Delayed Housing Payments Impacting 180,000 Student Veterans

VFW requests patience and understanding from landlords

WASHINGTON (October 9, 2018) — The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is urging tens of thousands of student veterans to immediately contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 888-GIBILL-1 (or 888-442-4551) if they are facing a financial hardship due to delayed VA housing payments.

The VA said that as many as 180,000 student veterans housing payments were delayed this month in part due to computer updates to reflect benefit changes through the Forever GI Bill. Until the problem is fixed, VA is requiring benefits processors to work overtime and weekends, while many student veterans may be forced to raid their individual savings accounts or borrow money from their families to hopefully avoid late fees, ruined credit ratings or eviction.

"The VA reports that education claims will be processed immediately, as will disbursements, but if student veterans do not achieve resolution within three business days, I urge them to contact the VFW through our 1StudentVeteran@vfw.org email address,” said VFW National Commander B.J. Lawrence. "We will intervene directly with the VA to ensure your housing allowance is correct and paid. In the meantime, I would encourage all student veterans to contact their landlords and explain the VA’s computer processing problem, and for landlords to be patient and understanding, because they will be paid.”

Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home (ENVH) Opportunities - The Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs established new requirements to volunteer at the ENVH. Below are the forms required and a flyer listing volunteer opportunities. 

Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs - Volunteer Service Program Profile

Nebraska Department of Veterans’ Affairs - Disclosure & Authorization for Background Check-Volunteer

ENVH - Vets Helping Vets

 

 

Member News - VFW Post 2704 would like to congratulate Larry Gerlt. At the December Awards Banquet it was announced that Larry was selected by the Post for the 2020 Edward G. Reyes Semper Fidelis Award. Congratulations Larry.

 

Annual Members - If you haven't already renewed your membership, please do. Every year our Post spends hundreds of man-hours on membership renewals. It's important to our Post and the entire VFW organization. That said, time is precious, and the hours spent on membership renewal takes away from hours that could be spent on other service projects helping Veterans in the Omaha area.  Thank you.

 

Our Post History - I'm trying to gather information on our Post history, I've been a member for several years, I know we are the Deml-Kopietz Post but I was never told why.

 

If you have any Post history, please send it to me at imgrund@cox.net