The Uphill Battle for VA Benefits and How the PACT Act Hopes to Help

Podcast Editor Kharl Reynado (MPP ’23) spoke with Amy Antioho, the widow of Peter Antioho, an Army Officer who passed away after exposure to burn pits during his military service, and their VA benefits attorney, Cindy Johnson, Deputy Director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC), about what the PACT Act is and what it means for veterans and their families. Amy walks listeners through her nearly year-long experience applying for initial disability benefits for Peter after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. After multiple denials and stacks of VA forms and medical papers, she reached out to Cindy at the CVLC for help. Cindy discusses the challenges veterans can face when they submit a VA disability benefit claim and the features in the PACT Act that hope to ease those burdens for veterans exposed to toxics during their military service.