Veteran Service Officer (VSO) Exam Questions And Answers

Veteran Service Officer (VSO) Exam Questions And Answers VBM - ANS Veterans Benefit Manual An Advocates 1st Rule? - ANS Do no harm What document is required to represent a Veteran? - ANS Power of Attorney(POA) Can there be more than one POA active at any given time? - ANS No, there cannot be more than one POA active at the same time BVA - ANS Board of Veterans Appeals How many regional offices are there nationally? - ANS 58 VA has a duel role when it comes to claims, those are? - ANS Be a friend to the Veterans but also be a guardian of the tax payer How can a claimant reopen a case filed by the VA as "final?" - ANS By presenting new and material evidence What is new evidence? - ANS Evidence that has not already been submitted to the VA What is material evidence? - ANS Evidence that helps prove a previously unproven fact When can the VA deny a claim? - ANS If the weight of the evidence is (more than half) against the claim Duty to Assist - ANS VA has the duty to assist claimants who submit a reasonably possible claim in developing evidence to support their claims What helps makes an advocates claim successful - ANS Present reasons why the benefit should be granted and cite appropriate statues and regulations using the VA's adjudication procedures manual (M21-1MR). M21-1MR - ANS VA's Adjudication Procedures Manual What are the 3 elements of a disability compensation claim? - ANS 1. Veteran must currently suffer a disability or have suffered from disability since the claim was filed 2. Must be some incident in service that could have caused the condition and 3. There must be some way of linking that current condition to that incident. 3 Departments of the VA - ANS Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Central VA Office (VACO): national Cemetery, General Counsel, Office of Inspector General. DRO - ANS Decision Review Officer What is a review "de novo" - ANS A new and complete review without giving any weight to the fact that the Regional Office(RO) personnel previously denied the claim. Are Veterans automatically entitled to VA healthcare? - ANS No, VA medical care is principally directed toward treating medical problems related to Veteran's military service and toward helping some low income Veterans. How many Priority Groups are there? - ANS 8 Which statute governs Veterans Benefits - ANS Title 38 of the United States Code (Title 38 U.S.C) Which regulations are written by the VA and used to carry out the laws written by congress? - ANS Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations (Title 38 C.F.R.) How many and what are the types of discharges? - ANS 1. Honorable 2. General, Under Honorable 3. Under other than Honorable(UOTH), undesirable 4. Bad conduct 5. Dishonorable Name the 2 entities Veterans may utilize to request a discharge upgrade - ANS Discharge Review Board (DRB) & Board for the Correction of Military Records (BCRM) Willful Misconduct - ANS Deliberate or intentional wrongdoing with knowledge of or wanton disregard of its probable consequences. As of 9/8/1990 what is the length-of-service requirement? - ANS A Veteran must have completed a minimum period of service either 24 months of continuous active duty or full period for which the Veteran was called or ordered to active duty. Family Members Eligibility - ANS Usually family members are not entitled to receive benefits in their own right if the Veteran is alive. If the Veteran is deceased, some surviving family members of the Veteran may be entitled to certain VA death benefits. What benefits might surviving family members be eligible for? - ANS CHAMPVA, burial benefits, VA home loan guaranty, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) or non-service connected death pension. Service Connected Disability Compensation - ANS A monthly disability compensation awarded to a Veteran who suffers from a disabling condition that was incurred in or aggravated by service. Non-Service Connected Disability Pension - ANS Must; Demonstrate financial need, be totally and permanently disabled, served at least 90 consecutive days of active duty at least one of those days during a period of war or at least one day of wartime service that resulted in a discharge for service-connected disability or have served 90 days or more in more than one period of war and discharged other than dishonorable. VA Form 21-0966 - ANS VA Form 21-0966 Intent to File VA Form 21-526 - ANS Veterans Application for Compensation an