Statement from NYLAG Veterans Practice Supervising Attorney Ryan Foley
NEW YORK — In observation of Veterans Day, Ryan Foley, supervising attorney for the Veterans Practice of New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)’s Public Benefits Unit issued the following statement:
“On Veterans Day and every day, NYLAG’s Veterans Practice team fights alongside veterans, guiding them through complex legal systems and advocating for the benefits they’ve earned — even amid a government shutdown.
“Every veteran should have access to the resources and benefits they’ve earned—but for thousands, that access remains out of reach. That’s why NYLAG is launching a new Pro Bono Discharge Upgrade Clinic this week to increase our capacity to help connect New York City veterans with the resources they need to secure the benefits they deserve.
“NYLAG’s Veterans Practice recognizes the critical importance of providing knowledgeable, culturally competent legal representation to assist veterans in navigating the complex challenges of the federal benefits system even under standard circumstances.
“Offering client-centered expert legal advocacy is especially essential now, as the existing challenges accessing benefits have been further compounded by the added chaos and uncertainty of the ongoing federal shutdown and the disparate impact it continues to have on veterans in particular.
“Veterans comprise 6% of the civilian population, but they disproportionately power our federal workforce, with former service members making up approximately 25% of federal employees. As a result, shutdown-related income disruptions among federal employees – including furloughs or being required to work without pay – hits veterans especially hard.
“Additionally, the government shutdown has reduced the number of application and claims processing staff at both the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs, leading to longer wait times for receiving crucial benefits.
“Insufficient communication with veterans is further exacerbating issues regarding impacted services, making it incredibly challenging for veterans to know what resources and services have been paused or how to navigate the system in its current state.
“Ultimately, regardless of current circumstances directly related to the government shutdown, the central problem persists: the poorly constructed bureaucratic system our nation’s veterans are forced to navigate in order to access the benefits they’ve been promised persistently creates unnecessary and overly-burdensome barriers to access. This broken system and the systemic harms it perpetuates does a disgraceful disservice to former service members, woefully failing to deliver on the government’s most basic obligations in honoring their immense service and sacrifice.
“NYLAG will never stop fighting to support and advocate on behalf of the people who fought for us.”
Learn more about NYLAG’s Veterans Practice and services at nylag.org/veterans-rights.
