1-stop-shop for VA Benefits: CivDivonline.com - Clay

I agree with you about those folks that bad mouthing the VA e.g. Combat Craig. Sure I started dumb but figured things out. My VSO was not helpful at all. I had to figure everything out myself. I have been out over 50 years but after the Pact Act I got busy and submitted a notice of claim, did my homework, uploaded medical data, applied for service medical records, had three C&P exams and received a total of 64%, VA math, and I’m moving forward with secondary’s. Please understand something, Vietnam was not a popular war, soldiers were not treated nicely after returning. Meaning we got far away from the military as possible after discharge leaving VA help on the table. Now, we’re fighting back for what we deserve.

As much as the VA does wrong, a lot more veterans should be upset with the DOD/Service Branches for not documenting things properly and not med-boarding when they were legally supposed to. I was supposed to have been med-boarded by the Army but they intentionally didn't do it so they wouldn't have to pay benefits. I see this over and over again, but veterans are scared to call out the service branches for their malfeasance.

I did it the stupid way the first time out. When I lost bad, I licked my wounds, regrouped and made it my job to do it right.

In the last approximately 10-15 years multiple former veteran USAF Officers and Enlisted i have talked to have told me "i don't need a c-file from the VA that the USAF gave them a copy of all their medical records and had a class about benefits from the VA. When i got out in the 80s i was never told that the VA had disability benefits for conditions like Lumbar strain etc. In service i was told va hospitals were only for severely injured war veterans. I didn't even receive an out processing physical 😡

Don’t think vets are stupid, just uninformed about how the VA system works. For me it’s always 50/50 on claims, depends on the evaluator!

C&P examiner killed my TDIU claim saying I might be able to work from home virtually where there is no contact with people. VA rater zeroed in on this and denied. I'm 70% PTSD. Now filing HLR.

Best VA Disability Claims for Dummies segment I've seen yet! Great job Clay!

Oh, I'm definitely a dumb ass 🤣 that's why I'm here 🙃

I like the "(SORRY)" disclaimer in this title. Hard truths sometimes need that level of diplomacy. Great video too.

I love our veteran community (27 years active duty and recently retired) but our community can be trying at times. I want those who deserve VA benefits to get them, but there is often a sense of entitlement solely because of service. Lots of bad-mouthing the VA, often because a service connection was denied. We need a VA that challenges veterans on what they are claiming. We are all also taxpayers, so we should expect the VA to have checks and balances. If the VA worked like many veterans want/expect, the VA budget would balloon, and many veterans would be getting disability benefits that might not be legit. I have had my own frustrations with the VA disability process (and am still going through it), but I have also EDUCATED myself on the process, DBQs, CFR, etc. and of course watch folks like TheCivDiv! My VSO really did not do me any favors, but in the end it was my own fault for not educating myself before submitting my initial claims.

Bruh I agree with this video 100%! I always watched Dewayne Kimble because he is a retired VA rater! He knows how VA claims work from the inside! Also he has PowerPoint presentations with CFR’s listed for better understanding on how VA claims work!

Good video and so true in many points, however it’s important to note that for Veterans like myself who are eligible to file claims under the PACT ACT or any claim that is Presumptive, absolutely do not have to or need to submit a Nexus! The main purpose of the Presumptive is for the VA to presume or assume that your condition was caused by you being in Service, thus being Service connected, therefore your Presumptive is you’re Nexus. I just recently became 100% rated P&T and every claim I filed was Presumptive because of the PACT ACT and thank GOD for the PACT ACT! I did not have to submit one Nexus letter with any of my claims because they were all Presumptive, I just needed a diagnosis, and of course one needs to know how to articulate themselves during the C&P Exam. Many of your videos and others out there do a great job in helping the Veterans know how to articulate themselves during the C&P Exam, but I notice many are so caught up in having a Nexus Letter that they forget to indicate to the Veterans that Presumptive Claims don’t need a Nexus Letter. Another thing that is important for Veterans who served in Combat or War to be aware of is, if you incur or aggravate and injury or disease while in Combat, according to 38 CFR 3.304 sec (D) the VA will accept it as service connected even if there was no reporting of it in your Service record while you were still in the Military. The VA has to take your word for it, because you indicated that it happened while you were in Combat. This is the favor the Veteran receives for being in Combat. This is one VA Law that you will hardly or ever hear about, so if you are a Veteran who served in Combat and you can recall incurring or aggravating an injury or disease while serving in Combat, you can use this law to your advantage! I used it in a Higher Level Review and it worked in my favor! The 38 CFR is our friend! (NO NEXUS NEEDED) Your DD214 that proves you were in Combat and your Diagnosis!

I think the word your looking for is ignorant. Not stupid. I filed the majority of my claims right after I got out once I received my med evidence. I submitted my claims and received my % in months with zero guidance. This last claim has been a nightmare. I've struggled with the VSO and two separate C&P contract companies. One of the Drs sat on my file without reviewing and without submitting it for an entire month. QTC had to reschedule me for a whole nother C&P exam in another city another hr away. And now the waiting game. 2 months hopefully to go. Plus I like other Vets have struggled dealing with the entire parameter of the VA.

I did all of the work myself. Only used a VSO for paperwork which forms to fill out and submit is what the VSO did.

Sometimes we need hard truths…I’ve helped several people and it’s amazing how many claims I’ve seen sent without a diagnosis

Brother, you never cease to amaze me. Always learning something valuable from your unselfish advise. Bless your heart!

I was so stupid the first time I looked up all of the common/popular conditions that veterans got rated for and submitted without any medical evidence. Everything got denied 😅 I got smart and now at 94%

Thank you for the advice, very helpful.

This is the video. Great info

Truer words have never been spoken. I had to educate myself ALOT in my fight to 100% P&T

Thanks for this Video, I see many errors of my ways! Needed this!

You always keep it real!

I totally agree. I was one of those veterans when I first got out. You must do your own homework. There are countless videos on YT, information for free through search engines, and also the VA give you the answers to the test on their website for free. So it was up to me to educate myself and learn the VA / cfr lingo. I've even went to C&P exams with actual notes written down so I don't forget my talking points. Good vid.

I was a dummy! But, much more educated now then I ever have been! I learned a lot from Clay and Jason that is it immeasurable! Thanks a lot for education and helping without charging money for things that basically you could charge for. I’m not sure where it all came from for you to take the time to help fellow veterans! But, it is appreciated! All of us that follow and watch appreciate the information and help! Thanks a lot Clay! Have a good day buddy.

So I found this online > Willful ignorance puts a particular emphasis on education. If you have access to information and the capacity to process it, but choose to ignore it, you are stupid. If you lack access to information and therefore the capacity to process it, you may be ignorant; but you are not stupid. And after reading that I totally agree with your video headline Clay, and everything you said in this video! Thank you Clay, for trying to help as many of us veterans as you possibly can, to do the right things, the right way/s, to get through the process of filing and winning as correctly and as informed as possible. You're the man Clay, thank you for all you do!! On another note, I have seen, over the last couple of days, online on my claim that I've gone from 60%(from when I retired in 2004) to 90% service connected, though not official since it shows up on initial log in and then disappears for whatever reason and why I took a picture of it, but have another C&P exam that was scheduled today for early April, to check some things more in depth, I guess, so believe VBA is still doing what they need to do, to as accurately as possible have things looked at beyond what is already documented in my VA Medical records. I know so much more than when I started this process, thanks to you and others that share information and knowledge, and am going to use this time between now and my C&P exam to try and service connect some health issues, with documented research I've found online related to long term toxic(jet fuel) exposure that can cause health issues I currently have and nexus letter/s from health professionals medically linking, that I believe due to not enough evidence yet are not. I appreciate your directness and invaluable information, as well as others, to help better educate us fellow veterans in this process, that at times seems so convoluted, through all your time and effort in sharing your well constructed videos. I believe/feel a reward is never as appreciated or gratifying, along with possibly granted, unless we personally put in the maximum effort from ourselves, that we expect from others on our behalf, to get the reward we feel that we have earned and/or deserve! JMS

First time on your channel and I am really digging it! I love your straight up honesty. Nothing wrong with that. Why coddle someone when they need to hear the truth?!

Unfortunately we are. Other than the DAV rep going over my record to see what I can claim at my TAP class when I retired, I didn’t get any other information about filing a claim. I thought it was over after that initial end of service claims. Years later after helping my father and working on my own claims, I learned a lot.

If you were a good student ever in your life, you can navigate the VA. Read, listen, get after it for yourself. If you weren’t a good student, become one. All the info is there for you to absorb. I did all my own work & was successful. I agree with the fact that ppl don’t come with the “right evidence & then get denied as should be expected.

I thank you for all you do. I'm impressed with your logic and methodology. IMO you are bright enough and young enough to successfuly persue and complete a career in law. You should considere it. Me on the the hand.😛 I used to think of myself as a fair electronics tech, but events and mishaps during military service together with almost eighty yearsof continous wear and tear have forced me to have a different view of myself today. I'm no loner faster than a speeding bullet, and I sure can't jump tall buildings. I'm not the only one, that's why many of us in frustration end up resorting to unsavory practisioners as a last resort. We need someone like you.

Well said. I was getting tired of people trashing the VA when a lot of us simply do it wrong. The VA isn't out to get you. Not only did I file my first claim the worst possible way, but I also did so when I requested an increase, and even then, I am sitting at a very high rating. But had I done it right, there were a lot of additional things that should have been service-connected, but that is my fault. I am now learning the system to help my brothers when they get out so they can avoid my mistakes and make the process easier. Remember, the easier you make it for the VA raters, the better it works out for you. Also, don't forget to show people at the VA you appreciate them, whether it is when you are talking to them over the phone or at a physical clinic. My local VA has been nothing but amazing, and I think it's important to show your gratefulness for their effort.

I’m a dumbass too. I have submitted my claim and now am working on diagnoses. My regular dr wouldn’t give me anything for most of my symptoms. Now I am starting to see a VA dr and hope they will acknowledge my problems. I might have to start the process all over again. When I started I had a different idea of how things worked, from what I heard from other people.

I've been out for 3 decades. When I first started, I made sloppy claims..lol

I can't see how a former Vet who has Gerd today can tie it back to their military days if they never went to a Military Dr. and get it documented in their record .

It's not stupidity, it is largely ignorance. Most veterans just don't have the information they need to properly file for service connected disability. There is a LOT of misinformation out there. Also, a lot of youtube videos that talk in circles and don't provide specific information. There are also lot of VSOs that either don't have the info, or are unwilling to spend the time with the veteran talking through the vet's issues to help them find what they can file for.

I encountered the weirdness and the frustration to finally make it my job to understand the process and go forward step by step and not get emotional about it. Now I’m in a much better place.

It's IGNORANCE and/or STUPIDITY !!!

Can’t be any clearer than that. Nice job.

You telling me I'm an idiot convinced me to subscribe to you. Also, a bonus you mentioned "Veterans Info Tap".

People definitely needed to hear this, there is no claim without evidence.

I agree… I got educated on how to put my claim but like you said , you have to do the leg work ..period

100% correct granted in my ignorance thinkiing the company i used i didnt know they were a shark. However I did get the results back and got upgrade in benifits. The only problem is backpay va screwed up. I only got a partial. Next round i know what i need to do.

Clay my plate is so full in today that I do not have time to deal with the VA. Everything has been collapsing and in today I have been involved assisting others and cleaning up situations that I don’t have time to fight the VA. Clay I will say dealing with the VA should not take 40 years to make decisions. When the veterans are trying to go through the process, Clay it takes time and some veterans are so sabotaged out here they can’t get to it. Clay the federal government is so large that it does not have a human connection to anything. Yes there are decent people who work in the government but when you put it all together the actions delivered are criminal. The federal government needs to be reduced in size. They have been dictating the show. The system is against the people period. Shall I go down the list? The physicians and nurses are just bandaids. They can only prescribe what they have access to. Their hands are tied. The answer is in Engineering. The physicians are owned by the hospitals and the healthcare is not medical care in or out of the VA. Clay speaking to honest credible citizens and we agreed we have never witnessed it so weaponized against the people. The Healthcare community in and out of the VA lies to the insurance companies. Clay I have zero kind words for what has been happening. Veterans are not stupid. They are lied too.

When you know better, you do better...

Hi Clay. Great channel! I’m rated at 70% tinnitus (10) both hips replaced (30) each and rt knee AVN (10) I have severe degenerative disc disease at c5-c6 and c6-c7. How can I connect back problems with hips. I worked 27 yrs at the Post Office after the Army. I’m sure lifting packages with bad hips caused the back issues. Anxiety issues with my tinnitus. Seeing an audiologist next week. Thanks for helping Vets.

True! It sucks, but it is TRUE! Thanks for explaining that!

Totally agree with you. I have never felt the need to disparage the VA. Education and dedication will get you to your desired goal. Every veteran will not be a disabled veteran.

Things such as sprang you ankle or hurt your knees in training and went to see the field med and have it documented

Well said Clay

I'm a dumb ass for sure, I will keep on fighting!. Thanks Sensei Clay 😄

Yes my era we Are ( Im trying to still figure out as a Gulf War Veteran ( no combat) Starting from Zero...Do we have any presumptives or chronic?

How come MEPs doesn't require 5 sleep studies and 4 hearing exams before signing for humans?

Hello Clay. What you speak about doing research and knowing your evidence is the truth. Today i checked my service treatment records it says i have DES(Dry Eye Syndrome) I would never know if i did not look through my records and that's 20% for both eyes i would have missed out on. A lot of veterans wants the benefits without working for it that is the issue and some do not even try and go straight to those claim companies charging $7000 for something the veteran could have done on their on. Those veterans are why those companies exist.

Clay I agree with you. Submitting my claim 15 years ago we did not have KZfaq channels like yours to help us understand the process. However, the government does not make the process easy to understand. What I mean is we don’t put things together. For example the tingling and numbness’s in someone’s legs or arms could be connected to a person back or neck, but we are NOT medical people so we may not understand.

What was the stat, 8 or 9k veteran claims per day. Surprising seeing as we haven’t been actively at war for some time now. A friend who use to be a drill sergeant in SC mentioned the amount of people trying to get medically retired/VA disability just from basic training is rampant and spreading like wildfire in the military community.

Good video. One of my claims was submitted as an appeal to my surprise. Would they back date to that date from when it was originally submitted when I discharged (8 years ago)?

Can confirm. I’ve filed stupid claims and smart claims and so far the VA has mostly done what they’re supposed to with the smart claims (and the stupid ones by denying, TBH).

He is right My first claim was 40% and I felt why did I get a low rating for all that I filed I did some homework learned how the VA works and 6 months later went to 90% n waiting for my sleep apnea results and that could give me the 💯

A little off topic but please pass along to all Cold War vets. There is a bill in Congress H.R. 5757 Cold War Service Medal Act, that has languished in the House for several years. This bill would pass into law an official medal for all Cold War vets not just a commemorative medal issued by various veteran’s organizations. Please write or call your representatives to get this bill passed and honor the millions of vets who served during this overdue honor passed.

For those of US that did not receive an exit physical.(Gulf War era). Anyone got a strategy with that? or is it SOL...

I don't know if stupid is the word... impatient and stubborn... definitely. They get impatient and file before they have their ducks in a row. They are stubborn and complain about issues but won't go to the doctor and get seen. I've got an ITF on file and it is real hard holding off to wait on an MRI appointment before I file.

I dunno it was pretty bad my first time around, they accepted my application but couldn't even get my first name correct.

How is it that one submits a claim, then is scheduled for C&P for another condition that was never claimed. Thank you

Here's what I dislike about the VA: The process is so slow.

Everything has changed big time from 20 plus years ago compared to today. I was TDRL to PDRL. I did not know anything about the VA or claims. My records were reviewed by Service officer before being USN Retired to TDRL and the claims were handled by service officers. I do not see how I could have as I was too cognitively impaired and others were managing my life. Clay when you made the response that there is not a correlation between SSDI and chapter 31, you were not correct. Those in the past used it to block everything.

What would you do if you have two years old cla from private doctor but doesn't have one through new doctor

Everyone of us emotional about it. Lol😂🎉

If you are unemployed, what's the best advice to getting a job? Make finding employment "your job"! Same is true on a VA Claim! Make gathering evidence and diagnoses your job...before you file! Open an intent to file for service connected, aka, events in your service treatment file. If you have secondaries....be treated and get diagnoses! Then, file within one year of opening intent to file. And then you win!!!

I represent!

I was telecom we had 3 9 meter telescopic antenna mast to include 9 85lb bags of antenna assembly equipment. We had spools of 1/4 mile long coax cable. We also had a 30 meter antenna mast that was the beast. We also had a trailer mounted 5k generator that was heavy and noisy at the control panel. Not the quiet reliable variety. Most terrain environment for operations was mountain tops, ridges, and high places. I complained about neck pain and stiffness while in service from wear and tear, repetitive lifting of heavy bulky items over difficult terrain, many strains throughout my spinal column, falls while carrying heavy loads, and being thrown into the canvas support rails of the troop carrier. Smacked my head hard while wearing a ballistic helmet. I might be a stupid vet, but I don't understand why examiners look at me funny.

The VA definitely takes the brunt of frustration from vets who were chewed up and spit out the other end. I think the missing link could be a lack of coordination between the military and the VA. VA benefits don't have to be a big mystery. Doesn't mean the VA should give them out like candy, just means better coordination could pave the way for an easier application process for the veteran. It will also take a culture change in the military. If you get injured, you shouldn't be ashamed to report to medical.

I try to help my small community but some vets are really hard headed. Then they want to know how I'm able to travel the world with my partner, stay home, play guitar and video games all day...

Hard truth: VA is a crap shoot. It may suck, it may not. It really depends on who you get. I'm firmly in the 'VA sucks camp" based on 60% of my current claim, submitted with evidence, IMO's (with nexus statements), relevant literature, all being on appeal because VA rater and examiners ignored evidence. This includes an open claim from 1997 (which ain't helping put them in the non-sucks category). Pretty bad when the new examiner for that open claim asks me why I'm there, since the evidence was clearly in my favor. To top it off, they only requested the DBQ...no request for the opinion. So yet another screw up related to this condition. Did I mention the time they misplaced my records for three years? Or the very first claim they lost? That if I hadn't saved a letter they sent me, would never have been acknowledged by the VA and lost me thousands of dollars? (Even more, since the open condition noted prev is one of those on this initial claim--and inflation has gutted the retro value.) So yeah, the preponderance of the evidence from this older vet who did do the leg work, supports the "VA sucks" statement in my experience.

I would add to the BIG 3 one more it's Chronic and Continous

Hitting 100% took hours of studying and planning. I knew what %s I deserved and was going to get rated on. Each shot was dialed in and it hit the mark. It isn’t hard, is arduous

If its getting on your nerves, stop reading Facebook! Easy fix.

Sirs I would say if you don't know or have the disability, I have you are just not aware. Great Video!!! Civ Div check you email I have some info that might help with Mental Health claims.. No i am not charging anything.. I did mine right without knowing what i was doing. lucky

Now I'm curious about something pertaining to medical evidance. Say a veteran has a bad back and not able to work due to that SC disability. He is drawing disability for the bad back and that veteran wants to prove he has not been able to work for years upon years. Can adding a dx/letter from a doctor way back along with current dx help prove his disability has been bad enough to not work for all those years? Hope that makes sense. Ty.

Can I just do a VA quick-submit photo of my hemorrhoids from all of my VA denials I got and get a "Section 1151 benefits" payday?

Do you know which claims, if any, if it's in your service records, does not require a C&P exam for an FDC?

Also, if you see a civilian doctor for your injuries, obtain your records, and submit them, having VBA order them just adds another 30-45 or more days to your claim; it is worth contacting the physician, requesting what you need, and sending it in.

I'am a total moron. I did all my claims myself. I always listen to Clay (Bad Ass Jhead) and Ray ( Rooster Man Bearded Wonder) to get knowledgeable. It took me 4 yrs to go to 100% P&T. I'am a moron NOT!

Can you do a video on VA pension for no service connection veteran that’s 65 years old.

I have symptoms noted in my p.d.h.a. after i returned from iraq. This assessment was done during the demob process, could this be used as evidence on my behalf?

If you’re uninformed that doesn’t make you stupid.. did you know all this when you filed your claim initially if you don’t have any truly helpful knowledge how the process actually works then you work with what you know ,, now if someone just doesn’t simply want to get up off their ass ..then it is what it is.. 🤷🏽 but what I don’t do is call another Veteran stupid who’s trying to get the benefits that she or he deserves but aren’t as knowledgeable as others in attempting to do so. I just keep encouraging them and share the knowledge to them that’s helped me.. That’s what I call leave no Soldier behind

How can I talk to someone like you about my exact situation? (Cancer….I’m 35 lol)

What time frame is considered a current diagnosis?

I Resemble That REMARK!

Ignorance is the absence of Knowledge. Stupidity is the inability to learn. Wrong terminology used. But keep up the good work. I am learning because I have the absence of knowledge but I'm not Stupid.

I have a feeling the people who are complaining are the same ones who complained about not making E-7 (chief) in the Navy. What I mean is that the requirements for promotion to chief are well-known and publicized. There is no secret. You need 6 or so specific things to get promoted. If you do not have those things, you will not get promoted. There is no secret, those requirements, and the result of not meeting them, are well known. Yet, you'd run into E6s who would comlain about not making chief because of politics, quotas, etc. When you asked of they met all the clearly stated requirements, their response "uh no, those are stupid requirements and I am good at my job." Maybe. But you knew what was required and hoped you'd get lucky and avoid the extra work needed. Full disclaimer, I did not make chief because I took a cushy assignment instead of going back to sea. My choice and I knew that it would mean no E7, but man what an awesome duty station. I think a lot of "combat hardened" vets just assume the VA is going to jist award them a rating because they were a high speed, low drag door kicker with multiple tours in Iraq or Af, and just file poorly developed claims without meeting the requirements the VA (and Clay) clearly state that are needed. You gotta put in the work. Just like active duty promotions. Nobody is going to give you something just because you are good at your job.

👍

Lmao. You can't really have these favorable silver platter items due to the negligence and neglect from the v.A so here's a thought...... Do a statistic of veterans that commit suicide due to the non-compliance and neglect from the v.A that don't have a chance to even get this far

I was a 4.2 mortar dog very heavy

Can I use VA health care for VA benefits claims?

I learned this the hard way. In fact, YOU should be more knowledgable than the VSO because they don't care about your claim as much as you should. I stopped using a VSO because they sucked (and took weeks, months to respond). I watched a lot of KZfaq videos, like this one, and read a lot of online articles. Now I am much more knowledgable and I have helped my veteran friends to understand the process. YOU need to take responsibility for YOUR claim.

Stop clogging up the claims and yet I hear several times a day on the radio "come to the VA" I say if you are backlogged do not advertise that we are taking new people

USMC 0341 baby...Tinnitus forever

I know the most stupid ive ever done is join the military

😂

Nobody cares more about your claim than you do.