Partially Granted - Need Advice

[Juahh8277]

Hi all,

I applied for VAC disability benefits January of last year and I just got the word back that I'm 3/5 of 10% granted for generalized anxiety disorder. This was my first try and I had a lot of paperwork backing me up.

The form tells me that 10% is the minimum and that I'll get a letter in the mail next year to see a doctor to see what my percentage will be or something along those lines.

Regardless, I was wondering if I should apply for the Rehabilitation program? I have been a mess financially and career wise ever since I released (Voluntarily released) 2 years ago.
Or should I not bother?

I don't know what is going on with all of this and I've spent the last couple hours reading around this forum.
I also don't have a case manager or anything.

Any advice or guidance could help!

Thanks!

 

[Occam]

Ask for a case manager.  Then you have to decide for yourself if you feel that 3/5 attribution to military service is fair, or whether 10% is an appropriate disability level when looking at the VAC disability tables for the condition.  If you think it isn't, you need to call Bureau of Pensions Advocates, and get assigned to a BPA lawyer who will represent you for a Departmental Review, or an appeal to Veterans Review & Appeal Board (VRAB), as appropriate.  There's no cost to you involved, BPA lawyers are paid to represent the veteran for appeals and reviews. 

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/about-us/organization/bureau-pensions-advocates

 

[Juahh8277]

Ask for a case manager.  Then you have to decide for yourself if you feel that 3/5 attribution to military service is fair, or whether 10% is an appropriate disability level when looking at the VAC disability tables for the condition.  If you think it isn't, you need to call Bureau of Pensions Advocates, and get assigned to a BPA lawyer who will represent you for a Departmental Review, or an appeal to Veterans Review & Appeal Board (VRAB), as appropriate.  There's no cost to you involved, BPA lawyers are paid to represent the veteran for appeals and reviews. 

http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/about-us/organization/bureau-pensions-advocates

I would of thought it would of been 4/5 or 5/5 but I am not complaining, I don't want to lose any benefits either. I've read so much about people just being denied like crazy and I consider myself lucky to get approved first try.

I guess 10% is the minimum? Can't it go higher as time goes on and I get re-evaluated, I don't know why I have to wait an entire year to get seen again.

I wanted to do another disability claim for an injury thats progressing but I don't have a family doctor and can't find one. I need a doctor to fill out the form and I don't know how that would be possible in my case
I have to figure out how to get a case worker.

Oh, as an edit.. thanks @Occam for responding.

 

[Occam]

Well, all I can tell you is that if you think it should have been 4/5 or 5/5, then it's worth a departmental review at the very least.  There must be something in your med file that you think would lend itself to a rating of 4/5 or 5/5 - or is there something in your med file or dealing with doctors in general that would cause VAC to suspect that there's something other than military service to attribute your condition to?  My advice would be to get in contact with BPA, and at the very least have a chat with one of their lawyers about it.  You don't have to request a departmental review or VRAB appeal if you and the lawyer don't feel it's appropriate, but at least talk it over with one of their lawyers for a "goodness check".  The applicable table of disabilities is at http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/services/after-injury/disability-benefits/benefits-determined/table-of-disabilities/ch-21-2006 - have a look at the descriptions for everything, and see if your condition has been properly assessed.  The one-year wait for reassessment may be so that your condition has some time to stabilize, and they will re-evaluate once it is stable.

You should be able to call VAC at their normal toll-free number with your file number and request a case worker be assigned.  While you're on the phone with them, explain your predicament with regard to finding a family doctor, and see if a VAC doctor can be assigned.  Failing that, depending on which province you're in, there is usually somewhere you can go on the web to find out which doctors are accepting new patients.  For example, this site in Ontario - https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-family-doctor-or-nurse-practitioner.