VAWatchdog knows how to communicate with VA

Our years of experience in working with VA has confirmed that there is only one single effective way to communicate with your VA.

You must use certified mail, return receipt requested. Any other method of communication may fall short.

This means that no matter the circumstances, the veteran should not communicate by email, fax, overnight courier (FedEx, etc.), telephone, email, or any of the Internet based "E-Z" sites that VA provides.

There are many who will tell you that this isn't necessary. Those are the people who either work for the VA or they're looking for evidence and documents that VA has lost.

If writing a simple letter and going to your local post office seems like too much trouble for you, you should stop reading now.




How To Effectively Communicate With Your VA

Every veteran who has a problem with any benefit wants to solve it quickly. In any normal business your first thought is to give them a call and explain the issue. Almost every business you deal with today has a published telephone number that when called, a company representative will try to help you. Some companies do really well, others not as well.

At your VA there is a single toll free number across America. The number you dial in Key West is the same number you dial in Fairbanks. Calling that number doesn't reach your VA Regional Office, it reaches a "call center".

The VA call center doesn't have updated access to your records. Believe it or not, that's a fact. The call center employee isn't a problem solver and 99 times out of 100, they can't help you. They are limited in how much time they are allowed to talk with you.

You can't call into your VA Regional Office. If someone gives you a number, maybe they'll answer it, maybe not.

Like the toll free number, IRIS, eBenefits and all the other web sites and emails don't work.

There is only one way to communicate with your VA. That's by writing a certified letter.

VAWatchdog readers are writing letters and winning cases every day. We've put together some templates for you to use. Your letter shouldn't be lengthy nor
should it be complex. All you need to do is make whatever your point is. The more you write, the less likely it is that anyone will read it.

Go for it.

The well written letter is the most potent weapon in your arsenal.

VAWatchdog recommends that the veteran only communicate with VA by letter. 

Every letter must always be delivered using certified mail, return receipt requested. Your letter should be brief.

The letter should have a point and stick to the point...no rambling or personal stories.

Be specific. Tell VA exactly what you want.

Be courteous and polite. The person who will read your letter wants to help you. If you vent your anger and frustration to the person who reads your letter, that isn't going to help you to resolve your problems.

Provide enough reason for VA to make a positive decision for you. If you have evidence, enclose that with your letter.

Don't try to make lengthy legal arguments based on something you've read on the Internet. You aren't a lawyer.

Notice of Disagreement (NOD)

01/01/2012

VIA Certified Mail RRR

Department of Veterans Affairs
Your Regional Office
PO Box 12345-0987
The Big City, State ZIP

Reference: DOE, JOHN L / 000/111/9087

Dear Sir/Madame:

I applied for a disability benefit rating DATE. I am in receipt of your letter of DATE that notifies me that your decision is to deny my request.

This letter is my Notice of Disagreement with that decision.

I wish to appeal that decision using the DRO process. Thank you for your kind consideration of my request.

Respectfully,

John Doe

ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
EMAIL

Request an increase to an existing benefit

01/01/2012

VIA Certified Mail RRR

Department of Veterans Affairs
Your Regional Office
PO Box 12345-0987
The Big City, State ZIP

Reference: DOE, JOHN L / 000/111/9087

Dear Sir/Madame:

I am currently rated for NAME CONDITION RATED at 10%.

I believe that my condition has steadily become worse since this rating was awarded. I have compared my current condition to that listed in the Schedule For
Rating Disabilities and I see that it would be more appropriate that I would now be rated at 30%.

I am applying for that rating increase.

Thank you for your kind consideration of my request.

Respectfully,

John Doe

ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
EMAIL

Generic Template

01/01/2012  (DATE)

VIA Certified Mail RRR

Department of Veterans Affairs (The Address of Your VA Regional Office is Here)
Your Regional Office
PO Box 12345-0987
The Big City, State ZIP

Reference: DOE, JOHN L / 000/111/9087  (These numbers may be located on communications from VA to you)

Dear Sir/Madame: (Always use this generic salutation)

(In the body of your letter, tell the VA why you are writing. Describe a problem. Make a request. Ask a question.

Be specific. The more specific you are the better the VA reply is likely to be.

Keep this brief. Rambling and writing irrelevant information will delay the response.)

Thank you for your kind consideration of my request.

Respectfully,

John Doe


ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
EMAIL

Points To Remember

* There is no substitute for your personal letter, simply written in plain language, delivered via certified mail with return receipt requested.

* Your letter should be neatly crafted to resemble an official VA communication just as they would write to you.

* The format is the same for all communications to your VA. All correspondence should appear much like the templates below.

* Keep it brief. Do not tell your life story. These are business communications. Most letters to VA should be a single page only.

* Stick to the point. If you want an increase for that knee condition, don't go into details about your finances or other problems.

* Be polite, courteous and professional. The person who reads your letter is a human and this is not the time to vent your anger at VA. It's likely that this person wants to award you the rating you deserve. Don't alienate him or her with your personal feelings.

* All communications with your VA must be by certified mail only!

* Telephone calls must be avoided.

* Even a fax, although it may seem faster and simpler, is no guarantee that your message was delivered. Sure, you get that piece of paper saying the transmission was successful but you don't know if the machine on the other end had toner and paper.

Response To A Letter of Proposal To Reduce a Benefit

Many veterans will eventually receive a letter that tells the veteran that VA has decided to reduce a benefit award. This will always be in the form of a "proposal". This proposal means that VA is giving you a chance to respond and tell them why your benefit shouldn't change.

There are many different reasons that VA may do this.

You may be TDIU and you didn't complete and return a VA Form 21-4140. You may have applied for an increase to a benefit and VA has decided there may be reason to suspect improvement and a lowered rating. If you have completed treatment for a condition, VA may believe that the condition has improved.

Although there may be a number of reasons that you've received such notice, the response is very much the same for any reason that VA has notified you of a proposal to reduce your rating.

First, understand that you must timely respond or VA will default to the proposed action. You must respond promptly. You must respond in writing.

Far too many veterans will waste time making calls to the VA, a service officer or some other resource as they try to understand what they should do.

There is only one single action that you should take once you've received a letter to reduce a benefit...you must reply in writing. Until you have replied in writing and told VA why your benefit should not be reduced, you are spinning your wheels.

You can not NOD a proposal.

While you must inform VA why you believe the proposal is incorrect, you can't appeal the proposal because there has been no action to appeal. Rather, you should simply inform VA that you do not believe that the proposal has any standing and then explain why.

When you write this letter, you must take into account 3 points.

(1) You must tell VA that you do no agree with the proposal. Do not NOD, just tell them you don't agree.

(2) You must tell VA why you disagree. Briefly explain why you think they are wrong.

(3) If you have evidence, you should include it with this letter. For example, if you are a TDIU rated veteran and VA says they may lower your rating because you didn't send in a VA Form 21-4140, tell them you did and show them a copy of the evidence...you will have a copy of the receipt you used when you sent it in via certified mail.





01/01/2012  (DATE)

VIA Certified Mail RRR

Department of Veterans Affairs (The Address of Your VA Regional Office is Here)
Your Regional Office
PO Box 12345-0987
The Big City, State ZIP

Reference: DOE, JOHN L / 000/111/9087 

Dear Sir/Madame:

(1) I am writing to tell you I am in receipt of you letter that proposes to reduce my benefit rating. I disagree with that proposal.

(2) I believe that you have made an error when you state that " _____________________________".

(3) I am enclosing evidence that will support my belief that you should not take any further action.

Thank you for your kind consideration of my request.

Respectfully,

John Doe


ADDRESS
TELEPHONE
EMAIL



Here is further information for you to use when you respond to a letter of proposal to reduce your benefits.  

* If you have completed a treatment for any service connected cancer and VA proposes to reduce your benefit from 100% to (x) %, you may respond to tell them why you should be kept at the 100% rating. Keep in mind that if the treatment has successfully treated your cancer, the law requires an evaluation and it is likely that the benefit will be reduced.


* If you are undergoing "watchful waiting" for a service connected (usually agent orange presumptive) prostate cancer, and you have had no other cancer treatment for this disease, you should tell VA exactly that. There are many errors today because VA does not understand the watchful waiting process. Note that
medications to treat Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH) are NOT part of a cancer treatment therapy and can not be used to reduce the benefit.


* If you are undergoing treatment for lung cancer, any prescription for home oxygen therapy requires a rating of 100%. The VA and the veteran often miss
this detail.


* If you are determined by VA to be a "fleeing felon", you have more homework to do. Please click here.