Female Veteran Awarded $43K for MST Claim

In Massachusetts, a Vietnam Veterans of America VSO assisted the surviving spouse of a soldier who passed in 2020. At the time of her passing, the death wasn’t considered service-connected, but because of the PACT Act, the VSO was able to help the spouse submit a supplemental claim. The surviving spouse was awarded burial benefits and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) earlier this year. 

Also this year, the VSO assisted a female veteran who had filed a claim for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to military sexual trauma (MST) in Jan 2023. The claim was approved in May at 100% total and permanent, effective to the Intent to File date in August 2022. The veteran  received $43,000 in retroactive pay.

For assistance with a benefits claim, veterans can locate a Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) Veteran Service Officer here, or search for a VSO from another organization through the VA’s website where VVA doesn’t have VSOs. Enter your ZIP code or city and state, and you’ll see which VSOs serve your area.