Men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces often face difficulties in accessing benefits and services they are entitled to. There are more than 23 million veterans in the U.S., including more than 1 million who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among the issues they may have to deal with are disability benefit claims, housing issues, insurance and child custody or other family problems.
Fortunately, there are resources for veterans in need of free legal assistance, including LawHelp (www.LawHelp.org), a national legal information portal.
Disability claims are among the most common issues faced by veterans. Veterans attempting to apply for benefits or to appeal their disability status must navigate complex Pentagon bureaucracy, often while struggling with the long-term effects of their disability. Veterans’ disability requests average 161 days to process, according to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and can take years if claims are rejected and appealed.
Further complicating matters, the VA requires that attorneys be accredited in order to assist a veteran with benefits claims.
Those seeking help can turn to LawHelp.org, a program of Pro Bono Net, for information about their legal rights and referrals to local legal aid organizations. Other resources include:
