Public Notice: Veterans Benefits Live, VA in My Town event to take place Nov. 17-18, 2022
Update: There has been a change in availability of the VA due to computer system outages. The VA’s computer systems will be down on Saturday, Nov. 19 so that the Department of Veterans Affairs computer systems can update and make the needed changes for the upcoming Cost of Living Allowances (COLA), which become effective 12/1/22. As a result, the main event will be held on Nov. 17 and 18. These are the only two days the VA will have computer access to review client’s case files.
This means that if you have a pending claim or appeal where you need to speak with a VA rater, you will need to attend on either Thursday or Friday.
Due to short notice, there will still be VSOs at the American Legion Post 10 on Saturday to assist clients in filing paper claims to the VA. You must bring all needed documentation/evidence, DD214, or prior VA rating decisions with you to this event as there will be no computer access to assist in filing or reopening disability claims.
The American Legion Department of North Carolina in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NCDMVA) will present the Veterans Benefits Live, VA in My Town (formerly known as the Veterans Experience Action Center) event from Nov. 17-18, 2022, at American Legion Post 10 in Wilmington, NC.
This event will bring service officers, claims adjudicators, and healthcare representatives face to face with veterans to help facilitate and expedite veterans’ new or existing VA disability claims, appeals, or other healthcare problems.
Veterans attending the Veterans Benefits Live event will have the opportunity to:
- File a new claim with the VA.
- Ask questions about VA appeals or benefits to which they may be entitled.
- Ask questions about VA health care.
- Get assistance facilitating and expediting existing claims and appeals.
- Receive information regarding benefit related VA programs.
All veterans planning to attend are asked to bring the proper documentation about their case, including their DD 214, and all medical records related to their disability, both military and civilian.
For more information about the Veterans Benefits Live event in Wilmington, NC, hosted by the VA Winston-Salem Regional Office, click here or visit eventbrite.com/e/veterans-benefits-live-va-in-my-town-wilmington-2022-tickets-429249776637. Registering through this link does not guarantee you will be seen. This is a first-come-first-serve event. Veterans will be assisted in order of arrival during the event. Please plan accordingly.
LOCATION
American Legion, Post 10
702 Pine Grove Dr
Wilmington, NC 28409
HOURS OF OPERATION
Thursday, Nov. 17 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 18 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 19 from 9 a.m. until ? – there will be no computer access Saturday
About Veterans Benefits Live, VA in My Town
In 2015, the American Legion Department of North Carolina began staging Veterans Benefits Live, VA in My Town events (previously known as Veterans Benefits Action Centers and Veterans Experience Action Centers) throughout the state. Annually, these centers brought veterans needing assistance face to face with service officers from all over the state, as well as staff from the Veterans Health Administration, Veterans Benefits Administration, and the Vet Center program. Veterans could check on the status of pending VA claims and file new ones on the spot. Some received VA disability ratings while at the centers; the results were millions of dollars in VA benefits awarded through the centers. COVID-19 put those on hiatus for more than a year, but in 2021 they were able to resume, with one happening last March in Cary, NC and another happening this year in Wilmington, NC. In the former, more than an estimated 1,000 veterans came through the center over the course of the three-day event. Click here to read more.
More Information
If you have any VA-related questions or would like to file for VA benefits outside of this event with Brunswick County Veterans Services, please call 910-253-2233 to schedule an appointment.