Behind Closed Doors, the VA is silently working without the approval, consent, or awareness of Congress to rewrite regulations that will have dire consequences for all veterans, but mostly impacting those who can no longer manage their day without the assistance of others.

After two bills failing in Congress to get approval, the VA has elected to act without authority to impose a 3-year look-back on a benefit that the VA has remained silent about for 64 years.

For those who have the least amount of time left on the clock, the VA plans to bury this benefit under the guise of “protecting” senior veterans from “Pension Poachers”.

Poachers who would have never had the opportunity to exploit and monetize senior veterans or their widows, had the VA been forthcoming in the past 64 years in their efforts to inform and educate veterans about the Aid and Attendance benefit and their eligibility.

The VA knows that they do not have the “authority” to independently impose this look-back, and that they have no plans to allow for a “grandfather” clause, but if Congress is unaware and they can keep them at bay, they will implement, and play the “We Didn’t Know” card.

The VA relies on their covert actions that go unnoticed by the general public let alone the veterans who will be impacted by these types of changes until it is too late to do anything except feel even more betrayal by the agency who is failing our veterans daily with their delays and denials.

Congress needs to be made aware of what the VA is currently doing, and I am asking you to take 5 minutes out of your busy day to either call or email your State Senator and Congressperson to make them aware with the hope of holding the VA accountable for acting independently and without authority.

All you need to do is Google your state representatives and find their DC phone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses. Let them know you are desiring to make them aware of the VA’s “AO73” - Proposed Rule - Net Worth, Asset Transfers, and Income Exclusions for Needs-Based Benefits. (I will add a list of phone numbers as I locate them).

If you are interested in reading in VA convoluted language that is intended for no one to understand, see this link on the proposal. http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=VA-2015-VBA-0003-0001

Deadline for comments on this matter has passed (March 24th, 2015), but we can still contact our State Governor’s office and have our voices be heard.

I’m also asking that you share this information with all of your contacts, and ask them to do the same. It is going to take a full blown effort to bring this matter to the attention of Congress, and to allow them to STOP the VA on this measure.

People often say, “I am just one person, what could I possibly do to make a difference?” Well here’s your opportunity to say that you did!

Thanks in advance for standing up, and speaking up for those who make the sacrifice.