National Veterans Legal Services Program Helps Veterans Navigate Complex Veterans Affairs Programs

The National Veterans Legal Services Program has published a guide to the programs coming from Veterans Affairs for eligible veterans, according to an interview published in Federal News Network.

The Veterans Affairs Department oversees numerous programs for veterans, including assistance with discharge upgrades, which can be crucial for those initially ineligible for VA benefits. Abigail Reynolds, a staff attorney with the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), discussed the process and impact of discharge upgrades in an interview on Federal Drive with Tom Temin. Thousands of veterans apply yearly for discharge upgrades through Department of Defense review boards, often citing mitigating circumstances like mental health issues or experiences of sexual assault that influenced their less-than-honorable discharge. Success in these applications can dramatically change lives, granting access to Veterans Affairs benefits previously denied.

Veterans Affairs cannot alter discharge records directly and can deem a discharge honorable for Veterans Affairs purposes, enabling benefit eligibility. However, obtaining an upgraded discharge through review boards is more comprehensive, affecting opportunities like employment and education beyond Veterans Affairs benefits. To address the complexity of navigating Veterans Affairs benefits post-upgrade, NVLSP created a guide as a consolidated resource for veterans to understand and apply for the benefits they're now entitled to.

“There are a lot of different eligibility requirements, even just to be able to apply for the benefit, much less actually be granted the benefit,” said Reynolds. “So I think that we’ve created the manual because we saw so many questions coming through of really being concerned about not knowing what to do now that they have the upgraded discharge and how to get to those benefits that they were wanting, or that they might have applied for a discharge upgrade specifically to access those benefits, and then they just don’t know,” she continued.

The initiative aims to simplify the overwhelming process, considering that many veterans, especially those with less than honorable discharges, may need help or be made aware of the benefits they can now access.

Reference

Temlin T. Veterans get help trying to navigate Veterans Affairs’ complex of programs. Published March 18, 2024. Accessed March 26, 2024. Federal News Network. https://federalnewsnetwork.com/veterans-affairs/2024/03/veterans-get-help-trying-to-navigate-veterans-affairs-complex-of-programs/