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Harry Hope · Guest

Homelessness and bankruptcy are two of the results of the delays,
according to Joe Violante, national legislative director for Disabled
American Veterans.

From The Fairview Observer, 3/8/07:
http://www.fairviewobserver.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070308/NEWS07/703080392

Thursday, 03/08/07

Backlog of disability cases hard on veterans

By TIM GHIANNI
Senior Writer

Many military veterans and their families suffer financial hardship,
even bankruptcy, while waiting for the Department of Veterans Affairs
to make a decision about their disability cases and pension claims,
according to veterans advocates in Washington, D.C.

As of March 3, the VA had almost 401,000 pending cases for disability
compensation, with almost 115,000 having languished for six months.

And the numbers are increasing because of the claims of veterans
returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

It's something of a "Catch-22," according to retired Lt. Col. Bill
Burleigh, who heads a Nashville-based veterans advocacy organization.

The VA "has proactively gone out and done what they call outreach to
inform veterans that you may be entitled to something," Burleigh said.

But the federal government "hasn't increased the budget" enough to
cover the services, according to Burleigh, executive director of
Operation Stand Down Nashville, a nonprofit organization serving
veterans, with a particular focus on the homeless.

Homelessness and bankruptcy are two of the results of the delays,
according to Joe Violante, national legislative director for Disabled
American Veterans.

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Support our troops, eh?

Harry