Latest news with #DependencyandIndemnityCompensation
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Veterans set for double VA payments in August, here's the 2025 disability pay schedule
Veterans who rely on monthly disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs can expect a small boost in 2025, and a pleasant surprise in August. Thanks to this year's 2.5% increase in VA benefits, monthly payouts are a little higher. But even more helpful for veterans on a fixed income: August will bring two separate payments. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Data Science Cybersecurity Leadership CXO Data Science MCA Healthcare Degree Artificial Intelligence Project Management PGDM Data Analytics Product Management Digital Marketing Operations Management MBA Public Policy healthcare Management Design Thinking Finance others Others Technology Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Why? It all comes down to how the VA schedules its checks. Benefits are usually paid on the first business day of the following month. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted. Undo However, when that date falls on a weekend or holiday, the VA issues payments on the prior business day which is most near. This means veterans will receive checks on both August 1 and August 29, giving two payments in a month. Here's the 2025 VA disability payment calendar to help you keep track: Month payment date day of week January January 31 Friday FebruaryFebruary 28 Friday March April 1 Tuesday April May 1 Thursday May May 30 Friday June July 1 Tuesday July August 1 Friday AugustAugust 1, 29 Friday & Friday SeptemberOctober 1 Wednesday OctoberOctober 31 Friday NovemberDecember 1 Monday DecemberDecember 31 Wednesday A quick guide to VA monthly payments Live Events VA Disability Compensation A tax-free payment is provided every month to veterans who have a service-connected disability and who were not discharged dishonorably or for misbehaviour. depending on the severity of the disability, monthly payments range between $165 and $3,600, in 2025. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) The Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefit gives support to spouses and veteran's family members, who must have died on active duty or later from a service-related condition, would be considered eligible. The VA, if counted, for disabling a veteran or being rated permanently, such compensation would be given survivors of the veteran. Veterans and Survivors Pension Veterans and Survivors Pensions are designed for veterans who have low-income or support to their survivors to give them financial stability. Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) If a veteran suffered a serious injury/injuries (loss of limbs, or loss of vital functions). during service, he/she would be eligible for the Special Monthly Compensation. This benefit is extra, with also disability benefits. Aid and Attendance / Housebound Benefits Veterans, who are mostly situated at home, and require assistance with daily needs can qualify additional support through these programs. Stay Updated on Your Benefits The military and veterans' benefits rules are bound to change on an annual basis. By subscribing to trusted veterans' resources, you should not be able to miss updates in health charges, etc.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Announces Major Change to Veterans Benefits as Concern Over Cuts Rises
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced a series of major changes to veterans benefits. In a May 5, 2025, press release, the VA announced "a three-pronged approach to eliminate barriers and streamline the process for how eligible survivors and dependents of deceased Veterans and service members apply for and receive VA benefits and services." The day after these changes unfolded, ProPublica published a major investigation into budget and research cuts at the VA, which it reported were imperiling enrollment in clinical trials. VA officials across the country have warned in emails of impact from cuts, including to a registry tracking cancer, ProPublica reported. "Doctors and other health care providers across the VA have been left scrambling and short-staffed amid an ever-shifting series of cuts, hiring freezes and other edicts" from the White House, ProPublica reported. In March, PBS, citing an internal memo obtained by the Associated Press, reported that The Department of Veterans Affairs is "planning an 'aggressive' reorganization that includes cutting 80,000 jobs." However, in an April 29, 2025, press release, the VA wrote that its changes at the agency were designed to "refocus the department on its core mission" to provide better services to veterans and their families. That press release said the VA had opened "six new health are clinics around the nation," brought "thousands of employees off of remote work," shifted treatment funds to helping paralyzed veterans and amputees, processed a "record number of disability claims," accelerated a near-dormant electronic health record system, and redirected hundreds of millions of dollars from "non-mission-critical efforts to health care, benefits and services that directly support VA beneficiaries' families." On May 5, the VA's release outlined these changes: Starting this month, the VA's Office of Survivors Assistance will move to the Office of the VA Secretary in an attempt to remove the office from "layers of bureaucracy." The VA will create a 'white-glove' survivor outreach team "to guide and assist eligible survivors throughout their Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims process," also in May 2025. Starting immediately, the VA "will begin work to identify areas where automation can be used to make the DIC claims process easier to navigate for survivors." 'The last thing survivors need in their time of grief is frustrating red tape and bureaucracy. That's why we are creating a better system to more quickly and effectively provide survivors the services, support and compassion they've earned,' said VA Secretary Doug Collins. At the Office of the VA Secretary, a staff of "five full-time employees will advise the Secretary on all matters related to the policies, programs and legislative issues affecting survivors and dependents," the release said. The VA's 'White-Glove' Survivor Outreach Team "will begin operations in May 2025 and consist of experts based out of the Philadelphia VA Regional Benefit Office," according to the news release. "These experts will receive specialized training and guide and assist eligible survivors throughout every step of the DIC claims process." The VA "now automates more than 1,000 DIC claims payments or adjustments per day and is in the process of ongoing enhancements to increase automation that will expedite survivors' claims and improve their experience," the release added. "VA will also be identifying additional areas where automation can be used to make all benefits delivery processes easier to navigate for eligible surviving dependents." Related: Some Student Loan Borrowers Could Have Their Wages Garnished
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Major changes to veterans benefits: Key updates and what they mean
The US VA Department has decided on some changes to veteran benefits, that include helping families of deceased veterans to get better and faster benefits. Now, VA benefits can be received by families with much less hassle, according to the department's press release. Veteran families to get better benefits amid VA policy change? (Unsplash) VA Secretary Doug Collins, through a press release announced major reforms. He also stated, "The last thing survivors need in their time of grief is frustrating red tape and bureaucracy. That's why we are creating a better system to more quickly and effectively provide survivors the services, support, and compassion they've earned." ALSO READ | Rodney Hinton Jr case: After GoFundMe apology, GiveSendGo set up for murder accused For starters, the VA is moving its Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) back under direct oversight of the VA Secretary. Officials said a 2021 shift under President Biden buried the office in bureaucracy, slowing support. The move aims to restore OSA's role as a policy advisor. A new specialized team in Philadelphia will guide survivors through complex claims, like Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Trained experts will offer personalized help to 'close gaps in communication' and fast-track approvals. The VA already automates 1,000+ daily DIC payments. New tech upgrades will speed claims further, reduce delays, and explore ways to improve survivor services overall. What are the goals of these reforms? Officials say the changes address long-standing frustrations. 'Our goal is to get to 'yes' for eligible families,' the VA stated. Critics had warned the 2021 OSA restructuring clashed with laws meant to prioritize survivor needs. The reforms aim to simplify a system often criticized as overwhelming for grieving families. Survivors can now expect clearer guidance, quicker decisions, and fewer bureaucratic hurdles. The new measures are part of an overall effort by the VA to improve the way things go on around families of fallen service members receiving due benefits.
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
VA Announces Major Change to Veteran Benefits
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a major three-part initiative to simplify and speed up how survivors and dependents of deceased veterans and service members access VA benefits. The reforms include relocating the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA), launching a personalized "White-Glove" Survivor Outreach Team, and expanding automation in the benefits system. Newsweek contacted the VA and the Veterans Association of America for comment via email on Tuesday, outside working hours. Why It Matters Starting this month, the VA will move OSA from the Veterans Benefits Administration back to the Office of the VA Secretary. This reverses a 2021 Biden-era decision that, according to the VA, buried the office under layers of bureaucracy and limited its effectiveness. As stated by the VA, in 2021, the Biden administration moved OSA from the Office of the VA Secretary to the Veterans Benefits Administration, "creating a siloed system at odds with the intent of the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008." The relocation is intended to restore OSA's original role as a central advisory body, giving it direct access to VA leadership. A five-person team will now advise the Secretary on survivor-related policies, programs, and legislation. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs logo marks the entrance to their headquarters building on April 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The VA has announced major survivor benefits reforms. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs logo marks the entrance to their headquarters building on April 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The VA has announced major survivor benefits reforms. To Know Also beginning this month, the VA will launch its "White-Glove" Survivor Outreach Team. Based at the Philadelphia VA Regional Benefit Office, the team will consist of trained experts who will guide survivors through the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims process. According to the VA, these experts will receive specialized training and guide and assist eligible survivors throughout every step of the DIC claims process with the goal of getting to "yes" on DIC claims decisions for eligible survivors. The overall objective is to close long-standing gaps in communication and ensure eligible families receive personalized assistance from start to finish. To further streamline access, the VA is expanding its use of automation in processing DIC claims. Currently, the department automates over 1,000 DIC payments or adjustments each day. Officials say new automation efforts will speed up claims, reduce delays, and make it easier for survivors to receive the benefits they deserve. The VA is also exploring additional ways automation can improve the overall delivery of survivor-related services. What People Are Saying VA Secretary Doug Collins in the VA press release announcing the reforms: "The last thing survivors need in their time of grief is frustrating red tape and bureaucracy. That's why we are creating a better system to more quickly and effectively provide survivors the services, support, and compassion they've earned." What Happens Next The new measures are part of an overall effort by the VA to modernize and improve the way it delivers support to families of fallen service members. All three reforms are set to begin immediately or within the month, with full implementation expected to continue throughout 2025.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VA shifts survivors assistance office in effort to speed up benefits
Veterans Affairs officials unveiled a major reorganization of survivors assistance programs Monday, including the establishment of an outreach team to help families of deceased veterans navigate the department's bureaucracy. They also promised ongoing improvements to'increase automation that will expedite survivors' claims' in coming months as part of the effort. In an open message to the veterans community, VA Secretary Doug Collins said the moves are designed to simplify the process and improve families' interactions with the department. 'The last thing survivors need in their time of grief is frustrating red tape and bureaucracy,' he said in a statement. 'That's why we are creating a better system to more quickly and effectively provide survivors the services, support and compassion they've earned.' White House budget plan gives 4% boost for VA amid other agency cuts The Office of Survivors Assistance was established in 2008 as a way to consolidate benefits for deceased veterans under a single agency. The office provides information on funeral resources, bereavement counseling and estate planning, as well as clarification on which veterans benefits continue after an individual's death. VA officials plan to move the office from the Veterans Benefits Administration to reporting directly to the VA secretary, with five full-time staffers advising department leadership on survivors benefits issues. Along with the change, leadership announced plans to stand up a new 'white-glove' survivor outreach team in the the Philadelphia VA Regional Benefit Office to 'guide and assist eligible survivors throughout every step of the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation claims process, with the goal of getting to 'yes' on claims decisions.' Survivors can be eligible for nearly $2,000 in monthly payouts from VA depending on their health and their veterans' service-connected disabilities before death. But the calculations for the benefit can be overly complicated, with additions and subtractions for length of marriage, length of service and final military ranks. That new team is scheduled to start work later this month, after personnel complete specialized training on survivor benefits issues. Department officials said that they currently process more than 1,000 DIC payments or adjustments a day through automated systems. But they said they hope to expand that number in coming months, pending a review of the department's claims systems. Collins and other senior leaders have promised a host of cost-savings and department improvements through a series of reforms, many aimed at trimming personnel and bureaucracy within the department. The efforts so far have generally earned praise from Republicans but concern from Democrats, who worry cutback will lead to slower response times and delays in services. In a statement Monday, House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost, R-Ill., praised the announcement. 'We have to keep pushing VA forward to meet the needs of veterans and their families,' he said. 'Today's action by Secretary Collins is in lockstep with that mission.'
