SALT LAKE CITY — An important deadline for VA benefits is fast approaching with the PACT Act anniversary coming up.
Military veterans have just 6 days to apply for PACT Act benefits in order to back date those benefits to when the law was passed. Vets go through the process spoke about the potentially life changing benefits the act could bring to those in Utah.
The PACT Act is the largest expansion of veterans benefits and survivor benefits in a generation.
"I'm pretty passionate about it," said Chris Holly, Exec. Dir of the Salt Lake Regional Office of the Veterans Benefits Administration. "I'm a 24-year Army combat veteran. So these are my brothers and sisters, and so we need to make sure that they are served and they get all the benefits that they earned."
Holly is making sure that all veterans know about the act and its upcoming deadline
"I think this is life changing because the health care benefits and the compensation benefits are huge," he said.
Veterans have until Aug. 9 to take full advantage of the program.
"If you get your claim in, or your intent to file by August 9, we can back date your claim to when the law was signed," Holly explained.
Tina Belisle is Associate Chief Nurse for ambulatory care at the VA in Salt Lake and she knows how much the act has affected local veterans.
"We want to make sure that we're giving them the, the care that they've earned," she said. "All of these veterans, they signed their life on the line for us."
Veterans like Thor Fiedler who started in the Wyoming Army National Guard right after Sept. 11.
Those who watch FOX 13 News know Fiedler's work as a video journalist, working hard behind the camera to tell stories; but he also is a veteran and a recipient of benefits from the PACT Act.
"I just happened to know about it because I was up at the VA doing an appointment and I ran into somebody that was like, 'Hey, this is going on tomorrow," said Fiedler.
Thor makes it his mission to tell all vets who don’t know about the benefits.
"I've run into a lot of vets, either one through my job going out, and I'm just in, 'Hey, do you know about this?,' he said. "A lot of them don’t."
That's why the VA is holding events all over the state to get more people to apply.
'We've done more events this year than we've probably done in the last two years pushing the PACT Act," said Holly.
While some may be hesitant, Holly urges vets to apply.
"Please don’t leave your benefits on the table," he pleaded. "You served, you earned them and we are really working hard to get them to you."
The message is to apply, if not for yourself than for your family.
"You gotta try," said Fiedler. "We raised our hands. What you don't see is you see the family members that are standing behind him that were affected by this. A lot of them. At least you stand a better chance, a fighting chance now with going forward and possibly getting that because I mean, we did, we raised our hands."
