Rex Ledford
The Veterans Administration wants you to apply for PACT Act benefits and care right now and reapply if you’ve been denied before. If you served overseas since 1955, there’s a good chance you’re eligible for benefits under the PACT Act.
If you apply for PACT Act-related benefits by Wednesday, Aug. 9 your approved benefits may be backdated to Aug. 10, 2022 so get your claims in as soon as possible. If you’re not ready to submit a full claim by then, don’t worry-you can also submit a quick-and-easy “intent to file” (VBA-21- 0966) by Aug. 9.
Some veterans are worried that applying for PACT Act benefits will impact their current benefits but the truth is this, if you file a claim you are 32 times more likely to see your benefits increase or stay the same than decrease. So don’t worry and don’t wait. Apply today.
There are people out there who will try to convince you that you need to pay someone or use a lawyer to apply for VA benefits, that’s not true.
Applying for PACT Act benefits is free and it’s easy. You can do it by working directly with VA or a Veterans Service Office.
You can learn more about the PACT Act by visiting VA.gov/PACT or calling your local Veterans Service Office.
Rex Ledford is the Veterans Service Officer for Clay County. Call 389-6301 for an appointment. Email: rledford@claync.us.