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PRESS RELEASE July 19, 2023 Fayetteville , NC — Thanks to the PACT Act, VA is now able to “presumptively” provide benefits to Vietnam, Gulf War and Post 9-11 Veterans who live with hundreds
of toxic-exposure related conditions – including many cancers and illnesses. This means that when eligible Veterans apply for benefits, they do not need to prove that their service caused
their condition; instead, VA automatically assumes service-connection for these Veterans and provides benefits accordingly. * FIRST, VA wants eligible Vietnam, Gulf War and Post 9/11
Veterans to apply for PACT Act benefits and care right now – and reapply if you’ve been denied before. Vietnam, Gulf War and Post 9-11 Veterans or their survivors, may be eligible for
benefits under the PACT Act. * SECOND, if you apply for PACT Act-related benefits by August 9, your benefits may be backdated to August 10, 2022 – so get your claims in as soon as possible.
And if you’re not ready to submit a full claim by then, don’t worry – you can also submit a quick-and-easy “intent to file” (VBA-21-0996 linked below) by August 9 and still receive the same
effective date. * THIRD, some Veterans are worried that applying for PACT Act benefits will impact their current benefits – but the truth is this: if you file a claim, you are 32 times more
likely to see your benefits increase or stay the same than decrease. * FOURTH, there are people out there who will try to convince you that you need to pay someone or use a lawyer to apply
for VA benefits – but that’s not true. Applying for PACT Act benefits is free, it’s easy, and you can do it by working directly with VA or a Veteran Service Organization. * FINALLY, you can
learn more about the PACT Act – and apply or submit your “intent to file” (VBA Form 21-0996 by visiting VA.gov/PACT or calling 1-800-MY-VA-411. WHY VETERANS AND SURVIVORS SHOULD APPLY BY
AUGUST 9 THERE IS NO DEADLINE TO APPLY FOR PACT ACT BENEFITS, BUT THERE IS URGENCY: If you apply for PACT Act-related benefits before by August 9, your benefits, if eligible, will be
backdated to August 10, 2022 – the day the bill was signed into law. Visit VA.gov/PACT to apply – or submit your Intent to File Form: VBA-21-0966-ARE.pdf You can also file claims at a county
Veterans Services Office, or VA accredited Veteran Service Officers and accredited attorneys and claims agents. To learn more about accredited representatives, visit
www.benefits.va.gov/vso/ Media contacts Gail Cureton, Public Affairs Officer PHONE: Download media assets ###