VA overhauls application process for caregiver support program after court ruling 5 days ago Army veterans Camron Fox, right, and his wife, Penny, walk to their seats before a National Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day ceremony in Honolulu on Sept. 21, 2012. (Cpl. Reece Lodde/Marine Corps) Veterans Affairs officials are overhauling their application process for caregiver benefits while simultaneously fighting a court ruling that would force them to allow a legal review for individuals rejected for the program. The move follows an order last month from a panel of U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims judges, which ruled that families rejected by the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers should have an opportunity to appeal those decisions to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals, which handles other VA benefits disputes.
Caregivers rejected for VA financial aid could get new appeal chances 1 hour ago A wounded veteran listens during the dedication ceremony for the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Florida on Nov. 20, 2015. (VA photo) Caregivers of seriously wounded veterans who were previously denied benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs may get a new chance to appeal that decision under a court ruling issued this week. The move has the potential to award tens of thousands of dollars to some families that have struggled to act as full-time caregivers to veterans, but payouts are still likely months or years away, depending on whether VA officials opt to appeal the ruling.