Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit

The thread is closed. Please read this post:

>> Mark McCauley Statement

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When we were searching for an Assisted Living facility for my father, one of the facilities told us about the Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit. They told us to attend one of the seminars given by The War Era Veterans Alliance as they would assist us in filing a claim for benefits. When we met with their representative, he advised us to move some of our father's money into annuities in our names - which we did.

Since then we have learned that there are companies who prey on senior veterans by selling them financial products such as annuities. They generally aren't accredited and can't represent a claimant before the VA if there are problems.

We verified that The War Era Veterans Alliance is an accredited VSO via the Dept of Veterans Affairs website. However, we are obviously concerned that they are selling annuities and wondering if this is legal. We gave them the necessary paperwork for our father's claim several weeks ago and assume they have submitted it to the VA. Should we just wait and see if it's approved?

We appreciate your advice.

Do you have a link on the VA website where you found certification?

Yes, here's the link: www4.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.html

Actually, upon further review, I realize that the agency itself is not accredited,
only the representative and founder, Mark McCauley.

What City is the office you went to?

I'd like to know if you had not gone with them on the financials would they still have filled out the forms to qualify you? I'm not sure you had even asked the question. Let me know.

I'm in the process of working with the War Era Veterans Alliance now in an attempt to get the Aid and Attendance benefit for my mother. Although her assets are minimal, they are helping us complete the paperwork at no charge. Time will tell whether her application is approved by the VA.

Which office did you go to?

Glendale, CA.

We're in the same predicament you are in at same office and will be curious as to your outcome. I've been hoping a legal rep would have answered your post but still none. I'll keep checking this post. Let me know if you are successful in approval.

Yes, please let me know how you come out as well. I will say that I feel pretty good about the contact I've had with the rep. Also, I don't know how long you've been trying to deal with the VA on your own, but I can say through experience that I dealt with them for nearly a year and was amazed at how difficult it was and how little they claimed to know about the benefit. I welcome the extra help and hope that it turns out well for my mother and for your dad.