Here's a suggestion if your other efforts don't work.
Write a letter to your US Representative. Explain as clearly as you can the sitution. And ask clearly for what you want (for the VA to remove the collections from your reports). I would not present it as a goodwill request, but rather the fair outcome based on the facts. But that's up to you.
Send the letter to your Reprentative's district office (not the Washington, DC, office, although if you send it to DC it will get forwarded to the district office). The Representative has someone working in his/her district office called a constituent liaison. That person's job is to be a go-between (on the Represenative's behalf) between constituents (you) and federal agencies (in this case, the VA).
When the constituent liaison gets your letter, he will write a letter from the Represenative to a congressional liaison at the VA. The letter will essentially say, "One of my constituents contacted me with this problem. Would you please look into it and let me know if you can help?" The Represenative will sign the letter, and it will be sent along with your letter. The constituent liaison may contact you before this, too, if he needs any additional documentation.
There are no guarantees here, of course. They aren't going to violate policies just because a Representative's office asks them a question. But sometimes you do get a more sympathetic ear. It is a sort of back door where they may be more inclined to help you than someone who just wants to get your paperwork off their desk (or to avoid making more paperwork, or is trying just not to rock the boat until they get to retirement).
Eventually, you'll hear back from the Representative with an answer. Maybe it's successful. Maybe it isn't. At the very least, you'll get a letter signed by your Representative (which, depending on how you feel about him/her, may be kind of cool).
At least that was how it worked 20 years ago when I did that job (constituent liaison) for a couple of years. 
Edit to Add: You can do the same thing with your Senator. But you should only do one. Either your Represenative or one of your Senators. If you live in a very small state with one Representative and two Senators, then choose one of the Senators. If you live in a larger state, the Senators are spread too thin, so use your Represenative.
@Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion if your other efforts don't work.
Write a letter to your US Representative. Explain as clearly as you can the sitution. And ask clearly for what you want (for the VA to remove the collections from your reports). I would not present it as a goodwill request, but rather the fair outcome based on the facts. But that's up to you.
Send the letter to your Reprentative's district office (not the Washington, DC, office, although if you send it to DC it will get forwarded to the district office). The Representative has someone working in his/her district office called a constituent liaison. That person's job is to be a go-between (on the Represenative's behalf) between constituents (you) and federal agencies (in this case, the VA).
When the constituent liaison gets your letter, he will write a letter from the Represenative to a congressional liaison at the VA. The letter will essentially say, "One of my constituents contacted me with this problem. Would you please look into it and let me know if you can help?" The Represenative will sign the letter, and it will be sent along with your letter. The constituent liaison may contact you before this, too, if he needs any additional documentation.
There are no guarantees here, of course. They aren't going to violate policies just because a Representative's office asks them a question. But sometimes you do get a more sympathetic ear. It is a sort of back door where they may be more inclined to help you than someone who just wants to get your paperwork off their desk (or to avoid making more paperwork, or is trying just not to rock the boat until they get to retirement).
Eventually, you'll hear back from the Representative with an answer. Maybe it's successful. Maybe it isn't. At the very least, you'll get a letter signed by your Representative (which, depending on how you feel about him/her, may be kind of cool).
At least that was how it worked 20 years ago when I did that job (constituent liaison) for a couple of years.
Edit to Add: You can do the same thing with your Senator. But you should only do one. Either your Represenative or one of your Senators. If you live in a very small state with one Representative and two Senators, then choose one of the Senators. If you live in a larger state, the Senators are spread too thin, so use your Represenative.
Thanks for the suggestion. I will give this a try if my GW letters don't have a favorable response.
@Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion if your other efforts don't work.
Write a letter to your US Representative. Explain as clearly as you can the sitution. And ask clearly for what you want (for the VA to remove the collections from your reports). I would not present it as a goodwill request, but rather the fair outcome based on the facts. But that's up to you.
Send the letter to your Reprentative's district office (not the Washington, DC, office, although if you send it to DC it will get forwarded to the district office). The Representative has someone working in his/her district office called a constituent liaison. That person's job is to be a go-between (on the Represenative's behalf) between constituents (you) and federal agencies (in this case, the VA).
When the constituent liaison gets your letter, he will write a letter from the Represenative to a congressional liaison at the VA. The letter will essentially say, "One of my constituents contacted me with this problem. Would you please look into it and let me know if you can help?" The Represenative will sign the letter, and it will be sent along with your letter. The constituent liaison may contact you before this, too, if he needs any additional documentation.
There are no guarantees here, of course. They aren't going to violate policies just because a Representative's office asks them a question. But sometimes you do get a more sympathetic ear. It is a sort of back door where they may be more inclined to help you than someone who just wants to get your paperwork off their desk (or to avoid making more paperwork, or is trying just not to rock the boat until they get to retirement).
Eventually, you'll hear back from the Representative with an answer. Maybe it's successful. Maybe it isn't. At the very least, you'll get a letter signed by your Representative (which, depending on how you feel about him/her, may be kind of cool).
At least that was how it worked 20 years ago when I did that job (constituent liaison) for a couple of years.
Edit to Add: You can do the same thing with your Senator. But you should only do one. Either your Represenative or one of your Senators. If you live in a very small state with one Representative and two Senators, then choose one of the Senators. If you live in a larger state, the Senators are spread too thin, so use your Represenative.
I've never understood how the VA can, in good conscience, absolutely REFUSE to remove these marks that resulted from THEIR OWN DAMN MISTAKES! It seriously just pisses me off to no end when I hear stories like this.
@Anonymous wrote:
@Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion if your other efforts don't work.
Write a letter to your US Representative. Explain as clearly as you can the sitution. And ask clearly for what you want (for the VA to remove the collections from your reports). I would not present it as a goodwill request, but rather the fair outcome based on the facts. But that's up to you.
Send the letter to your Reprentative's district office (not the Washington, DC, office, although if you send it to DC it will get forwarded to the district office). The Representative has someone working in his/her district office called a constituent liaison. That person's job is to be a go-between (on the Represenative's behalf) between constituents (you) and federal agencies (in this case, the VA).
When the constituent liaison gets your letter, he will write a letter from the Represenative to a congressional liaison at the VA. The letter will essentially say, "One of my constituents contacted me with this problem. Would you please look into it and let me know if you can help?" The Represenative will sign the letter, and it will be sent along with your letter. The constituent liaison may contact you before this, too, if he needs any additional documentation.
There are no guarantees here, of course. They aren't going to violate policies just because a Representative's office asks them a question. But sometimes you do get a more sympathetic ear. It is a sort of back door where they may be more inclined to help you than someone who just wants to get your paperwork off their desk (or to avoid making more paperwork, or is trying just not to rock the boat until they get to retirement).
Eventually, you'll hear back from the Representative with an answer. Maybe it's successful. Maybe it isn't. At the very least, you'll get a letter signed by your Representative (which, depending on how you feel about him/her, may be kind of cool).
At least that was how it worked 20 years ago when I did that job (constituent liaison) for a couple of years.
Edit to Add: You can do the same thing with your Senator. But you should only do one. Either your Represenative or one of your Senators. If you live in a very small state with one Representative and two Senators, then choose one of the Senators. If you live in a larger state, the Senators are spread too thin, so use your Represenative.
I've never understood how the VA can, in good conscience, absolutely REFUSE to remove these marks that resulted from THEIR OWN DAMN MISTAKES! It seriously just pisses me off to no end when I hear stories like this.
Exactly. Not to mention hubby joined before they stopped making you pay the $1200 for the GI Biill. Now that you no longer have to pay in to receive the benefit you can of course claim your $1200 back....if you hop on one leg blindfolded in a circle. The process is quite insane and specific to get that money back.
@Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion if your other efforts don't work.
Write a letter to your US Representative. Explain as clearly as you can the sitution. And ask clearly for what you want (for the VA to remove the collections from your reports). I would not present it as a goodwill request, but rather the fair outcome based on the facts. But that's up to you.
Send the letter to your Reprentative's district office (not the Washington, DC, office, although if you send it to DC it will get forwarded to the district office). The Representative has someone working in his/her district office called a constituent liaison. That person's job is to be a go-between (on the Represenative's behalf) between constituents (you) and federal agencies (in this case, the VA).
When the constituent liaison gets your letter, he will write a letter from the Represenative to a congressional liaison at the VA. The letter will essentially say, "One of my constituents contacted me with this problem. Would you please look into it and let me know if you can help?" The Represenative will sign the letter, and it will be sent along with your letter. The constituent liaison may contact you before this, too, if he needs any additional documentation.
There are no guarantees here, of course. They aren't going to violate policies just because a Representative's office asks them a question. But sometimes you do get a more sympathetic ear. It is a sort of back door where they may be more inclined to help you than someone who just wants to get your paperwork off their desk (or to avoid making more paperwork, or is trying just not to rock the boat until they get to retirement).
Eventually, you'll hear back from the Representative with an answer. Maybe it's successful. Maybe it isn't. At the very least, you'll get a letter signed by your Representative (which, depending on how you feel about him/her, may be kind of cool).
At least that was how it worked 20 years ago when I did that job (constituent liaison) for a couple of years.
Edit to Add: You can do the same thing with your Senator. But you should only do one. Either your Represenative or one of your Senators. If you live in a very small state with one Representative and two Senators, then choose one of the Senators. If you live in a larger state, the Senators are spread too thin, so use your Represenative.
Thank you. I will try that if other efforts have failed. I just want to help my husband out!