Less Red Tape for Veterans and Survivors

Veterans receiving VA pensions will no longer have to complete an annual Eligibility Verification Report (EVR) form, the Department of Veterans Affairs has announced. Instead, the VA will work with the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration to verify continued eligibility for pension benefits.

“By working together, we have cut red tape for veterans and will help ensure these brave men and women get the benefits they have earned and deserve,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.

The new procedure not only reduces the burden on veterans, their families and survivors, it will allow the VA to reassign more than 100 employees that usually process EVRs to work on eliminating the claims backlog.

All beneficiaries currently receiving VA pension benefits will get a letter from the VA explaining those changes and instructions on how to continue to submit their unreimbursed medical expenses. More information about VA pension benefits is available at http://www.benefits.va.gov/pension and other VA benefit programs on the joint Department of Defense—VA web portal eBenefits at http://www.ebenefits.va.gov.

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