Read the August 2023 Newsletter from the Delaware Valley Veterans Consortium to stay informed about events and issues happening in the area. Do you have news to share or upcoming events for the September 2023 newsletter and beyond? Please share! This newsletter is published monthly as part of DVVC’s efforts to connect, collaborate, and communicate in service to Veterans throughout our region. Send your updates and questions to dvvcinfo@gmail.com. Member Organizations: To submit articles to the newsletter, please email Collie Turner at collie@heroicgardens.org by the 25th of the month with your news. To submit news to DVVC social media sites, please email Lynne Williams at director@greatcareersphl.org with “For DVVC Social Media” in the subject line.
News from the Executive Committee
Dear DVVC Community,
President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law in August of last year. It gives the potential to receive health care and compensation to millions of veterans exposed to radiation and toxic chemicals while in uniform, or their survivors, going back to the 1960s. The VA now assumes that certain medical conditions are service connected if the veteran served in a certain place at a certain time. But the Deadline for a retroactive payment is fast approaching.
We all want as many potential beneficiaries as possible to file claims — or formally declare their intent to do so — by Aug. 9 in hopes of backdating their benefits all the way to the earliest possible date of August 2022. This could mean a significant retroactive payment if awarded benefits
A veteran must be diagnosed with one of the presumptive conditions to be eligible for benefits. Benefits may be paid retroactively back to August 2022 but must be filed by August 9 2023 in order to be eligible for the retro payment.
We need to work together the next few weeks, and ensure all our veteran that served during the prescribed times of .. apply in time.
An exception exists for veterans’ survivors. Survivors may receive some compensation backdated prior to the signing of the law if the deceased veteran was denied benefits in the past and the VA determines that a presumptive condition would have qualified the veteran for benefits while still alive. In other words, if the VA denied the Surviving spouse benefits before, and it now turns out the Veteran passed of a presumptive condition, the Veteran’s spouse may be entitled to benefits back to the denial date.
The VA has seen payments for more than the $200,000 being awarded, so we need to get the word out to our Veteran community as soon as possible. To Date, the VA has received over 379,000 PACT Act related claims, and nearly 320,000 claims have been approved for a 78 % approval rating.
Those veterans who don’t think they have all the documentation they’ll need to support their claim in time for the Aug. 9 deadline can still declare their intent to file by submitting a separate form by that date. If within 365 days they file their claim and qualify, they can then get the full benefits backdated to August 2022.
Veterans and survivors can file their PACT Act claim online at www.va.gov . Veterans service organizations and county-based veterans service officers may offer free help with filing.
Although the Aug. 9 deadline represents the last chance for veterans to get the maximum backdated benefit, there is no deadline to file a PACT Act claim. If a veteran is diagnosed with a presumptive condition in the future, their benefits could start as early as their date of diagnosis.
For more information go to:
The PACT Act And Your VA Benefits | Veterans Affairs
John Miller, Change Management Agent, Public Affairs Officer,
Philadelphia Regional Office, Department of Veterans Affairs
Upcoming Events
DVVC will hold elections at the October meeting for the following positions on the executive committee: vice-chair and two member-at-large positions.
Members of the executive committee meet weekly for one hour online and assist the four committees in fulfilling their tasks. If you have further questions please email dvvcinfo@gmail.com.
If you would like to run for one of the open positions, please send a brief bio and why you want to serve on the committee by September 15 to dvvcinfo@gmail.com.
Call for Volunteers
The Red Cross needs your help.
As you undoubtedly know, hurricane season is back, which is the reality we face every year.
More so recently, these storms increase in frequency and severity.
Our volunteers do an amazing job responding to these disasters, often leaving behind their friends, families, and lives for weeks at a time to help. This creates a void among our local disaster responders, those that are available to help at house fires and similar events, which may be smaller in scale but are no less devastating for the affected families. This is where you can help. Contact www.redcross.org for more information.
STAY UP TO DATE
Monthly Newsletters from Dept of Military and Veterans Affairs for News, Veteran Events, and Opportunities in NJ and PA
Join the adult career online education topics and networking in August 2023 at the Great Careers Groups (GCG). Visit the EVENTS page to register for our Zoom and in-person events. Connect on social media and subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Topics include:
- Nurture Empathy in Your Daily Life
- Virtual Job Seeker Support Group
- 19 Nuggets of Wisdom You Need to Know for Online Applications (ATS)
- Resilience Building Call-In
- Interview Clinic
- LGBTQ+ OUTstanding Careers Group™
- 2023 Tips to Build Your LinkedIn Brand
- Career Success Group Job Seeker Accountability & Networking
- Meet the Author – Answer Intelligence: Raise Your IQ
- How To Conduct A “Stealth” Executive Career Search While Employed
- How to Develop Successful Job Search Strategies
- Recruiter on Call with Jobs
- How to Create Snazzy Graphics for LinkedIn & Social Media
- LinkedIn Part 3 of 3
- LinkedIn Profile Reviews
- Business Executives Networking Group (BENG) & Guests meeting
Any GCG meeting with a $5 fee is free for unemployed veterans by arranging in advance that you want to attend – director@greatcareersphl.org.
VA health care travels with you. Are you traveling?
VA has resources across the states to provide you with easily accessible information about telehealth options, the closest VA location, and the Veterans Crisis Line.
How to Get Your Free Veteran ID Card
Your service can get you free event tickets and entry to national parks, discounts from retailers, restaurants, hotels, recreational activities, and many other perks.
Learn how you can get your free official Veteran ID card and easily show your Veteran status.
This newsletter serves DVVC member organizations by providing information to share with Veterans they serve.
Do you have news to share or upcoming events? Please share.
Member organizations can also use our LinkedIn group, www.linkedin.com/groups/12177627/ and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/dvvcorg to get the word out!
This newsletter is published monthly as part of DVVC’s efforts to connect, collaborate, and communicate in service to Veterans throughout our region. Send your updates and questions to dvvcinfo@gmail.com.
Member Organizations: To submit articles to the newsletter please email comailto:collie@heroicgardens.org by the 25th of the month with your news.
To submit news to DVVC social media sites please email Lynne Williams at Director@greatcareers.org with “For DVVC Social Media” in the subject line.
Let us know how we can help!
