They Facebook group called Disabled Veterans - Chapter 31 VocRehab was founded by me, Benjamin Krause, in 2009.

I created the group after filing my first appeal with VocRehab when Disabled American Veterans refused to publish a story about it.

As a direct result of the group, CBS Evening News with Katie Couric exposed massive problems within the program. VocRehab Counselors were misleading veterans about the program, and Couric's team exposed the scandal on national TV in 2010.

READ IT: VocRehab Exposed By CBS Evening News

Yes. While in law school, I decided I wanted to become a veterans rights attorney rather than work in business law. VocRehab basically said, "Hell no!" and it took another two years to get it approved after VocRehab destroyed evidence and made fraudulent misrepresentations about my claim.

I only bring this up to highlight how hard it can be to get approval for self-employment after an education.

VocRehab paid around $315,000 for my education overall. The program paid another $35,000 for my start-up law firm.

VocRehab paid for me to attend law school after I exposed the program for lying to veterans. Katie Couric and her team exposed it on CBS in 2010. Immediately after CBS contacted VR&E about my claim, they approved my IWRP request to  attend law school.

To get it done, I used some unique strategies to push the ball forward. I cover this and some perspectives about my own law school experience in the VocRehab Survival Guide.

The minimum rating required for a veteran to be deemed entitled to Voc Rehab services is 10%. Voc Rehab generally requires that whatever condition results in the 10% rating causing a "serious employment handicap." Without this handicap, the veteran must have a 20% rating with a regular "employment handicap."

I cover this more in the VocRehab Survival Guide.

The easy way to do this is to apply on eBenefits.va.gov. In the alternative, you can fill out the VA Form 21-1900 and fax it in.

After many years, I was able to secure contact information for two individuals VocRehab selected to answer general questions about the program.

While these two individuals are unable to answer specific claims questions, they can answer hypothetical questions about policies possibly affecting your claim.

To use this resource effectively, ask general questions affecting your claim such as, "Are there instances where VocRehab will approve medical school for qualified veterans?" Or, "Does VocRehab provide financial support for veterans seeking self-employment?"

Questions like these are a good place to start. You can then drill down into those questions to help give you insight into whether your local counselor may be deceiving you.

The identities and names of these individuals may change over time. I encourage you to ping me in our Facebook group if you have a difficult time reaching either of the following.

Both individuals, called ombusdmen, can be reached at the VRE Central Office call center number 202-461-9600. You can email either of the following:

• Anthony Estelle - - [email protected]
• Sabrina Barry - - [email protected] (202-461-9618)