| USSVI Veterans News
|| VETERAN INFO and LINKS
Posting Date: 04 February 2004 From: John Dudas Subject: Need Help With Your VA Claims? I have received a few emails and phone contacts requesting information on how to locate help locally when filing a claim with the Veterans Administration. The following website should give you a place to start. http://www.va.gov/partners/stateoffice/index.htm When you click on any state or territory, you will be led to that states Veterans Office. The state website will further direct you to a more local contact whether it is by State Region, County or City. They also list the local Service Organizations that have Service Officers who can help you with your claim. The DAV, VFW and American Legion are only a few of the listed service organizations throughout the country that can help with your claim. There are also many states that rely on the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO's) to help their veterans with claims. An example, is the state of Florida where state law requires that each county hire their own Service Officers. They are county employees but maintain certification by attending annual training sessions presented by the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs (FDVA). These sessions are approved to standards established by the Veterans Administration. Many other states have the same type of organization and yet others like Connecticut, employ State Service Officers that are assigned to select cities by congressional district. Whatever the organization is in your particular state, there is local help available from a trained professional. They can be located by using the listed website or by contacting the State Veterans Affairs Department where you reside. There is plenty of help available and you should not have to work your claim by yourself. Using one of these professionally trained representatives could help your claim through a complicated process with many pitfalls. All you have to do is Ask! John Dudas |