Twenty-five years ago, he was a young war veteran in America who thought he had done the best by waiving all VA disability benefits for an honorable discharge. Now that he has grown old and wise, he considers the decision with deep remorse, wondering in his mind the question every veteran would ask: “Was I dumb or simply young?”
At that time, the offer sounded entirely no-catches and left him with the prospect of going ahead without the label “disabled. The young service member was like most—eager for a swift return to life—and did not understand the consequences of the decision long-term. It did not occur to him that the wear and tear from military service would remain and, more often than not, worsen with age.
Disability benefits: A resource for life
VA disability benefits exist in order to help veterans whose human lives are adversely affected through hindrances they may have suffered through service in a manner that would be otherwise meaningless in terms of their abilities to stay indoors. These benefits serve not only the provision of monthly payments but also give rise to possible healthcare, housing assistance, and indeed education and job training.
By willingly declining these services, however, this veteran also willingly forfeited access to a substantial safety net that could have aided him through life’s inevitable misfortunes. Now, with joint pains worsening, the ear increasingly dim in hearing, and anxiety onset all due to his time overseas, he stands without the support he might have expected.
The price of pride or misunderstanding?
Many veterans who denied benefits in early life say it was pride, confusion, or lack of information that made them decide so. Some were told by their counterparts that claiming disability benefits was a mark of weakness or a lifelong practice of “milking the system.” Others simply did not know they were qualified or did not bother to read the fine print on what the provision entails.
For this veteran, it was pride and wanting to move ahead. “I just wanted to be normal,” he says. “I thought taking disability meant I’d be stuck in the past.”
Is anything possible now?
It is undeniably more arduous to claim VA disability benefits many years after discharge from service, but that does not mean it is impossible. Veterans can still file a new claim or even reopen a previously denied claim if they can show new evidence or changes in the law, or guidelines. Patient medical records, buddy statements, or a clear connection between present symptoms and service may serve as evidence for a fresh claim.
There is a possibility of receiving back benefits, of course, if the VA states that an error was made or if new rules pertain.
A lesson to young veterans
His story is intended to serve as a warning to younger veterans. According to him, “If you’re getting out of the service, spend some time knowing what you’ve been giving up.” “I wish someone had told me back then that I had earned this help, and I didn’t need to be ashamed to accept it.” Would you be someone who has waived or turned down VA disability benefits? It might not be too late for you to get help.
