Question:

Dear Jim,

My brother is a disabled Vet with a mental illness. I was appointed his fiduciary 10 years ago. A few years ago he was placed in the VA hospital in Massachusetts, as he is incapable of living in apartment or community care home. I live in California so this is a long distance care situation. I volunteered to be fiduciary because my brother begged me & because the attorney the VA first assigned made life difficult for him by being unresponsive & never giving him money when he needed it.

Caring for my brother from a distance has been very difficult & being his fiduciary is a LOT of work, plus I am getting on in years with my own health issues. I understand that family members don't receive compensation even though the VA continues to give lawyers 4% of the Vets compensation, many of whom are dishonest. 2 years ago a VA field examiner decided to put $1100 in my brothers annual budget for me to use for airfare & hotel to visit him. Then the pandemic hit & I wasn't able to use it. Looks like COVID is surging again & who knows if or when flying will be safe. How can I get the VA to change the travel funds to a direct payment to me instead? And don't you think family members should get some kind of compensation for this work? Many thanks for your help. 

Jim's Reply:

Yes, I agree with you. The VA fidu program is often unnecessary and is always a burden that should be better administered. The fiduciary appointment program is at the top of my list for VA inefficiency and lack of caring for the veterans in their charge.
 

Having said that there are only 3 avenues to take if you want changes. You can work with your Congressional representative or you can work with the VA staff who you report to or you can speak with a veterans law attorney. 
 

I wish I had more to offer but in my experience, this is all there is.