BILOXI, MS (WLOX) -
Since I began doing Action Reports following Hurricane Katrina, I have received many phone calls from veterans who have told me the difficulties they have been dealing with in securing their disability benefits. Filing a claim has been defined as frustrating, confusing and time-consuming.
Paul Dehm spent 24 years in the military, including a year in Vietnam. He says trying to secure veteran's disability benefits has been difficult at best.
"Over the last 18 years that I've departed from military service, it's been one difficult task after another," Dehm said. "Most recently, I've tried to get compensation for my Agent Orange. It's affiliated with Diabetes, Type-2 Diabetes, affiliated with Vietnam."
Dehm said the paperwork is detailed and in many ways confusing. He added that once the process has been completed and the information sent to the Department of Veterans Affairs in Jackson, problems pop up.
"You send in one piece of paper and they ask for another, " Dehm stated. "In one case, I told them to go ahead and just make a determination on my claim. And the paperwork that I got back most recently is related to another compensation that I've already been receiving disability for, for the last 18 years. Its nothing but a joke."
Historically, the VA is considered a caretaker agency for veterans and their families.
"It's very sad that us," Dehm added. "The veterans today, especially today, have to meet these confrontations with the VA. There needs to be a simpler process, something more streamline that we, the vet, can file for our compensation. An easier method to make determinations."
Dr. Myron Horn, a psychologist at Keesler Air Force Base, said he deals with a fair number of veterans who have complained to him about filing claims with the VA.
"They turn in the paperwork and they wait, wait and wait," Horn said. "They go back and than the person tells them, 'Well, we don't have the paperwork. We don't know where it is.' So they ask them to turn it in again."
The Jackson VA Regional Office spokesperson told me, "The veteran is not required to resubmit what they have already sent, just additional evidence they may have."
Dr. Horn said many of the veterans already have post-dramatic stress from wartime situations.
"They don't handle stress well anyway and they're very short, easily frustrated, very short frustration tolerance. Very, very difficult for them to make it through that."
Some retired veterans say they believe the government is using a delay tactic. Dr. Horn agrees.
"They think if they can delay it long enough then people would give up and that's a shame."
Former Congressman Gene Taylor told me dealing with veterans' benefits was one of the most important jobs he dealt with, and probably the most difficult.
Many veterans have just given up, while others are desperate looking for help.
I contacted the Jackson Department of Veterans Affairs and I too had difficulty in receiving any response.
Friday, you'll hear what I learned from Veterans Affairs officials and we'll talk to someone who decided to contact an attorney to get help in securing his benefits.
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