Brian Reese - You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned

You
Deserve
It

The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned

Brian Reese

copyright 2021 brian reese

All rights reserved.

you deserve it

The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits Youve Earned

isbn 978-1-5445-1968-5 Hardcover

isbn 978-1-5445-1967-8 Paperback

isbn 978-1-5445-1966-1 Ebook

This book is dedicated to you . Us. Veterans. So heres to the brave ones who raised their right hand and took the oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. For that, I salute you and stand alongside you forever.

Disclaimer

This book is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The author and publisher are not offering it as legal, financial, accounting, medical, or other professional services advice. While best efforts have been used in preparing this book, the author and publisher make no representations or warranties of any kind and assume no liabilities of any kind with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness of use for a particular purpose.

Neither the author nor the publisher shall be held liable or responsible to any person or entity with respect to any loss or incidental or consequential damages caused, or alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the information or programs contained herein. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. Every individual is different, and the advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should seek the services of a licensed and competent professional in your jurisdiction before beginning any program.

Dear veteran, what youre about to discover in this book could change your life. Youll uncover a variety of federal and state benefits that may provide you with hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of dollars of tax-free compensation and benefits. Currently, according to our data, 8 out of 10 veterans are not receiving the benefits they know they deserve by law. or less than 25% of you reading this book right now (yep, less than one in four veterans) receive any VA disability benefits at all. Thats shameful, and Im on a mission to change it.

How is that possible? First, theres a lack of awareness, due in part to inadequate education. I didnt even know the VAthe US Department of Veterans Affairsexisted until the day I took off the uniform. And even then, I didnt know about disability benefits. It would be YEARS before I learned I could receive help from the government for my service-related disabilities. Heck, it was years before I figured out the pain I suffered even was a disability.

But some of you were ahead of me. You might have even started an applicationbut then got so confused by the complexity of the system, the convoluted process, and the seemingly endless addendums and amendments to eligibility rules that you just gave up.

Still others of you did apply. Except the response you received was either a denial or an underrating (meaning the VA acknowledged some kind of disability but disagreed about its severity or origin). If thats you, you are understandably frustrated . You probably spent dozens of hours searching on Google, combing the VA website, collecting the documents you needed, and navigating the systemonly to feel unseen or, worse, like youve been called a liar.

Youre not a liar. The problem isnt you. Nor is it the VA, honestly! The VA is not trying to keep money from you. It wants to help you. The problem is the system. Thats where I come in. This book is a comprehensive guide to hundreds of benefits at the federal and state levels, plus information about even more benefits and discounts you can get from nonprofit organizations and businesses. And Ill tell you how to actually get those benefits.

But even if you dont have a VA disability, there are still loads of benefits available to you as a veteran. And this book is the most comprehensive resource ever published on this topic. Its an encyclopedia of veterans benefits. Its your North Star to guide you on your veteran benefits journey.

But first, I need to change your mind about something.

You Served. You Deserve.

A lot of veterans think the word disabled only applies to veterans who have it much worse than they do. They think, I havent been in combat. I havent lost a limb. I dont have cancer from Agent Orange. Heck, Im lucky to have a job! I shouldnt apply for benefits because those are for veterans who actually deserve them. Frankly, that is complete bullshit. That is one of the lies we tell ourselves. First of all, there are enough benefits to go around. Your benefits do not affect any other veterans benefits! But more important, if you have any kind of disability as a result of your service, then, guess what? You deserve benefits. Yes, you read that correctly, you deserve benefits for your honorable service.

Allow me to give you permission to be disabled. You dont have to pretend youre fine or suffer alone in silence. The notion of service before self may have served you well while you wore the uniform. Afterward, it causes pain and suffering. Truth is, youre no good to your family, friends, or work unless you take care of you first .

Further, not all disabilities are visible. Mostyes, mostveterans struggle with undiagnosed mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. Often, these lead to substance abuse, and almost always, they lead to isolation and loneliness. I want to tell you right now that you are important, and you matter. My colleagues and I have been where you are. I can be in a room full of people and feel alone, completely detached.

When you wear the uniform, youre connected with other people whove experienced the same stuff. Then you take the uniform off and are surrounded by people who cant possibly comprehend what youve experienced. You feel separate from the reality everybody else lives in. I hear stories like this all the time. People come to us not only for help applying for financial benefits but because they crave identity, community, and purpose in life. They want to feel important again. Our fellow veterans tell us they feel lost after service. They feel like people hear the word veteran and immediately think theyre broken or crazy. This leads them to try and pretend like everythings fine and ignore whatever struggles they face.

But you might not be fineand thats okay. Its okay not to be okay! You experienced tough stuff while you served, and now youre processing it. This is exactly why there are resources to help you. The VA exists to help you. And my company VA Claims Insider exists to make sure you get that help.

Need Immediate Help?

I will cover mental health resources in depth later, but if you need help right now or are thinking about taking your own life, I am directing you to call 1-800-273-8255, or chat with someone online at VeteransCrisisLine.net . America loses roughly 22 veterans to suicide every day. Dont be one of them.