Chicago VA to get reinforcements
Monday, June 6, 2005
Printable FormatCHICAGO SUN-TIMES
BY CHERYL L. REED
A squad of disability specialists has been ordered to the Chicago VA office to settle the disputed claims of Illinois veterans whose disability pay ranks worst in the nation.
That extraordinary action by Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson follows demands from vets and U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Barack OBAMA, both Illinois Democrats, in response to Chicago Sun-Times reports that revealed Illinois' disabled veterans have been shortchanged for decades.
"It's a very good thing but it's a shame Nicholson had to get ambushed to say this would happen," said William Schmutz, director of Mayor Daley's Advisory Council on Veterans Affairs and a Vietnam veteran. "It's going to help but it's going to be a very long process. Everybody's going to have to be patient and wait their turn -- if the guys out there have any patience left."
Nicholson had promised during a May 20 town hall meeting with veterans in Chicago to establish a special unit at the Chicago VA office that would address decades of low benefits. Last year Illinois disabled veterans on average received $6,961 per veteran -- the worst in the nation and $1,400 less than the national average. Meanwhile, disabled veterans in New Mexico received, on average, $12,004 per veteran. Illinois disabled veterans' pay has ranked at the bottom of the nation for the past 20 years and among the lowest since 1934.
Nicholson had also promised to hire more staff to help process languishing claims in the Chicago VA office. Disability claims here have gone up 20 percent since January. Last year there were nearly 9,000 disability and pension claims pending. Nicholson has since approved hiring five new employees, but they must be trained.
"I think the pressure that was brought to bear by your reporting and the follow-up by myself and Sen. Durbin had an effect," OBAMA said. "Public sentiment was so overwhelmingly on the side of veterans. It would have been hard to ignore these well-documented problems."
To stay as long as needed
Both OBAMA and Durbin applauded Nicholson's decision -- conveyed to them by letter late Friday afternoon. But both said they will continue to press the VA to make sure unjust claims get a thorough hearing.
"I plan to continue to follow up with Secretary Nicholson to make sure that he fulfills his promises -- and to make sure that every Illinois veteran who wants to file or reopen a disability claim has his or her case thoroughly and fairly examined by the VA," Durbin said in a statement released by his office.
The team of five disability specialists from VA offices in other states will start re-examining claims in Chicago on June 13.
"They've been mustered and rallied especially for this mission," said Scott Hogenson, deputy assistant secretary for VA public affairs. "If this number is not sufficient, Secretary Nicholson has made it clear that we will hire additional specialists to take care of it."
Hogenson said the team will address reopened and new cases in Chicago and will stay "as long as it takes."