Hugh D. Cox, Attorney in Greenville, NC, proudly representing the disabled for rightful veterans benefits, Social Security benefits and Workers Compensation.
        2411 B Charles Boulevard
       Greenville, North Carolina 27858
            or
       Post Office Box 154
       Greenville, North Carolina 27835-0154
 Phone: (252) 757-3977
 Fax: (252) 757-3420
 email:
hughcox@hughcox.com
            North Carolina Bar Number 6567
           Department of Veterans Affairs Accreditation number  8925

 

Home
About me
Costs
Location
Contact me
Veteran Info
Social Security
Workers Comp
RO Tactics
Veteran Stories
Other Info
MacArthur Speech
Forms & Links
Other Info

The information contained in this website is general legal information and not legal advice on any legal subject. It is no substitute for the services of a

competent professional attorney experienced in these matters. This information is subject to change at any time due to new legislation or new court cases.

 

DOES THE WINSTON-SALEM REGIONAL OFFICE AVOID PAYING SPOUSE OR DEPENDENT BENEFITS?

Over the years of representing disabled veterans at the Winston-Salem Regional Office, I noted that a high percentage of these veterans with spouse or dependents were not being paid for spouse or dependents. There is an appearance that approximately 25 percent of veterans who should be paid for a spouse/dependent are not paid. Then when the veteran learns that she or he is not being rightfully paid, the Regional Office plays a regulation "card" that they cannot paid for a spouse until they are notified of the marriage or dependent status. Of course, the Regional Office is usually on notice of the marriage or dependent status since the veteran first applied for service connected benefits. The Regional Office simply takes the position that they do not have to search the veteran's Claims Folder (C-File) for marriage or dependent evidence.

The reasons and bases of this Statement of the Case are extraordinary because the Regional Office blamed the veteran for failure to, "tell us any information on prior marriages" and concluded that his information was "incomplete."
Of course, the Regional Office was on notice that the veteran had been married to the same spouse since 1960 since the Regional Office had the original marriage certificate since 1960.
Most interestingly, the Regional Office admitted that, "The VA failed to respond to you and explain that we needed all this information."
The veteran was forced to lose two years of spousal benefits in spite of the Regional Office mistake.
After three and a half years, the Regional Office still ignores the veteran's appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

To find charts of veteran's monthly service-connected benefits, special monthly compensation, and dependent indemnity compensation, see

http://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/rates-index.asp?expandable=0

     See the following evidence of this Regional Office tactic.