13 replies to this topic

[JayBrown1]

I have contacted just about everyone I could and yet I have no idea why I haven't received my COLA for 2012. I talked with someone today and they told me that they have received my claim for COLA increase and they will handle it expeditiously. I asked why is it being treat as a claim when COLA is just a raise in what you received. Was told it is always handled as a claim.

It is very sad that it would take this long to receive what everyone else is enjoying.

Anyone out there, Have you had this problem before?

[JayBrown1]

I got an IRIS today on my COLA inquiry and it stated
" Regrettably, during the automated adjustment an error occurred that is requiring the VA to manually adjust some of our Veterans awards. Your award was identified as one of the awards requiring manual adjustment.

After careful review of our electronic computer file, our records reflect that we advised of the manual COLA adjustment for your file on November 19, 2011. It is open and in the initial stages of processing. We will be reviewing to determine if additional information is needed. If so, we inform you of what we need.

Your COLA manual adjustment began November 19, 2011. The length of time it takes to complete the Development Phase depends on several factors, such as the type of claim filed and VA's pending workload. A claim may take longer in this phase based on the specifics of your claim."

My question to this is At what point do COLAs become a claim and if they identified an error and started in November 2011 to fix it and here we are at the end of July 2012 and they are say that it is still in the inital stages of processing why would it take so long? By the time we get the next COLA I might have a resolution to this one and then I would probably go through the same thing again. WOW!

[jbasser]

They do owe you interest and of you have to get an attorney ,do so they will have to pay for it.

There is no excuse for this and computer problems are considered fault ot the computer operators or VA programmers.


J

[71M10]

No excuse for this garbage, They do not have to handle this as a claim! The fact they have decided to generate these standard claim messages/descriptions, screams incompetence.

In your situation I would without reservation recommend you contact a congress critter. Give them copies of this correspondence. Ask them to send a letter of inquiry and ask your congressman's veterans affairs liasion to specifically ask the manager of your VARO for an explanation as to why this is being handled as a claim, when it clearly is not. My guess is they fix it, send a letter to your congress critter saying it is resolved and avoid trying to answer the question.

If they can remove a dependent from an award for turning 18 with out having to send you a notice of proposed reduction, they can process a manual COLA with out calling it a claim and putting you through the wait.

Best regards,

Edited by 71M10, 25 July 2012 - 01:38 PM.

[JayBrown1]

Well I have still not received my COLA as of this date. Sent an IRIS asking whats the status of receiving it and receive a response that my inquiry was being sent to my regional office and they have asked that an audit be done on previous years of COLA awards. I tried calling the 1-800 number but due to high volumes of calls I was asked if I wanted a call back clicked yes and was told the next call back appointment available is August 16th at 2:30 pm, WOW, really, this is so funny that they would even do this to people..
Maybe one day soon I will get to enjoy my COLA like everyone else.

[jbasser]

Jay, try this number ans ask them for help.
It might work. Office: (202) 225-3527

House committe on veterans afffairs.

[JayBrown1]

Thank you so much for this number, I will call them right now because this has become very stressful.

I appreciate you

[Pete53]

Jay you ever wonder if this is sort of retaliation. I know a Vet who sued VAMC cause they did not take proper precautions putting a guard rail up for his Dad and he won the suit and it took him ten years to win his claim.

[JayBrown1]

I don't know Pete, but I do know that it should not take 9 months to manually put in a COLA increase. Since they also requested an audit of previous COLA for me I would like to know if this is a pattern that's been going on longer than this year. I do know that this is not the first time this has happen. It started when I moved from Iowa to Alabama in 1999.

[71M10]

Your COLA should have been fixed as soon as they were notified that your record did not update properly with all the other ones. They shouldn't have had anyone working on anything else at that VARO until they has assigned the proper amount of staff to fix all the COLA errors within two weeks.

If the issue was a VARO employee who's COLA or raise didn't happen, it would have been fixed in a matter of days, if not hours!

[JayBrown1]

Just got off the phone with a Vet Rep from the 1-800 number and was told that because my COLA like many others had to be manually inputed into the system it is treated as a claim and they are backlogged on the claims and they don't know when it will be completed. I told her that every Vet should be treated equal and everyone should be able to enjoy their COLA at the same time. She said sorry your claim will be done as soon as possible.

[JayBrown1]

Well, I got a call yesterday from the regional office about my COLA and the only thing that they could tell me was that they are backed up with claims and there are a lot of veterans whose claims have to be manually submitted and it's going to take a little time to get them completed but he doesn't know how long it will take. Then he thank me for my service and hung up, WOW they really show their thanks, don't they?

[broncovet]

I think the VA "rotates" "computer glitches" for Vets.
With some Vets, its lost paperwork. With others, they send your file to another Regional office, usually the source of glitches. There are hundreds and hundreds of "glitches" the
Va uses to delay you.

Interestingly, there NEVER IS A GLITCH in VA exec bonuses. If there ever was one, it will be cleared up in hours or days. Our "glitches" take years to resolve. This is just another delay tactic, and the only game in town is the VA. The VA will fix your "glitch" if/ when they get around to it, and not a minute before.

[Pete53]

If this was my COLA I think I would complain to the Senate and House Committee's who oversee the VA. I bet they don't know about it.

Its not rocket science they could make someone input the info for all in a couple of days if they wanted to do it. Wonder how many Veterans did not get COLA and have not asked VA to fix it?