VA Widow's Pension Benefits Applications Delayed, Denied or Lost

My sister is the widow of a Vietnam veteran. We recently applied for VA Widows Pension Benefits for her. My sister is 100% disabled from Fibromyalgia and COPD. Her daily pain level is excruciating even when she is not having a flare-up. She uses a walker. She is unable to afford the full cost of her Assisted Living situation, not to mention her medical co-pays and prescription costs. She is at high risk of becoming homeless. Many veteran's widows are in the same situation. "According to the most recent VA data, there are nearly 75,000 pension claims pending across the country. Almost half of them have been pending for longer than four months. Too few workers trying to process too many claims in too little time. The pressure to work swiftly despite a complex system of benefits and rules, along with outdated or trouble-prone technology, has made human and computer errors all too common, the workers say. Also workers give out inaccurate or misleading information to applicants making the process even more confusing, complicated and time consuming." (Paraphrased NYT Times September 2012 and other articles.) People like my sister are suffering, dying, and becoming homeless, because the VA Widows Pension Benefits Department is not properly staffed, trained, or given the proper technology to process claims in a timely manner. It's a national scandal and disgrace. Our veterans gave their life energy and their lives to defend our country, thinking that their loved ones would be cared for after they were gone. This situation is unconscionable. Please sign to support my sister Lucy, and all the other widows eligible for VA Widow's Pension Benefits.