GI Bill news

[JanusthePhoenix]

GI Bill payment delays are frustrating vets
Over half of vets still waiting for GI Bill money
VA working to resolve GI bill issues
Less than half of new GI Bill claims processed

So there's where we're at. These delays are apparently affecting all GI Bill claims, not just for the new one. Don't ask me why, I don't get that. Only reason I know this is because I applied for the old MGIB on July 7th, and I'm still waiting for my eligibility letter. This is bullsh*t.

The VA GI Bill hotline is 1-888-GIBILL-1, if you didn't know. I didn't. Not that it does me any good now, since my claim isn't on file (somehow) with their automated system, which prompts them to HANG UP on me instead of putting me on hold. The only way for me to get through to these people is to call them when they have an operator free, which should be sometime around the 7th of never. I'm going to try calling them tomorrow morning (0700 central time) right when the lines open and see if that works, but I'm not getting excited about my chances.

Good luck to all those like me who are waiting on the VA, and hope you have a nice emergency nest egg to ride this out.

[jaer57]

I saw this article yesterday which should be some good news to those awaiting Chapter 33 benefits:

washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines

Janus, one thing I've been doing since 2006 with my chapter 30 benefits is taking out short term student loans. The chapter 30 GI bill always pays you in arrears, so I would take out the loans, and then pay them off as my GI bill payments came in. I don't know if doing something like that would help you out. I also have a friend who does the same thing, just with a credit card. I prefer the student loan method because you can usually pay them off before any interest accrues. Good luck!

[tmporter68]

I'm just wondering how the process is going for dependents who have had benefits transferred to them.

[JanusthePhoenix]

I'm just wondering how the process is going for dependents who have had benefits transferred to them.

Most likely the same kind of wait, if not longer.

So this morning I discovered two things. 1) There is an option to speak to a case manager without punching in all your info at the beginning of the menu. I missed it before; when I heard "to repeat the menu, press *" I figured that was the end of the options, but no. And at 7:01 Central time, all operators were busy (figures) but following this route they put me on hold this time. Luckily only for a few minutes.

More importantly, 2) It appears that the Buffalo regional office is not sitting on their hands or had dropped my claim file between some crack or another. They are simply overloaded, he told me, to the point where claims are taking 12 or more weeks to process. I'm not sure if he told me 12 only because it was 2 more weeks than the 10 I told him I've waited already; it wouldn't surprise me though. To their credit, the guy I talked to seemed far less anxious than I thought he would be to reach through the phone and pull my face off for bothering him with yet another claim status check. I surmise it was not so much patience on his part, but that he was simply dead inside by then.

So back to waiting now. *twiddles thumbs*