is intended to help achieve…