By Amanda Miller: Complete Post through this link…
Dependent family members of veterans who died from illnesses covered by the PACT Act may reapply for survivor’s benefits if they’ve had a claim denied in the past.
The PACT Act dramatically expanded benefits to veterans and survivors by adding to the list of diseases that the agency acknowledges are service-connected. President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law Aug. 10, 2022, and it took effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Monday a proposed rule specifying the effective date of any renewed claim.
By automatically accepting that about two dozen more diseases are service-connected and adding to the list of presumptive illnesses for Agent Orange exposure, the act gave millions of veterans who were exposed to radiation and toxic chemicals while in uniform, going back to the 1960s, the opportunity for benefits.
The act also required that the VA give survivors who were previously denied those benefits another chance to apply for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). The program provides compensation to dependents of service members who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected disease or injury.
