Veterans upset with VA office backlogs

Posted 2015-09-18 13:24 by Grunt Report

Calvin and Rhonda Coleman have been claiming disability from the Veteran’s Affairs office since 2011 and have always had issues, but for the past two years, things have taken a turn for the worst.

“They keep postponing everything,” Nacogdoches veteran Calvin Coleman said. “There’s always an excuse. They send you a letter saying they made a mistake and then they postpone what you need for another year or two.”

“They never give you everything you’re supposed to get,” Nacogdoches Rhonda Coleman said. “They give it to you in bits and pieces.”

The VA’s backlog has been hurting the Coleman’s with the ‘disability aid’ as their main source of income.

“I need it to pay my bills,” Calvin explained. “I’ve been helping my grandkids. It would come in handy if they would stop playing around with my claim.”

The VA backlog isn’t just affecting the Coleman’s, but veterans all over the country, especially those with severe medical issues.

“You know, you’ve got these people’s lives on hold, waiting on stuff or waiting to do whatever,” Rhonda said. “Some people have died or had strokes, they’ve gotten worse and I’ve got worse. I’ve got to go file something different to add to this list.”

The Coleman’s were outraged and believe the government just isn’t doing enough to help veterans out.

“That should be their number one priority, to take care of their veterans that they had serving and fighting for their country,” Calvin said. “If a foreign country needed money, they’d give them billions of dollars.”

Being the soldiers that they are, the Coleman’s are fighting back. They call the VA every day, as well as Congressman Louis Gohmert and even write letters to President Obama, hoping their voices will be heard.

They have encouraged other veterans to follow in their footsteps.

“Contact you senator and contact Washington because the vets need help,” Calvin said. “The regional office in Houston is not working.”