Important PACT Act Deadline Extended Amid Tech Issues

The Department of Veterans Affairs has extended the payment deadline for a proposed law to help veterans exposed to toxins while serving in the military after technical problems complicated the application process.

In the year On August 10, 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Comprehensive Poison Control Act, the Better PACT Act and extended medical benefits for veterans exposed to camps and other toxic substances.

Veterans and survivors have until Monday, August 14 at 11:59 pm ET to claim their benefits for the year before the bill is signed into law. After this date, applicants will be eligible for a refund only up to the date of application. Veterans can apply for PACT Act benefits here.

While no deadline has been given for filing future claims, claimants have been tentatively given August 9 to receive past dues. The number of applications causes many to provide website error messages.

Officials urge veterinarians to claim the benefits of PACT despite the technological challenges

"Despite these reports, VA has successfully moved to document these intentions, meaning any veteran or survivor who receives an error message while applying for PACT Act benefits can consider their intent to apply complete," the department said in a statement. . Publication.

"We're trying to contact these individuals directly to make sure their needs are met and that their due date will be met. Most importantly, no veteran or survivor in this case will miss a payday."

In the year Fewer than ten attempts to contact "intent to register" on Aug. 9 resulted in error messages, down 18 percent from the previous day, the department said.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are still turning to the VA to figure out what went wrong and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

"It remains to be seen how distressing such a disruption will be for veterans and survivors," he said. This was said by Mark Takano, senior member of the California House of Representatives Veterans Affairs Committee. "While it's good news that thousands of veterans are claiming PACT benefits before the deadline, it's unfortunate that VA has yet another IT problem that's confusing and frustrating for veterans."

The Veterans Affairs Administration received about 843,000 PACT disability claims and processed about 460,000, generating more than $1.85 billion in PACT revenue, the department said.

According to the Associated Press, Biden is expected to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the PACT Act in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday.

Veterans or their families can learn about PACT benefits by visiting the VA website or by calling 1-800-MYVA411 (1-800-698-2411).

Military Times reporter Leo Shan III helped report the story.

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