NEXT STEP

 

In order to help as many people as possible, the American Veterans Institute asks you to please e-mail your questions, AFTER carefully reviewing this site.   We cannot accept phone calls or mail inquiries because we are a very small non-profit operation and we must direct our efforts to maintaining our website and responding to the hundreds of e-mail inquiries we receive. We try to answer each e-mail personally, even those that do not deal specifically with the Improved Pension. Please do not send us your pension application. We are not the VA and cannot process the forms.  You can also contact your local Veterans Services Officer for help filling out the forms or with questions not related to the Improved Pension. To find a VSO near you, please click on the following link: http://www.nacvso.org/cvso.asp.

 

 

Once you have established eligibility…here are your next steps

 

Surviving Spouse

 

To file a claim on behalf of a surviving spouse, download Form 21-534 here.

 

(Note: All three levels of Improved Pensions require the same form.)

 

        To download step-by-step instructions, click here. (It is strongly advised that you download the instructions and review them with the VA form. Once you have done so, please contact AVI with any remaining questions or concerns.)

 

To contact the American Veterans Institute with questions about the form, please e-mail us at Q&A.  As the program is ramping up, we ask that you please explore the web site first for answers, and use the e-mail and phone service for topics not covered on the VetAssist site. As sponsors and additional manpower become available, the American Veterans Institute will enhance the hours of call-in service and endeavor to provide additional on-line and e-mail support.

 

The accompanying paperwork you will need to attach to your claim is:

1. the veteran’s discharge papers. (don’t have them? They can be requested by a family member at www.vetrecs.archives.gov.)
2. the veteran’s death certificate
3. the veteran’s marriage certificate
4. a physician’s form for the claimant (download here.)
5. a nursing home form filled out by the assisted living facility or nursing home (download here.)
6. a letter from the home health care provider stating frequency of visits and cost per month (if applicable)

Veteran

 

To file a claim on behalf of a veteran, download Form 21-526 here.

 

(Note: All three levels of Improved Pensions require the same form.)

To download step-by-step instructions, click here. (It is strongly advised that you download the instructions and review them with the VA form. Once you have done so, please contact AVI with any remaining questions or concerns.)

To contact the American Veterans Institute with questions about the form, please e-mail us at Q&A. As the program is ramping up, we ask that you please explore the web site first for answers, and use the e-mail and phone service for topics not covered on the VetAssist site. As sponsors and additional manpower become available, the American Veterans Institute will enhance the hours of call-in service and endeavor to provide additional on-line and e-mail support.

 

The accompanying paperwork you will need to attach to your claim is:

1. the veteran’s discharge papers. (don’t have them? They can be requested by a family member at www.vetrecs.archives.gov.)
2. the veteran’s marriage certificate (ONLY if he is currently married)
3. a physician’s form for the claimant (download here.)
4. a nursing home form filled out by the assisted living facility or nursing home (download here.)
5. a letter from the home health care provider stating frequency of visits and cost per month (if applicable)

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