How Can We Help?

Dear Fellow Vermonter,

At a time when a lot of people in our state are struggling, I’m proud to tell you that my office has an excellent staff of caseworkers who work hard every day to help Vermonters get the benefits they need and deserve. 

Over the years, we have worked with tens of thousands of Vermonters to help address problems they’re having with various agencies and programs. Whether it is learning more about veterans’ issues or problems with the VA; dealing with the Social Security Administration, Medicare and Medicaid; getting more information about student debt relief, immigration issues, or passports; or learning about affordable housing programs, my office is here to help.

However, we can only help when someone reaches out to us and lets us know that they need a hand. While we can't guarantee that we will succeed every time, I can guarantee that we will try. It should go without saying that we are here for all Vermonters – regardless of political views or stances on the issues. So, please, if you think we can be of assistance to you, friends or family, don’t hesitate to give us a ring.  

You can reach my office by calling 1-800-339-9834 or visiting my website at sanders.senate.gov, and my experienced staff will do their very best to assist you.

P.S. I hope you will forward this email along if you know someone who might benefit from this information.

Where to Start

If you are having trouble solving a problem with a federal program or agency, my office may be able to help. My staff have years of experience assisting Vermonters in navigating federal programs and cutting through red tape. And while we cannot guarantee a particular outcome, we can help you understand what is involved, inquire about the status of your case, ensure the work is being done correctly, and advocate for expedited resolutions as appropriate.

• Request Assistance: To get help from a member of my staff, please use our assistance request form. You are also welcome to call my Vermont Offices at 1-800-339-9834 (toll-free). We encourage you to call if you need urgent assistance.
  
  
• Get a Referral: As your United States Senator, my role is to help Vermonters with federal issues. For assistance with state, local, or legal matters, I encourage you to contact the appropriate state agency, legislator, or legal jurisdiction. If you don’t know who to call, you are welcome to call my office and my staff can provide you with referral information.
  
  

Here Are Some Examples of Issues We've Helped Vermonters Deal With

Veterans’ Benefits: Our office was once contacted by a veteran who had been diagnosed with cancer that was the result of his military service. He was not yet getting care at the VA and was having trouble enrolling. We worked with the VA Medical Center to ensure he was enrolled in a priority group consistent with his service and diagnosis, allowing him to begin to receive a broad range of services through the VA.

Social Security: A Vermonter living with disabilities had an overpayment from Social Security and had been working on repaying it. However, the amount of the overpayment didn’t make sense to her. Our office asked Social Security for more detail about the figure and learned there was an error in the calculation. As a result, Social Security corrected the mistake, which reduced the amount she owed by over $2,000 dollars.

Social Security: Another constituent contacted our office when his Social Security retirement was fraudulently deposited into a bank account in another state. He contacted Social Security and was informed that Treasury would not reissue the check because his name was attached to the fraudulent account. The constituent discovered that he had been a victim of identity theft. After working with Social Security and the Treasury to clear this up, the constituent received his payment into the correct account.

Federal Student Loans: A Vermonter contacted our office for assistance in understanding the recent changes to loan forgiveness programs and how her eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) may have been affected. We helped the constituent determine that she needed to consolidate her loans to become eligible for PSLF and then ensured all of her eligible prior employment was being counted as qualifying service. This led to, in time, her loan balance of over $100,000 being forgiven entirely.

Medicare: We were contacted by a constituent who was dropped from his Medicare Advantage plan in error and not automatically enrolled in Original Medicare as he should have been. The constituent was hospitalized and ended up with a bill of almost $40,000. He tried to resolve this issue on his own but didn’t have any luck. Our office contacted Medicare on his behalf and, as a result, they corrected his Medicare coverage dates which paid off his $40,000 in medical bills.

Immigration: A Vermonter born abroad had been appointed to the Naval Academy but needed a Citizenship Certificate in order to accept her appointment. She had applied six months prior with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) but had not yet received the document. We inquired with USCIS regarding the status of the document, and two days later, the Vermonter was brought in for a swearing-in ceremony and presented with her Citizenship Certificate.

Taxes: A Vermonter had not received their tax refunds for both 2020 and 2021. Our office was able to work with the IRS to determine there was suspected identity fraud on the return. After our office helped them to confirm their ID with the agency, the Vermonter received their refunds plus interest.

Passports: A Vermonter was travelling for work and realized the day before an international flight that they had lost their passport. Our office was able to request a same day appointment at a passport agency in a city along their itinerary and the constituent received a replacement passport that day.