Following the example set by the Social Security Administration, the US Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented a 2% cost of living adjustment (“COLA”) for 2018 for service connected disability benefits.  Under this change, monthly payments for a veteran without dependents rated at 100% will be $2,973.86.  Changes for all rating levels can be viewed […]

There is no denying that the VA appeals process is in need of reform. As of 2016, veterans wait, on average, four and a half years for their first decision from the Board of Veteran Appeals. In an attempt to mitigate these wait times Congress recently passed the Appeals Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA). VA is currently working

West & Dunn is proud to support the 2018 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. At a time when more veterans are expressing interest in becoming entrepreneurs, the 15th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest is accepting entries online for the 2018 competition until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018. In 2016, for example, a Madison-area

On November 29, 2017 the Department of Veteran’s Affairs announced that it will begin accepting applications for Veteran Identification Cards (“VIC”) for all honorably discharged veterans of the United States. The implementation of this program comes as a relief to many veterans, as the cards will permit them to avoid using a Form DD-214 (Certificate

Beginning today, November 10, 2017, all honorably discharged veterans will be eligible for tax free shopping via the Army and Air Force Exchange Service’s online portal, The Exchange. By way of explanation, on November 1, Exchange Director and CEO Tom Shull published the following editorial: In a matter of days, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service, along

In order to prevail on a claim for VA disability benefits, a veteran must be able to demonstrate that the claimed condition is connected to their service.  Demonstrating this service connection element can be difficult, if not impossible, when it comes to diseases or conditions for which the cause is not always readily apparent.  Beginning

President Trump presented his 2017 budget to Congress back in May. This budget calls for significant increases in spending, but also contains some troubling cuts. One of the more significant proposed cuts would have resulted in the loss of more than $3 billion to veterans suffering from service connected disabilities that are so severe they