Montgomery Regional Office Holds First Veterans Resource Fair and Town Hall
May is faith based initiative month for the Department of Veteran Affairs. On Wednesday, the Montgomery V.A. Office hosted its first Veterans’ Resource Fair and Town Hall at True Divine Baptist Church.
“We try to educate our veterans on how to file on the proper forms and basically how to use and train them on that system that we have now through e-benefits in order to file their claims,” Dorian Jenkins, Public Affairs Officer, said.
The event included health screenings, information on suicide prevention, plus health care and financial services.
“When we get the opportunity to come out, we bring our claim processors with us so we can give on the spot, real time information, having to do with each individual veteran’s claim,” Cory Hawthorne, Director of the Montgomery VA Regional Office, said.
According to Director Hawthorne, the biggest change in the veteran’s benefit arena is a change in the appeals process: “For years veterans have waited to long for answers when it comes to an appeal, having to do with a benefits disability claim. The new Appeals Modernization Act went into effect this past February which allows veterans three new ways to appeal their claim,” Hawthorne said.
The new act has transformed a complex system into a simple and easy process giving the veteran more choice and control by choosing from either higher level review, supplemental claim or by appealing to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
Another update: The national toll-free line, that has been a headache for some in the past, now has reduced wait times.
“Years ago if a veteran is hearing this and says ‘W
ell I use to try that and it took forever to get through,’ the VA has made a very concerted effort in the last two years to staff up those lines and veterans are waiting no more than two minutes to have an answer to those questions,” Hawthorne said.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs Customer service number is 1 (800) 827-1000.
For more information CLICK HERE.
