HAMPTON, Va. — The PACT Act is said to be the largest expansion of veterans' benefits in a generation. The challenge is, ensuring that vets are aware of what benefits, compensation, and medical care are available to them.
US Rep. Bobby Scott (D, VA-03) held an information session Friday for vets and veterans' advocates. Of critical concern is the upcoming August 9 deadline.
Vets filing PACT Act disability compensation claims must do so by then, to be covered retroactively to last year, when the bill was signed by President Biden last August 10.
"We've had a lot of cases in the past where people have been denied benefits just because they couldn't get the medical documentation of proof. Well, they don't have to do that. If you've got the conditions, you get the benefits," said Scott.
The PACT Act applies to veterans of Operation Desert Storm and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and going all the way back to Vietnam, who are suffering from various types of cancers and respiratory illnesses related to burn pits and other toxic exposures such as acute leukemia, chronic leukemia, and multiple myeloma. Those veterans are now presumed to have their conditions connected to their military service and are covered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"This compensation that people can get because of these different ailments or presumptive conditions helps to make their retirement better," said Irby Cotton II, a Vietnam veteran who now serves as Commander of Disabled American Veterans Chapter 2.
It was projected that up to 3.5 million veterans would benefit from the PACT Act.
As of June 27, according to the VA, more than 665,000 veterans have applied for PACT Act-related benefits.