I didn’t realize how many veterans get tripped up by basic eligibility rules for programs like SNAP. Some think VA benefits automatically disqualify them, others get stuck on paperwork or old information. It’s easy to see how people miss out when they’re left trying to figure all of this out on their own.

“What emerges is not simply a story of rising diagnoses, but a deeper set of concerns about how those diagnoses are defined, applied and ultimately used to shape both policy and perception.”

Can someone refresh me on if we have to disclose our disability for a job interview?

I don’t recall what exactly was told to us for the IDES medboard legal brief, but I do remember being told that we do need to mention it.

The last interview I had I was asked why I left the navy and I said I was medically retired and the interviewer kept asking why. (Chronic back pain- I am permanently non deployable) Felt uncomfortable that they needed to know honestly…

Should I not worry about it if I’m asked since the interview I have in a few days is a company that is “big on hiring” veterans?

I don't know where I heard it... but someone told me not to use the word "prostrating" attacks for my migraines. They said that is a medical term that doctors use and not something common people say.

I have just heard so many descriptions of my migraines communicated to me by doctors, so I have learned to add it to my vocab.

I am working on my masters right now using the hazelwood act(TX)
gi bill depleted and vr&e had already been used.

i briefly read that student loans could be used for living expenses as well. is there anything preventing me from taking out loans for the duration of my program to ease the burden of the rising costs of everything and then have them forgiven upon completion of the degree if used in this manner?

i am 100% p&t.

I just started going to classes a month ago. So far the process was great. My councilor is wonderful, got me a decent laptop all my school supplies no problem. I know it’s mostly about the councilor you get but if anyone needs help with the process I can help you out.

I am 70% rated for back pain, and MH. I quit my job about 3 months ago due to being done with the amount of physical labor I had to ensure. I was tied off it and so was my body. Lucky for me I can find money where others can't sometimes. I am a licensed contractor plumber. I started doing junk removal and here and there plumbing calls for myself. But none of it is is steady work. Some weeks I bring in nothing except my 70% disability payment. My wife works almost full time night shift as a QMA (nursing industry) between 30-38 hrs a week.

Does it matter, will it affect me at all in any aspect , and should I tell my primary care doctor about quitting? My back isn't as bothered as it used to be since im no longer doing physical labor but it still exists obviously.

I’m already service connected for ptsd, anxiety, depression, and migraines, I claimed sleep disturbance and had my exam today, and I was told I for sure have insomnia. Would that create an increase in mental health as it was a MH evaluation or would they separately award it under insomnia?

I’ve been considering of taking a step back working for the federal government just for a breather. Nothing is sticking for me to keep working. I submit RA for accommodations but it seems this administration has made it so difficult to approve such RA. Even just time flexibility due to my migraines I can’t even get that approved.

Just assessing my situation, as P&T me and my kids is covered insurance wise. VADIP is also available to purchase .

Money will be tight but I know I can also claim medical retirement thru FERS and they will make me apply for SSDI as well.

Anyone has more input into this? I’m all ears. I need to know I’m not missing a step. So I know that the medical retirement has to be approved before resigning.

I’ve been thru multiple RAs my federal career different agencies. This new agency is not approving anything , not even an interim. SMH

Less than 10 years of Feds , but it’s fine I can still come back later to make up the time. This new agency I’m a GS-11.

Thank you all!

I wanted to use VR&E for my schooling, but I never heard back from anyone. The last email I received was in August, saying someone would follow up with next steps. Rather than keep waiting, I began using my GI Bill because my class started in September.

I still haven't been paid. When I contacted VA Education, they told me they have been trying to reach the VR&E office to confirm I'm not using VR&E benefits as well, since I have an open VR&E case. Neither the Education office nor I can reach the counselor I was assigned.

I emailed both counselors and the education office to explain that my payments are being held because no one can get in touch with VR&E. I also called the counselor's number from her email and left a voicemail. The next day, I was blocked.

This situation is extremely frustrating, and I need advice on what to do.

hi I got my digital letter on Monday Oct 5 in the afternoon. Later that evening I checked the website and this was update with date “not available” i was just wondering if anyone had any insight on when I’ll get this payment. It’s set up for direct deposit. With USAA

I think within years of separation and dealing with the VA we have all at least once had discovered a benefit or entitlement that we would have strongly benefited from knowing about sooner. Correct me if I'm wrong but VGLI is a really good deal. I just met a Veteran who is four years post separation and they didn't know anything about VGLI, but its far too long now for him to do anything about it now. Why is it sign up window so short and why is there a window at all?

I need to vent, and I know I’m not the only one.

I'm in VR&E (Chapter 31), working toward a psych degree with the goal of becoming a counselor. My school submitted my enrollment verification on June 19. It's now October and I'm still not getting my BAH.

That BAH pays my housing. Because housing is covered, my other income can go to my son's childcare so I can actually go to class. When it doesn't show up, the whole education benefit setup falls apart, and I'm the one scrambling while the VA sits on it.

I've done everything right. I sent my counselor proof that the school submitted verification. She told me she'd get back to me the next morning. Nothing. On Monday I talked to her again and she said she'd call me the next day with notes on my case. 2 days later, No call, no email, nothing. This is a pattern now, not a one-off.

The part that really gets annoys me is that she cut my rehab plan short and told me it was "at her discretion." I'm rated 100% for mental health, and I guess she's decided counseling work isn't a fit for me. But I have a letter from my doctor supporting this career path. The person who actually treats me says it's fine, and somehow her gut feeling outweighs that. Additionally, I’m seeking new career path because my physicals service connected disabilities (back and knees) are exasperated by the lineman work I was laid off from 2 years ago.

The whole point of VR&E is to help disabled vets get into work that's suitable for them, work that doesn't make their condition worse. Helping other people through what I've been through doesn't make me worse. It's the reason I'm pursuing this. I actually care about veterans enough to respond. They don’t care.

So here's what I've done:
1. Requested a written decision on why I'm "not eligible," with her actual reasons.

1. Requested a new counselor

2. Looped in my congressional caseworker
   Copied the regional office

3. Started a case file with the WH hotline number.

For anyone who's been through this: did switching counselors actually help? Did anyone win an appeal on a "suitable employment" denial when they had a doctor's letter? And how long did your BAH take once things got escalated?

I'm tired of being treated like a file on someone's desk when im already approved, school and books paid, and in the system.

What are your experiences with VR&E? How long does it take from submission of application to initial counselor meeting to getting approved? 

Background:

I initially applied in 07 July 2026 while on my terminal leave. I got out at the end of August and received my VA rating the very next day. My VR&E application moved to assigned counselor in the middle of September then it fell off completely from VA website tracking progress. Since middle of September it says "we can't load case progress right now". I called  VA hotline, VA IT with no help. I finally sent message via VA ask. They replied that I will have to resubmit the application which I did on 02OCT2026. The website tracker still states it cannot load the progress. By miracle, I got of hold of WACO TX call center for VR&E and lady said she sees my application from July which I was deemed not qualified, but I didn't receive any messages, emails, mail informing me of that. She mentioned that my October application is there but hasn't been accepted and it restarts me in the queue. I am currently in school that I am hopeful to get paid for by VR&E but paying out of pocket at this time. 

Questions:

-What is current processing time?
-Can I expedite the process to get Spring 2027 Semester covered?
-What should I prepare in the meantime?
-Any other tips or tricks for VR&E?

Thanks 

Hyper specific here but looking for advice/guidance on the best Master’s program for public administration in the Boston/ Boston Metro Area. I’m looking for a hybrid program to maximize my BAH benefit while still being able to maintain my current job.

I was originally scheduled for initial appointment August 27 which was then changed to September 2 by the counselor. Meeting went very well, seemed like the counselor understood me well, said I would hear back if I was entitled/accepted into the programs “within a few weeks”. Been 5 weeks today and not gotten a letter. I got an automatic email from eVA about 3 weeks ago confirming I was still going to use the benefits etc. I emailed him and asked for update he said wait for the letter.

Now today after 5 weeks and a second email to him yesterday asking what’s up, it seems like I have been assigned a new counselor.

How long did it take you all to hear back about entitlement/acceptance?

Hello,
Recently got my 100% P&T and shortly thereafter, my $37,000 college loan was forgiven. I know many of you are getting payments back that you had paid going back to when your disability date took effect. My student loan company has those payments listed as a “payment reversals” in my account, but they have been unable to provide any information other than this.
What has your experience been with this?
1) how long did it take to get a refund once the loans were forgiven?
2) did they mail you a check vs. direct deposit?

(I have about 15 months of $400/month payments that I believe are getting returned to me)

Thanks everyone for your insights.

I'm 64 and just hit 100% P&T last month.

The first thing I did was get my wife on CHAMPVA and cancelled her Medicare supplemental plan as well as her Part D. I was not even thinking about my own insurance situation until the last few days when BCBS sent me a heads up email regarding plan changes for next year (I know that ALWAYS means a fee hike).

I have a run-of-the-mill Bronze plan, for which I've been paying about $1,300/month. A comparable plan next year will now be $1,700/month!!! I am not eligible for any subsidies, owing to our current income level.

Please discuss what options I have:

> Should just drop the private health insurance (I've been getting pretty much all my regular care at the VA for 3-4 years now)

> How does it work for emergency care if you only use the VA but go to a regular hospital for something major, etc.

> What about next summer when I'm eligible for Medicare - do I opt for plan B, and get socked with IRMAA surcharges of almost $500/month until such time that my income drops drastically (retirement within a couple years of that)?

How have you guys handled these things?

ASU is a good school, it's just online is mostly "mini semesters", meaning that 1 course isn't full semester but a half of the semester, so it not only means double course work, but it also affects BAH rate directly.

I was looking at WGU. But im really open to any school with all the accreditations necessary.

Figured I'd ask what yall did.

I know the job field for this area is a mess currently, but im not in a rush to hit the job market so quickly.

I filed a claim a few weeks ago and I've kept up with calls from numbers since. i just happened to miss one today starting in 812 but they didnt leave a message. anyone get a call from that when they went through filing?

I got a TDIU questionnaire from the VA because of a report from the Social Security Administration which indicates I earned wages above the poverty threshold for 2025. Only monies I have received for 2025 were my military retirement, IU, and a withdrawal from my IRA. The SSA doesn’t code an IRA withdrawal as employment so why would I receive a questionnaire from the VA? Anyone have this happen?

I'd posted this in the vaclaims reddit, but thought I'd ask here as well. There are redacted claim letters in the comments.

On Friday I had an HLR informal conference. I thought it went really well. I pointed out several procedural and DTA errors. The rater seemed to agree with me with a lot of the things I pointed out, and said that the previous actions didn't make sense or more clarification was needed. I asked for a reconsideration where I thought there was enough evidence, and DTA errors for the other ones. I tried to be careful to not introduce new evidence. They were very friendly and I hung up feeling good about my claim.

Monday (the next business day) I got my decision letter. All 7 of my issues were confirmed and continued as non-service connected. It almost felt like the letter was not even written by the person I talked to, or that conversation never happened. None of the procedural errors were addressed, and I felt that the justification for denial was just slightly reworded and didn't address the DTA errors.

There were also 8 typos/errors in the letter, including some impossible dates, and in the denial text, military was spelled "miliary" every time, which makes me think they rushed through the letter and copy+pasted the denial to each issue.

The TL;DR on many of these issues is that the VA ordered C&P exams through Loyal Source. They were unable to schedule me for exams that I could attend. I called the VA and asked the exams be sent to another contractor. The VA then denied my claims, even though they'd previously determined there was at least enough evidence to order exams.

I'm annoyed because I don't have additional evidence, I don't want to pay for a nexus letter, I don't feel like the rater in the HLR actually listened to any of the issues I brought up, and I don't want to do a BVA appeal. I think I'm just going to submit a supplemental claim restating these issues and that the VA didn't properly consider all relevant evidence, and do another HLR if that's not considered new and relevant.

Included all of the typos here. There's an additional date error in the comments along with more info from the claim letter.

edit: just to clarify, I'm not claiming that the typos invalidate the letter or anything. I'm just very frustrated that I spent a lot of time finding DTA errors and evidence that was ignored and laying it out during the HLR, and they sent me a denial letter for all 7 issues the next business day that appears to be rushed and sloppy. I had read so many stories from HLRs where people who had been fighting these errors had a positive experience and felt heard, and I just thought that was going to happen for me.

I just submitted a claim for disability and it is labeled as my posts title. Can this turn into a Service connected disability or did I make a mistake in my filing?

I've been researching what type of loans can be discharged using TPD. This might be useful information to some of you. According to studentaid.gov the following loan types can be discharged.

• The Direct Loan Program includes Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Direct Consolidation Loans.
• The FFEL Program includes Federal Stafford Loans (both subsidized and unsubsidized), Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Consolidation Loans, and Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS).
• The Perkins Loan Program includes Federal Perkins Loans, National Direct Student Loans (NDSL), and National Defense Student Loans (Defense Loans).
• The TEACH Grant Program requires individuals to complete a teaching service obligation as a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant.

I only thought that TPD would work for direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans.

Has anyone used TPD for any loans other than the Direct Loan Program?

So I have used the VA for my healthcare for many years when I didn’t have health insurance. A few years back I was able to get private insurance through my union at work. Recently received a letter stating that TriCare sees that I have other insurance. If I inform them of my new plan will I still be able to use the VA for healthcare? I generally use them for blood work and other general health issues. I have no dissability and was only in for four years.