Mystical Mythical 30% VA Letter

D

Dcmd124

PEB Forum Regular Member
PEB Forum Veteran
Registered Member
I was recently retired via 50% PDRL thru the Army via the DES process.

I have requested on numerous attempts to receive the VA Letter stating that I am at least 30% Disabled so that I can be placed in the higher Federal ratings hiring process.

I thought the sole purpose of the DES process was to make this process seamless and to support the transitioning Veteran in getting employment. Well I am registered in Ebenebits as a Premium Member and have spoken to the 800-827-1000 number on more times than I care to count with still no receiving of this magical letter.

I try and try to explain, I was Permanently Retired at 50% under the VASRD ratings. Same answer from the VA everytime, until you get your Final Ratings, you can not be issued this letter. So somehow, my proposed ratings which I have been permanently retired might change. Way to be supportive of helping the Veteran's attempt to gain Federal Employment.

Sorry for my diatribe of the great support from the Veterans Affairs.

Take care and good luck to others with their quest for this mystical piece of paper.
 
Dcmd124 said:
I was recently retired via 50% PDRL thru the Army via the DES process.

I have requested on numerous attempts to receive the VA Letter stating that I am at least 30% Disabled so that I can be placed in the higher Federal ratings hiring process.

I thought the sole purpose of the DES process was to make this process seamless and to support the transitioning Veteran in getting employment. Well I am registered in Ebenebits as a Premium Member and have spoken to the 800-827-1000 number on more times than I care to count with still no receiving of this magical letter.

I try and try to explain, I was Permanently Retired at 50% under the VASRD ratings. Same answer from the VA everytime, until you get your Final Ratings, you can not be issued this letter. So somehow, my proposed ratings which I have been permanently retired might change. Way to be supportive of helping the Veteran's attempt to gain Federal Employment.

Sorry for my diatribe of the great support from the Veterans Affairs.

Take care and good luck to others with their quest for this mystical piece of paper.
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Good luck with this one. You will find you will talk until you are blue in the face, and still get nowhere. I took this one as far up the ladder as I could and I have a couple of friends who are GS 14s with the VA helping. They will not bend on this, even if it is common sense. The day you get your final ratings, the letter will appear in your Ebenefits.

Like you, I have no idea as to why they do this. They pretty much make transition to a government job near impossible without this letter. So I guess they basically want you to live in destitute until you get the final ratings a few months after your exit from service. I got lucky with DCMA, but missed out on a lot of great jobs I qualified for because of this. Maybe we can present this as an issue that Mike Parker can take forward as a wounded warrior issue. He is pretty connected, and this would be a no brainer if it hit congress.
 
ranger2992 said:
Good luck with this one. You will find you will talk until you are blue in the face, and still get nowhere. I took this one as far up the ladder as I could and I have a couple of friends who are GS 14s with the VA helping. They will not bend on this, even if it is common sense. The day you get your final ratings, the letter will appear in your Ebenefits.

Like you, I have no idea as to why they do this. They pretty much make transition to a government job near impossible without this letter. So I guess they basically want you to live in destitute until you get the final ratings a few months after your exit from service. I got lucky with DCMA, but missed out on a lot of great jobs I qualified for because of this. Maybe we can present this as an issue that Mike Parker can take forward as a wounded warrior issue. He is pretty connected, and this would be a no brainer if it hit congress.
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Ranger 2992: Sometimes in life you find common sense aint all that common. I am with you that this is a worthwhile endeavor that Mr. Mike Parker might take up. It still frustrates me to no end that the VA can not see fit in their infinite wisdom to grant these letters.

Anything that I can write or assist in getting the ball rolling on this, I will gladly do. I do believe that if Congress were to catch wind of this injustice that they too would be outraged by this.

Take care.
 
Dcmd124 said:
Ranger 2992: Sometimes in life you find common sense aint all that common. I am with you that this is a worthwhile endeavor that Mr. Mike Parker might take up. It still frustrates me to no end that the VA can not see fit in their infinite wisdom to grant these letters.

Anything that I can write or assist in getting the ball rolling on this, I will gladly do. I do believe that if Congress were to catch wind of this injustice that they too would be outraged by this.

Take care.
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This fits into the realm of common sense so much I didn't even ever think anything about it.. But I'm not surprised. I've been more than fed up with the DES process and extreme lack of transition assistance, or should I say opportunity. Not only is the DES process a hindrance to transitioning, this is just an absolute atrocity I would say. A good question to ask those in the position to change the law for the VA is..

"Why do you advocate continually for transitioning veterans, even more Wounded Warriors, yet when they are given up to a year or longer to process for separation, they have every roadblock and hurdle in the way to take any advantage of the time?"

Just my 2 cents from going through IDES for nearly a year now and literally passing up good jobs and opportunities from the lack of information and roadblocks that continually prevent me from planning my own transition.
 
In their system you don't have a VA rating until you have a final rating, you get your final rating when you are retired.

Use the period before then to apply for a few federal jobs, refine your resume, figure out the federal hiring process.

I landed a federal job based on my military experience and 5 point preference, I didn't receive my letter for 10 point preference until I had been a GS employee for a couple of months.

You may find that you have the skills they need right now.
 
Dcmd124 said:
I was recently retired via 50% PDRL thru the Army via the DES process.

I have requested on numerous attempts to receive the VA Letter stating that I am at least 30% Disabled so that I can be placed in the higher Federal ratings hiring process.

I thought the sole purpose of the DES process was to make this process seamless and to support the transitioning Veteran in getting employment. Well I am registered in Ebenebits as a Premium Member and have spoken to the 800-827-1000 number on more times than I care to count with still no receiving of this magical letter.

I try and try to explain, I was Permanently Retired at 50% under the VASRD ratings. Same answer from the VA everytime, until you get your Final Ratings, you can not be issued this letter. So somehow, my proposed ratings which I have been permanently retired might change. Way to be supportive of helping the Veteran's attempt to gain Federal Employment.

Sorry for my diatribe of the great support from the Veterans Affairs.

Take care and good luck to others with their quest for this mystical piece of paper.
Click to expand...

What kind of wait time are you talking about... discharge date would be helpful
 
the SF-15 does not require the "VA letter" because the SF-15 states
DOCUMENTATION OF SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY
(COMPENSABLE, I.E., 10% OR MORE)

Submit one of the following documents:

1. An official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department
of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the
present existence of the veteran's service-connected disability of less than
10%. (ORDERS FOR RETIREMENT WOULD BE AN OFFICAL STATEMENT)
2. An official citation, document, or discharge certificate, issued by a branch
of the Armed Forces, showing the award to the veteran of the Purple Heart
for wound or injuries received in action.
3. An official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans
Affairs, certifying that the veteran is receiving a nonservice-connected
disability pension.

the "VA letter is one choice" but you do have other choices.
 
NDBravehart84 said:
What kind of wait time are you talking about... discharge date would be helpful
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I was Medically Retired (PDRL) at the end of April and stilll have not received this letter. I even put in a IRIS Request to get a Temporary Memo and have not received one as of yet. So NDBravehart84, there are the dates for your edification.

My Ebenefits is showing some progress but I am not holding much stock in this as of yet.

As always, take care.
 
Shane said:
the SF-15 does not require the "VA letter" because the SF-15 states
DOCUMENTATION OF SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITY
(COMPENSABLE, I.E., 10% OR MORE)

Submit one of the following documents:

1. An official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department
of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the
present existence of the veteran's service-connected disability of less than
10%. (ORDERS FOR RETIREMENT WOULD BE AN OFFICAL STATEMENT)
2. An official citation, document, or discharge certificate, issued by a branch
of the Armed Forces, showing the award to the veteran of the Purple Heart
for wound or injuries received in action.
3. An official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans
Affairs, certifying that the veteran is receiving a nonservice-connected
disability pension.

the "VA letter is one choice" but you do have other choices.
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Shane, thanks for your advice but I do not know how helpful it will be in my specific situation. I am fighting this issue on sheer principle at this point. The WTU folks always wanted to know what is your specific transition plan. But when the plan entails getting my Letter from the VA stating that I am 30% disabled which places you in one of the higher hiring job placements, it gets a little trickier. Granted, I am retired and at this point the WTU really does not care what your plans are to a degree.

The VA simply does not care. Their answer to me has been, you have to wait until you receive your Final VA Rating even though I was medically retired via PDRL which is already at above the 30% threshold. Damn it, I want this letter and am not willing to except anything less than that.

It can get quite aggravating on who you happen to speak to at the 1800-827-1000 number. The number ranges from anywhere to 3 months to 15 months for me to get my final VA rating. All I can say to that is Yikes. I still have hope that I will get me final rating within the next month or two.

Shane, thanks for the advice. Take care and good luck to you.
 
The VA is simply saying that because the ratings you received on Active Duty are TEMPORARY/PROPOSED, they may change....Since the MAY change, the VA will not issue any supporting documents that say you are at a certain percentage until your %'s are finalized. Currently, finalization of VA ratings are taking 1-4 months after your separation date.

So, I would suggest SHANE's advice and get a separate form. There are alternative ways to get the same thing you are looking for, but simply put, the VA is doing exactly what they are supposed to.
 
I get the principal part... but to be clear the same standard exists for higher ratings:

C. Documentation of Service-Connected Disability
(Compensable, i.e., 10% or More).
If you checked Item 9 on the front of this form, submit one of the following
documents:
1. An official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department
of Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces,certifying to
the veteran's present receipt of compensation for service-connected
disability or disability retired pay.
2. An official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of
Veterans Affairs, or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying that
the veteran has a service-connected disability of 10% or more.
3. An official statement or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed
Forces, showing that the retired serviceman was retired because of
permanent service-connected disability or was transferred to the
permanent disability retirement list. The statement or retirement
orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more.
 
also the AB4 civil service preference letter is not sent to you, it is generated off eBenifits. I have attached a copy to show you what it looks like.
 

Attachments

Dcmd124 said:
I was Medically Retired (PDRL) at the end of April and stilll have not received this letter. I even put in a IRIS Request to get a Temporary Memo and have not received one as of yet. So NDBravehart84, there are the dates for your edification.

My Ebenefits is showing some progress but I am not holding much stock in this as of yet.

As always, take care.
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Thanks, I have made several phone calls and have several people looking into this with a positive resolution in sight... I'll keep you update when I hear something... ;)
 
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