#Middlebury #Veterans #DischargeStatus #LegalAssistance
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
It’s only been proposed at this point, but it’s a great idea: The Department of Veterans Affairs is considering handing out grant money to those who can help veterans change their discharge status, ask for a review of records for the purpose of making corrections and give legal help when it comes to accessing VA programs. If it goes through, doors would swing wide open to veterans who’ve had problems getting all their benefits due to discharge status.
Those who didn’t have an honorable or general discharge can already take advantage of a different ruling that came about in April 2024. With that one, records can be reviewed to see if there’s any wiggle room to being able to provide the veteran with what’s needed. Targeted veterans in that regulation are those who perhaps had difficulties (“compelling circumstances”) due to harassment or assault, struggled with mental or physical health, faced discrimination or experienced anything else that might have caused the behavior that led to the dishonorable or bad conduct discharge. While being approved in this process won’t change the discharge status, it can open the door to getting needed benefits. (If you were turned down before, apply again.)
In the last decade, 57,000 veterans with the wrong discharge status were granted eligibility for benefits. The new proposed program will add in the legal help that might be necessary to get through the steps with a military service discharge review board, a board that changes or corrects military records or a determination of characterization of service.
To read the fine print on the proposal, go to the Federal Register at www.federalregister.gov and search for the Oct. 2, 2024, file titled “Legal Services for Veterans-Legal Assistance for Access to VA Programs Grant Program.”
If you were in the Reserves, you might or might not be eligible for the legal assistance. To read the specific definitions, scroll down the page noted above to section 81.15 Eligible Individuals.
© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.
