5 reasons why veterans and survivors need to apply for pact act benefits asap! | va sioux falls health care | veterans affairs

Have you filed for PACT Act benefits with VA? If not, why not? FIRST, VA wants you to apply for PACT Act benefits and care right now – and reapply if you’ve been denied before. If you served

overseas since 1955, there’s a good chance you’re eligible for benefits under the PACT Act. SECOND, if you apply for PACT Act-related benefits by August 9, your benefits may be backdated to

August 10, 2022 – so get your claims in as soon as possible. *  And if you’re not ready to submit a full claim by then, don’t worry – you can also submit a quick-and-easy “INTENT TO FILE”

(VBA-21-0996 linked below) by August 9 and still receive the same effective date. THIRD, some Veterans are worried that applying for PACT Act benefits will impact their current benefits –

but the truth is this: if you file a claim, you are 32 times more likely to see your benefits increase or stay the same than decrease. So don’t worry and don’t wait – apply today. FOURTH,

there are people out there who will try to convince you that you need to pay someone or use a lawyer to apply for VA benefits – but that’s not true. Applying for PACT Act benefits is free,

it’s easy, and you can do it by working directly with VA or a Veteran Service Organization. FINALLY, you can learn more about the PACT Act – and apply or submit your “INTENT TO FILE”

(VBA-21-0996 linked below) – by visiting VA.gov/PACT or calling 1-800-MY-VA-411. WHY VETERANS AND SURVIVORS SHOULD APPLY BY AUGUST 9 * There is no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits,

but there is urgency: If you apply for PACT Act-related benefits before by August 9, your benefits may be backdated to August 10, 2022 – the day the bill was signed into law. *  And if

you’re not ready to submit a full claim by then, don’t worry – you can also submit a quick-and-easy “INTENT TO FILE” (VBA-21-0996 linked below) by August 9 and still receive the same

effective date. *  Don’t wait. Visit VA.gov/PACT to apply – or submit your “INTENT TO FILE” (VBA-21-0996 linked below) – today. * Thanks to the PACT Act, VA is now able to “presumptively”

provide benefits to Veterans who live with hundreds of toxic-exposure related conditions – including many cancers and illnesses.    o This means that when eligible Veterans apply for

benefits, they do not need to prove that their service caused their condition; instead, VA automatically assumes service-connection for these Veterans and provides benefits accordingly.