A pension file can be complete in content and still stall because the wrong person signed it. The signer line is easy to skip when a family member has been doing the work, and the problem shows up later as a return letter. Check the authority before the packet leaves the house.

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Start with the veteran's own signature

If the veteran is able to read and sign, the veteran signs the application. A family member can help fill in the form, but the signature block belongs to the veteran unless a valid authority is in place. Read every signature block in the packet, not only the last page.

When the veteran cannot sign

If the veteran cannot sign, the file needs proof that someone else has legal authority to act. That proof is usually a valid power of attorney document or, where VA has already assigned a fiduciary, the fiduciary's appointment. A family member's general statement that they help with the veteran's paperwork does not replace either one.

What to check in the document

Read the power of attorney the way the claims office will read it. Check that the veteran's full legal name matches the name on the claim, that the person named is the one signing, that the document covers benefits or claims and not only property, and that it was signed while the veteran was able to do so. Ask whether Missouri requires notarization or witnesses for the document, and put that question to the person who drafted it, since the rule comes from state law.

Recognize the mismatch early

Three signs usually appear before a return letter does. The signer's name does not match the authority document. The packet includes a representative appointment form but the signer is someone else, or the form is missing when a representative is named. The application lists a family member as the claimant when the veteran is the person claiming. Fix any of these before mailing, because each one can turn a complete packet into a restart.

Sources

  1. VA.gov, Veterans Pension Benefits, application and signature requirements, including VA Form 21P-527EZ.