To help speed up the process of receiving VA benefits to survivors and dependents of deceased veterans and service members, the Department of Veterans Affairs has brought forth a three part initiative. These initiatives are aimed to help the families of veterans and reduce the hassle they face regarding their benefits.
These reforms include the relocation of the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA), expansion of automation in the benefits system, and the launch of a personalized “White-Glove” Survivor Outreach Team, as reported by Newsweek.
The important point to note here is that by the beginning of this month White-Glove Survivor Outreach Team will be launched by VA. As Newsweek reported, “Based at the Philadelphia VA Regional Benefit Office, the team will consist of trained experts who will guide survivors through the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims process.”
The report further added, “According to the VA, these experts will receive specialized training and guide and assist eligible survivors throughout every step of the DIC claims process with the goal of getting to ‘yes’ on DIC claims decisions for eligible survivors.”
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The main objective behind this initiative is to deal with the long existing gaps in communication and also ensure that eligible families receive their benefits with proper assistance right from the start to finish.
Moreover, to further streamline the process the VA is also expanding the usage of automation regarding DIC claims. Presently, more than 1,000 DIC payments or adjustments are automated in a single day by the department.
As per officials, as they are expanding the automation, it will further speed up the claims and will also reduce the delays that happen during the process.
New ways of automation are also explored by the VA to ensure more efficiency and speed. Another change that has been implemented since the beginning of the month is the moving of OSA from the Veterans Benefits Administration back to the Office of the VA Secretary.
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As reported by Newsweek, “This reverses a 2021 Biden-era decision that, according to the VA, buried the office under layers of bureaucracy and limited its effectiveness. As stated by the VA, in 2021, the Biden administration moved OSA from the Office of the VA Secretary to the Veterans Benefits Administration, ‘creating a siloed system at odds with the intent of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008.’”
The goal behind this relocation is giving the OSA back its original role as a central advisory body as it would have direct access to the leadership of VA. Because of these changes, a team of five people will now be advising the Secretary on matters related to survivor programs, policies, and legislation.
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While announcing the reforms, VA Secretary Doug Collins said during the VA press release, “The last thing survivors need in their time of grief is frustrating red tape and bureaucracy. That’s why we are creating a better system to more quickly and effectively provide survivors the services, support, and compassion they’ve earned.
As these reforms are being rolled out with the single goal of helping the eligible people receive their benefits smoothly, it now remains to be seen how positively these changes affect the present situation.
