The first thing to understand when it comes to VA benefits is that there are never any guarantees. Requirements and the application process can change at any time or you could lose your eligibility for future earnings. What’s even worse than this is that you could be required to pay benefits back! To reduce the risk of any of this happening to you, it is always advised to work with a qualified counselor when applying and meeting annual eligibility requirements, especially when dealing with non-service connected disability payments such as the Aid and Attendance Benefit, also known as the Veterans Pension Benefit.
If the VA benefits application process isn’t stressful enough, every year before March 1st, you are required to fill out an Eligibility Verification Report (EVR) and file it. While this report is somewhat shorter and may seem simpler on the surface, if you don’t complete this accurately, your pension benefits could be reduced or revoked.
The Importance of the EVR
The Eligibility Verification Report must not be taken lightly. It has been designed to make sure that you do still need those funds that you are being given every month and in some cases, you may even deserve more than you are being awarded. Factors that affect whether you maintain your eligibility status or not include new assets that have been acquired throughout the year, additional income, shifting of any assets already owned, disuse of medical services that were previously needed and your life expectancy.
The EVR evaluates if your current pension amount is too low, high or unnecessary and ensures that the total of your monthly expenses exceeds your income. To maintain eligibility, you will be required to submit financial documents and medical forms which should all be reviewed by a qualified professional before submitting your EVR.
Why Hiring an Attorney Makes Sense
If it’s not enough that an attorney can ease your burden associated with this stressful paperwork and help you keep your needed benefits, they can also be beneficial in other ways. Such an individual will be knowledgeable of the proper forms that you need to file and they can help you reassign or convert assets so you can keep your eligibility. They can also educate you on offsetting your income with medical payments so you can receive the maximum amount of money you are entitled to.
VA benefits are nothing to fool around with, especially when it comes to your annual forms. Think of how good it felt to finally get that money and how it would feel if it was suddenly gone.
