01/16/2026 02:11:42 -VA Compensation Intake Center BEST COPY Source: QuickSubmit July 18, 2024 LAWRENCE WIDIKOWSKI 11 COOPER ST DAN VILLE WV 25053 We made a decision on your VA benefits Dear Lawrence Widikowski: This letter will guide you through the information you should know and steps you may take now that VA has made a decision about your benefits. Your Benefit Information:  Entitlement to special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound is denied. See Rating Decision to find out why we made this decision. As a Veteran with a service-connected disability, you may be eligible for up to $40,000 in VA life insurance benefits. Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) is guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance available to all service-connected, disabled veterans with no time limit to apply as long as you are age 80 or under. Veterans age 81 and over are still eligible in certain circumstances. Visit the VALife Insurance website, httl2s://www.va.gov/life-insurance/o]2tions-eligibilily/valife , for further information. Your monthly entitlement amount is shown below: Monthly Payment Start Entitlement Date Reason Amount $2,973.86 Aug 1, 2018 Original Award $3,057.13 Dec 1, 2018 Cost of Living Adjustment $3,106.04 Dec 1, 2019 Cost of Living Adjustment $3,146.42 Dec 1, 2020 Cost of Living Adjustment We have included with this letter: 1. Explanation of Payment 2. Additional Benefits 3. Where to Send Your Correspondence 4. VA Form 20-0998 5. Rating Decision 6. Fraud Prevention Attachment Contact information: Web: www.vets.ov Phone: 1-800-827-1000 TDD: 711 To send questions online: visit htts:I/iris.custhel.com/ Social Media: Twitter: @VAVetBenefits Facebook: www.facebook.com/ VeteransBenefits Your representative: You appointed AMERICAN LEGION as your accredited representative. They have also received a copy of this letter. They can help you with any questions you have about your claim. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and then pressing 1.

01/16/2026 02:11:42 -VA Compensation Intake Center BEST COPY Source: QuickSubmit File Number: 200469795 WIDIKOWSKI, LAWRENCE Monthly Entitlement Amount Payment Start Date Reason $3,332.06 Dec 1, 2021 Cost of Living Adjustment $3,621.95 Dec 1, 2022 Cost of Living Adjustment $3,737.85 Dec 1, 2023 Cost of Living Adjustment We are currently paying you as a single Veteran with no dependents. If payments are due, you should receive your first payment, if not already in receipt of payments, within 7-10 days of this notice. See Explanation of Payment for more details about your payment. Your payment will be directed to the financial institution and account number that you specified. To confirm when your payment was deposited, please contact your financial institution. If this account is no longer open, please notify us immediately. What You Should Do If You Disagree With Our Decision If you do not agree with our decision, you have one year from the date of this letter to select a review option in order to protect your initial filing date for effective date purposes. You must file your request on the required application form for the review option desired. The table below represents the review options and their respective required application form. Review Option Required Application Form Supplemental Claim VA Form 20-0995, Decision Review Request. Supplemental Claim Higher-Level Review VA Form 20-0996, Decision Review Request. Higher-Level Review Appeal to the Board of VA Form 10182, Decision Review Request. Board Appeal Veterans’ Appeals (Notice of Disagreement) Please note: You may not request a higher-level review of a higher-level review decision issued Page 2 Rol 5 10 IiIII

01/16/2026 02:11:42 -VA Compensation Intake Center BEST COPY Source: QuickSubmit File Number: 200469795 WIDIKOWSKI, LAWRENCE by VA. The enclosed VA Form 20-0998, Your Right To Seek Review Of Our Decision, explains your options in greater detail and provides instructions on how to request further review. You may download a copy of any of the required application forms noted above by visiting www.va.gov/vaforms/ or you may contact us by telephone at 1-800-827-1000 and we will mail you any form you need. You can visit www.va.gov/decision-reviews to learn more about how the disagreement process works. Important: If you have a service-connected condition which you feel has worsened and is no longer accurately reflected by the level of disability assigned, please use VA Form 21-526EZ, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits to request an increased evaluation. However, if you disagree with a decision made within the last year, please refer to the enclosed VA Form 20-0998, Your Right To Seek Review Of Our Decision. If you would like us to review a claim that was denied more than one year ago, and you have new and relevant evidence for us to consider, please use VA Form 20-0995, Decision Review Request. Supplemental Claim. If you would like to obtain or access evidence used in making this decision, please contact us by telephone, email, or letter as noted below letting us know what you would like to obtain. Some evidence may be obtained online by visiting www.va.gov. Thank you for your service, Regional Office Director cc: AMERICAN LEGION Page 3 IiIII

01/16/2026 02:11:42 -VA Compensation Intake Center BEST COPY Source: QuickSubmit File Number: 200469795 WIDIKOWSKI, LAWRENCE Explanation of Payment We are currently paying you as a single Veteran with no dependents. Please Take Action: What Things Affect Your Right to Payment? Please notify VA immediately if there is a change in any condition affecting your right to continued payments. If you don’t notify us of these changes immediately, you may have to return any overpayments. Those changes include: Evidence received shows a change is warranted. Military Pay or Worker’s Compensation: Your payments may be affected by the following, which you must bring to our attention:  Reentrance into active military or naval service.  Receipt of armed forces service retirement pay, unless your retirement pay has already been reduced because of award of disability compensation.  Receipt of benefits from the Office of Federal Employees Compensation.  Receipt of active duty or drill pay as a reservist or member of the National Guard. Dependents: If you have a disability rating of 30 percent or more, you must advise VA of any change with your spouse or children. Hospitalization: If your award includes Aid and Attendance benefits, we may reduce this additional allowance if you are admitted to a hospital, nursing home, or domiciliary care at VA expense. Incarceration: Benefits will be reduced if you are incarcerated in a federal, state, or local penal institution for more than 60 days for conviction of a felony. Lack of Cooperation: We may stop monthly payments if you:  fail to submit evidence we requested,  fail to attend a VA examination when requested, or  Submit false or fraudulent evidence to VA, or cause false or fraudulent evidence to be submitted to VA. Fraud/Lying to Government: The law provides severe penalties, which include fines, imprisonment, or both, for the fraudulent acceptance of any payment to which you are not entitled. We may verify information you submit through computer-matching programs with other agencies. Additional Benefits Education, Training, and Employment:  Education loans: For more information, please call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) or Page 5WF !1L!1 IiI

01/16/2026 02:11:42 -VA Compensation Intake Center BEST COPY Source: QuickSubmit File Number: 200469795 WIDIKOWSKI, LAWRENCE visit www.vets.aov/education.  Veterans with student loans: For more information, please call 1-888-303-7818 or visit www.disabilitydischarge.com/. Medical Care and Treatment:  Mental Health Counseling: For more information, please visit www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv- portal-web!.  Blind Rehabilitation: For more information, please visit www.va.gov/blindrehab!. Home Adaptations/Loans, Automobile Benefits, and Life Insurance:  Loans: For more information, please visit www.benefits.va.gov!homeloans/.  Funding Fee Refund: If you paid a funding fee at the closing of a VA guaranteed home loan and your VA compensation award provides an effective rating date that was prior to your loan closing date, then you may be eligible for a funding fee refund. Please contact either your current mortgage servicer or a VA Regional Loan Center at (877) 827-3702 to begin the refund process.  Government life insurance: As a Veteran with a service-connected disability, you may be eligible for up to $40,000 in VA life insurance benefits. Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) is guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance available to all service-connected, disabled veterans with no time limit to apply as long as you are age 80 or under. Veterans age 81 and over are still eligible in certain circumstances. For more information on VALife, please visit https://www.va.aov/life-insurance/options-elifzibility/valife/. Armed Forces Commissary and Exchange:  You may be entitled to Armed Forces Commissary and Exchange privileges. Honorably discharged Veterans with a service-connected disability; Former Prisoners of War; Purple Heart or Medal of Honor recipients; military retirees; members of the reserves; and their dependents may qualify for entitlement to this additional benefit. For more information, please visit va. gov!resources!commissary-and-exchange-privileges-for-veterans. Page 6 !1L!1 WF IiI

01/16/2026 02:11:42 -VA Compensation Intake Center BEST COPY Source: QuickSubmit Where to Send Your Correspondence ocuments may be submitted by mail, in person at a VA regional office or electronically. [owever, VA recommends submitting correspondence electronically as this is the fastest method f receipt. A provides several tools to assist in electronic submission. To learn more about how to submit )cuments and claims electronically, visit www.va.gov/disability/upload-sul2porting-evidence. ou can also go directly to access.va.gov to digitally upload any correspondence using uickSubmit. visiting www.va.gov you can also check your claim status and learn about other VA benefits. you need assistance, you can find a local, accredited representative at If you prefer to mail your correspondence, please use the related mailing address below: Compensation Benefits Pension & Survivors Benefits Department of Veterans Affairs Department of Veterans Affairs Compensation Intake Center Pension Intake Center P.O. Box 4444 P.O. Box 5365 Janesville, WI 53547 Janesville, WI 53547 Toll Free Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Toll Free Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Toll Free Fax: (844) 531-7818 Toll Free Fax: (844) 655-1604 Board of Veterans’ Appeals Fiduciary Department of Veterans Affairs Department of Veterans Affairs Board of Veterans’ Appeals Fiduciary Intake Center P.O. Box 27063 P.O. Box 5211 Washington, DC 20038 Janesville, WI 53547 Toll Free Fax: (844) 678-8979 Toll Free Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Toll Free Fax: (888) 581-6826 These addresses serve all United States and foreign locations. You can also send a text message to / s Crisis Line: 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, Dial 988 then Press 1 7 days a week, 365 days a year. For more information, visit www.veteranscrisisline.net WTSYC v8 (04/24)

01/16/2026 02:11:42 -VA Compensation Intake Center BEST COPY Source: QuickSubmit Fraud Prevention: Protect Your Benefits Please contact the VA immediately at 1-800-827-1000 if you suspect your information is compromised.  You receive correspondence from VA concerning a claim, and you don’t remember filing a claim contact the VA at 1-800-827-1000.  You receive correspondence requesting a processing fee prior to releasing benefit payments contact the VA at 1-800-827-1000.  VA may check in with you by phone, email, or text message. The VA will never ask for personal information via email. This includes verification of your SSN, address, and/or bank information. If you are unsure about any call, email, or text, confirm details directly with the VA.  VA does not threaten claimants with jail or lawsuits.  Be cautions of telephone numbers on caller ID. Scammers may change the telephone number (spoofing) to make a call appear to come from a different person or place.  When in doubt, hang up and call VA directly at 1-800-827-1000, or call your Power of Attorney representative (DAV, VFW, etc.).  Do not ignore emails or letters from the VA notifying you of an update to direct deposit or eBenefits account information. If you don’t remember making changes, it could be the first sign your information was compromised.  Use secure, unique passwords, and two factor identification where available. To establish a more secure logon for Vets.gov and ebenefits.va.gov with two factor identification create an account via ID.me at https://api . id .me/en/registration/new  Monitor your accounts regularly, respond to fraud alerts and report unauthorized transactions promptly.  To learn more about protecting yourself from fraud, and how to report it visit https://www.va.gov/oig/hotline/default.asp, or go to VA.gov and search "Office of Inspector General".  For more details on how to avoid scams go to https://www.fcc.gov/veterans- targeted-benefits-scams  Download free financial scam awareness resources at https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/blog/helping-prevent-scams- targeted-veterans/  Get up-to-date information on fraud and scams from the Federal Trade Commission https://public.tableau .com/profile/federal.trade.commission