VA Processing Hundreds of Applications for New Family
Caregiver Benefits in First Week
May 18, 2011
Source:
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2105
VA Processing Hundreds of Applications for New Family Caregiver Benefits
in First Week
WASHINGTON – In the first week for open applications, the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) has assisted more than 625 Veterans, Servicemembers and their
Family Caregivers in applying for new services under the Caregivers and Veterans
Omnibus Health Services Act 2010.
“We are off to a good start having helped hundreds to apply, but we know there
are thousands more who will qualify and need to apply today,” said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “I encourage eligible Veterans and their
Family Caregivers to apply now to receive the benefits they have earned.”
New services for primary Family Caregivers of eligible post-9/11 Veterans
include a stipend, mental health services, and access to health care insurance,
if
they are not already entitled to care or services under a health plan. The
stipend portion of this service will be backdated to the date of the
application.
Comprehensive Caregiver training and medical support are other key components of
this program.
VA began processing applications for eligible post-9/11 Veterans and
Servicemembers to designate a Primary Family Caregiver on May 9, 2011. On top of
receiving the 625 plus applications, Caregiver Support Coordinators have also
assisted nearly 1,200 other Caregivers in finding more than two dozen other
Caregiver benefits VA provides.
Applications can be processed by telephone through the Caregiver Support Line at
(855) 260-3274, in person at a VA medical Center with a Caregiver Support
Coordinator, by mail or online at
http://www.caregiver.va.gov with the new Caregiver Application (VA
Form 1010-CG). The website application also features a chat option that provides
the Family Caregiver with a live representative to assist in completing the
application form.