VA Releases Survivors Quick Start Guide
Reference guide to help during final
arrangements planning
What You Should Know about Disability and Debt
There Are Protections...When it comes to debt collection, disability income enjoys special status.
Welcome to the KnowVA Knowledge Base
Locate information more quickly and efficiently
How to ensure seamless care while traveling
How Divorce, Alimony, and Child Support
Affect Veterans' VA Benefits
VA benefits can be garnished only for spousal
or child support, and only under certain conditions.
How to file a VA disability claim
Find out how to file a claim for disability compensation
or increased disability compensation.
Your 2020 Guide to Social Security Benefits
Whether you’re claiming Social Security in 2020, have been collecting benefits for years, or are still decades away, here’s what you need to know about this critically important retirement program.
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Make your will with FreeWill today
Healthcare directives,
proxies, living wills and durable financial power of attorney.
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Is your disability pay fair game in a divorce?
(Yeah, it is...)
Schedule for Rating Disabilities
Military Sisterhood Initiative to go live February 18
A social platform to build peer
support community for women Veterans
VAWatchdog Dot Org
Just who do you think
you are?
Stats about veterans.
Percent of U.S. adult population who are veterans in 2017, by state
Employment Data for Veterans With Disabilities
Employment Situation of Veterans Summary
Immigrant Veterans in the United States
Demographics of the U.S. Military
Veterans and Military Documents
Military Programs and Benefits
Facts on Veterans and Entrepreneurship
American War and Military Operations
Casualties: Lists and Statistics
Tinnitus and hearing loss among
Veteran Social Security Beneficiaries
Veteran-Owned Businesses and Their Owners
48 Interesting U.S. Military Facts
The American Veteran Experience and the Post-9/11 Generation
National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics - Quick Facts
Global Firepower - 2019 World Military Strength Rankings
Medical Malpractice - Veterans 1151 Claims
VA Malpractice Attorneys Helping Veterans Harmed By The VA
Veterans Healthcare Rights - Federal Tort Claims -
VA Medical Malpractice Claims, Misdiagnosis, Hospital Negligence, Medical Errors
For a review of your VA malpractice case contact our lawyers today. Our firm serves throughout the nation, and is one of the few firms to have specialized experience in VA malpractice cases.
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Key findings about America’s military veterans
The experiences of post-9/11 veterans differ from
those who served in previous eras. Post-9/11
veterans more likely to have been deployed,
seen combat, experienced emotional trauma
Should I file a claim?
Potential VA claims?
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Best way to check on a supplemental claim online?
Confused on what to do with claim.
Dependent status with education benefits.
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Welcome Home
We've been keeping veterans informed of news and events important to them since 2005.
You'll find all you need to file your claim and referrals to professionals who can help you when things don't go well.
What you won't find here is unending chat or opinions from strangers who like to think of themselves as experts.
Our goal is to ensure that you are awarded the benefits you earned with your service to our country.
We're here to help you take charge of your benefits, and that is all.
Extra schedular ratings under
How can I get an extra schedular rating?
To receive an extra schedular rating the veteran
must first show that the veteran’s
conditions result in a disability picture
that is not covered by the schedule of ratings.
C&P Service Clinician’s Guide
Scheduled For A C & P??? Filing A Claim?
This is a must read for you!!!
I've been posting this again and again over the years
and it's still one of the best ways I know to win
your case. Published in 2002 the principles and much of
the verbiage still applies and is in daily use at the VA.
There is no fee to use the VAWatchdog.
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Filing your VA and/or Social Security disability claim is not a spectator sport.
We believe you are the best person to manage your claim. You're smart enough to hold an honorable discharge, then you're smart enough to fill out some forms and put those forms in the mail.
You must be involved. If you expect someone else to do the grunt work for you and for FREE, you lose.
This web site can provide you with all you need to file and win your well grounded claim. But we can't file that claim for you.
Yes, your VA is supposed to help you. No, your VA will NOT help you. You're on your own.
Research your claim as you file it, do it right the first time. We're here to help.
Questions and comments can be sent directly to Jim.
<jim912@gmail.com>
No, we don't use the phone very much. We won't call you, we don't publish our number. We prefer to use email for the security and record it gives us when we are reviewing your claim or evidence.
The veteran or a family member must contact us by email. We can't reach out to veterans, the veteran must contact us.
The fellow above is Larry Scott.
He founded the VAWatchdog in 2005. Larry and I started aggressive advocacy efforts together in 2006.
Larry passed away some years ago from a non-service connected illness.
I promised Larry I'd carry on the tradition of helping veterans to obtain the benefits they've earned.
I'm Jim Strickland.
That's me above, at my VA clinic in Savannah, Georgia. I edit and contribute to the VAWatchdog. I'm a veteran of the Army 1967 - 1970. I served in Germany at the 98th General Hospital. I'm retired from a career in health care that started at Ft. Sam Houston.
I use VA services just like you do. I started working with Larry Scott at VAWatchdog in 2006.
Jim at work editing the VAWatchdog
The Military Veteran's Disability Guide - 2006
Let's see what I was writing 12 years ago.
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You're now at the most informative veterans disability benefits site anywhere. Welcome Home!
Since 2005 the VAWatchdog has been keeping an eye on VA...because somebody has to.
The primary goal of VAWatchdog is to educate veterans. It's our philosophy that a veteran should understand the reality of what he or she faces when dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other, similar agencies. Rather than handing your Power of Attorney (POA) over to a stranger who may or may not have any particular skills, education of training, we believe that you are equipped to manage your own VA claim. All you lack is the information about how the system really works. You'll find that here in the pages of VAWatchdog.
As the site grows, navigation becomes more of a challenge. Finding what you need on any busy site can be a problem. We're working hard to try and make it simpler for you. You must devote some time to the task. Many veterans believe that they can hand their benefits issues over to a representative and that the rep will take care of it for them. Nothing is further from the
truth.
The vet who expects a representative to handle their claim is in for a disappointing adventure. We teach DIY...Do It Yourself. A new veterans claim begins with a VA Form 21-526EZ
.Completing that form isn't rocket science. The quality of your outcome is largely up to you. The time you devote to learning how this works will impact the result when you get the award letter.
Our mission, goals and values are simple. We are all about educating veterans.
We do that by providing a headline news aggregation service for veterans and their families. We believe that an informed veteran will fare much better in life.
The benefits we earned through our dedicated and honorable military service can often be complex and not easy to obtain. VAWatchdog provides you with simple instructions that you can use to manage your VA benefits. We believe that most veterans should take a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) approach to handling VA benefits claims.
VA does not require that you have a "representative". The fact is that VA would rather work directly with the veteran to adjudicate a veterans disability claim.
Veterans disability claims are often challenging but once the veteran understands the Veterans Administration rules, the process of managing your benefits is much easier.
Nobody cares about your claim the way you do.
You may be filing a disability claim about obstructive sleep apnea, prostate cancer, agent orange related benefits or you may want information about any of the hundreds of other VA benefits that are available to you. We don't shy from the more controversial topics like marijuana and the VA or your rights as a veteran to own a gun, pistol or to be given a concealed weapons carry permit.We avoid rumors. We aren't here to bash the VA.
We publish the facts that we believe are the most correct and of most use to you. That's all.
Google Tracks You
and we don't.
DuckDuckGo apps block
Google's hidden trackers.
The world needs an alternative
Robert Wilkie <robert.wilkie@va.gov> 855-948-2311
One More Reason You Need An Independent Medical Opinion
VETERANS BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION
Accuracy of Claims Decisions Involving Conditions of the Spine
'How To Lie With Statistics'
An IMO by an expert often makes the difference!
VA launches online patient portal for veterans
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
announced the launch of an online patient portal
this month that will provide service veterans
with digital access to their patient statements.
I did that for years & it's
the best thing ever. Get
into the belly of the beast.
Owe VA Money???
Jim Strickland is a Vietnam era Army veteran and nationally recognized expert on VA disability benefits
and a member of the Stateside Legal Website Advisory Board. Jim's Mailbag, is a regular column where veterans,
servicemembers, and family members can ask Jim their questions about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
You can browse all of these Q&As here, and search the Jim's Mailbag archives for helpful answers.
The NPRC
Military Records DD 214
Urgent Care Centers
One of the most important benefits you have today is
the authorization to use an urgent care center
near to you. But first, you have to
to take with you. Don't wait until you need this
benefit to prepare for it. Read this now,
print your papers and be prepared!
Nexus and IMO Letters
Social Security Scammers Are Trying a New Trick
These criminals have added fake emailed documents to their repertoires -- often using the official SSA letterhead.
Has VA medical care caused you an injury or other harm?
You can sue the VA for medical malpractice but it's a complex process and you'll want lawyers who have
done this successfully in the past. There are strict time limits and draconian regulations to follow.
Get some advice today...call now!
Download VA benefit letters
To receive some benefits, Veterans need a letter
proving their status.
For Better Brain Health, Preserve Your Hearing
Hearing loss is the largest modifiable risk factor for developing dementia, exceeding that of smoking, high blood pressure, lack of exercise and social isolation.
Why Getting a Diagnosis Matters
A diagnosis does so much more than get noted in your medical history. It also can help you apply for programs like Social Security Disability and medical marijuana cards. And maybe even more importantly, it can help you explain yourself to friends, colleagues and family.
Do You Need
Medical Care
RIGHT NOW?
You are already authorized
to use an urgent
care clinic!
To Loneliness And Isolation For Seniors
Did you know that hearing loss and tinnitus are the
most commonly rated veterans disabilities? Did you
know that hearing loss and tinnitus can cause
other secondary conditions, particularly mental
health problems like depression and loneliness?
Chronic Pain Is an Impossible Problem
A “safe” alternative to opioid painkillers
turns out to be not so safe.
How Do You Apply For Social Security Disability Benefits?
Information on social security disability benefits
Misuse of Certain Nonopioid Analgesics on the Rise
Gabapentin, Baclofen May Be Seen
as Opioid Alternatives
Lodging & Camping in southern Illinois with access to the Shawnee National
We offer lodging, camping,
stabling, corral, pasture,
access to a hunting lease and
discounts for America's
military veterans!
Hello Jim...
Can you help me with....
Family Medical Leave Act problems after husband's deployment
Vet being harassed at work
VA doctor malpractice
Child support arrears create hardship
68 year old veteran with cancer
When did the Vietnam era start
Radiation treatment for prostate cancer and now C& P exam
Diabetes claim secondary to OSA
Revisiting child support order
Gulf War veteran behavior found to be willful misconduct
All these and many more answers to your questions can be found at
We get $2,470 a month from Social Security
and want a warm, friendly city near the ocean.
How To File a VA Disability Appeal
You have the right to appeal any benefits decision made by the Veterans Benefits Administration. The VA appeals process is set in law and is different from other judicial appeals processes. Find out how to file an appeal.
Medical Marijuana Card
Tell the doctor you saw it on VAWatchdog
and ask about veterans discounts!