The PACT Act is a law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched an aggressive targeted outreach campaign – using e-mail, text messages, and phone calls – to reach approximately 300,000 Veterans and survivors who submitted Intent to File (ITF) claims between June 1 and August 14, 2023, reminding them of the need to complete their PACT Act claims no later than one year from the date they started a claim or filed an ITF. The outreach campaign began on May 23 of this year with 100,000 emails and continues through mid-August.
The ITF process is in place to collect supporting evidence for their claim. It also protects the earliest potential effective date for any benefits resulting from claims based on PACT Act. This means any PACT Act related ITF received on or before August 14, 2023, is potentially eligible for the August 10, 2022, effective date, as long as a claim is received within a year of the ITF.
Claimants have up to one year from the date VA receives their ITF to submit a formal claim. As an example, if VA receives an ITF on August 8, 2023, the claimant will have to file their complete claim by August 8, 2024, to not forfeit the August 10, 2022, potential effective date for granted PACT Act claims.
Please make an appointment at the Pico Rivera Senior Center VRC for details.
