On May 23, 2017, the Administration released the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) budget for fiscal year 2018. Contained within this budget were two legislative proposals that DAV strongly opposes because if enacted into law, they would seriously reduce benefits for our nation's ill and injured veterans, their families, and survivors.
10-year cost-of-living round down
The Administration's budget proposal contains a provision that would round down cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for disability compensation, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and some other benefits for the next 10 years. DAV remains adamantly opposed to this or any permanent round down provision.
Veterans and their survivors rely on their compensation for essential purchases such as food, transportation, rent, and utilities. It also enables them to maintain a marginally higher quality of life in the face of rising inflation. This COLA round down provision would unfairly target disabled veterans, their dependents, and survivors to save the government money and offset the cost of other federal programs. That is simply unacceptable.
The cumulative effect of this provision of law would, in essence, levy a 10-year "tax" on disabled veterans and their survivors, reducing their income each year. When multiplied by the number of disabled veterans and recipients of DIC, hundreds of millions of dollars would be siphoned from these deserving individuals annually. All totaled, VA estimates this proposed COLA round down would cost beneficiaries close to $2.7 billion over the next 10 years.
INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY AND SOCIAL SECURITY OFFSET
The Administration's budget proposal also contains a provision that would scale back VA's Individual Employability (IU) program for thousands of veterans. DAV strongly opposes this ill-conceived proposal.
The IU program allows VA to pay certain veterans, who are determined to be unemployable because of service-connected disabilities, disability compensation at the 100 percent rate, even though VA has not rated their service-connected disabilities at the 100 percent level. This proposal would terminate existing IU ratings for veterans when they reach the minimum retirement age for Social Security purposes, currently 62, as well as cut off IU benefits for any veteran already in receipt of Social Security retirement benefits.
We oppose this and any measure that proposes to offset the payment of any other federal benefit or earned benefit entitlement against VA compensation payments made to service-connected disabled veterans. Benefits received from the VA, or those based on military retirement pay, have differing eligibility criteria for different purposes than other federal programs. Furthermore, we are vehemently opposed to limiting disability compensation benefits due to a veteran's age. Many disabled veterans might not have income replacement available-especially those who had been on IU for an extended period in advance of reaching retirement age. Arbitrarily cutting off IU eligibility for veterans who turn 62, an age at which millions of American's continue working and saving money for their retirements-a luxury that many disabled veterans do not have-would be grossly unfair to the men and women served.
We are calling on all DAV, American Legion, VFW, AMVETS, and Vietnam Vets org, The Enlisted Association for reitered members, and supporters to contact their members of Congress and urge them to reject the harmful proposals that would negatively affect injured and ill veterans, their families, and survivors. [-] less if you agree please sign the petition we need at least one million signatures.
Updates
June 12, 2017
The rapid growth of our collective opposition signals that the public recognizes the severity of these proposed benefit reductions. This momentum demonstrates a clear refusal to accept a budget that abandons our disabled veterans and their families.
14 Comments
I have 2 purple hearts, presidential unit citation, many more awards from the army. I was a sgt. in 173rd airborne brigade. I was on hill 875 in dak to. all the officers were killed and most of my buddy's. So many things was covered up by people in charge. one of my best friends died about a week ago from the viet nam war. we just had a day for the vets. so many years viet nam vet were treated less than right. I finely have people that thank me for fighting for this country. Now the president that told me he was going to help the vets is going to take away our iu this is the biggest slap in the face sense I returned from viet nam. I will loose ever thing I have. President trump should have never signed this bill. He lied to us. please don't let this bill pass.
Stop the Federal Budget from eliminating the unemployability rating for our most disabled Veteran, this would cut their check in half and reduce other benefits and could very well make them HOMELESS.
Do not take these benefits away from our vets! Cut waste somewhere else. This is betrayal. Help the vets, do not make things even worse. They have struggled to get these benefits a long time. If you cut these benefits it will be my last Republican vote.
There has to be another way
This POTUS is "Agent Orange" all over again. Once again, the Nam Vets are and always will be the Military's "Step Children" 1
Sounds like this Proposal says when a person reaches S.S. age they can change their life and live with less money or not need as much.
vets are having a hard enough time . don't reduce our benefits .
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On May 23, 2017, the Administration released the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) budget for fiscal year 2018. Contained within this budget were two legislative proposals that DAV strongly opposes because if enacted into law, they would seriously reduce benefits for our nation's ill and injured veterans, their families, and survivors.
10-year cost-of-living round down
The Administration's budget proposal contains a provision that would round down cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for disability compensation, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and some other benefits for the next 10 years. DAV remains adamantly opposed to this or any permanent round down provision.
Veterans and their survivors rely on their compensation for essential purchases such as food, transportation, rent, and utilities. It also enables them to maintain a marginally higher quality of life in the face of rising inflation. This COLA round down provision would unfairly target disabled veterans, their dependents, and survivors to save the government money and offset the cost of other federal programs. That is simply unacceptable.
The cumulative effect of this provision of law would, in essence, levy a 10-year "tax" on disabled veterans and their survivors, reducing their income each year. When multiplied by the number of disabled veterans and recipients of DIC, hundreds of millions of dollars would be siphoned from these deserving individuals annually. All totaled, VA estimates this proposed COLA round down would cost beneficiaries close to $2.7 billion over the next 10 years.
INDIVIDUAL UNEMPLOYABILITY AND SOCIAL SECURITY OFFSET
The Administration's budget proposal also contains a provision that would scale back VA's Individual Employability (IU) program for thousands of veterans. DAV strongly opposes this ill-conceived proposal.
The IU program allows VA to pay certain veterans, who are determined to be unemployable because of service-connected disabilities, disability compensation at the 100 percent rate, even though VA has not rated their service-connected disabilities at the 100 percent level. This proposal would terminate existing IU ratings for veterans when they reach the minimum retirement age for Social Security purposes, currently 62, as well as cut off IU benefits for any veteran already in receipt of Social Security retirement benefits.
We oppose this and any measure that proposes to offset the payment of any other federal benefit or earned benefit entitlement against VA compensation payments made to service-connected disabled veterans. Benefits received from the VA, or those based on military retirement pay, have differing eligibility criteria for different purposes than other federal programs. Furthermore, we are vehemently opposed to limiting disability compensation benefits due to a veteran's age. Many disabled veterans might not have income replacement available-especially those who had been on IU for an extended period in advance of reaching retirement age. Arbitrarily cutting off IU eligibility for veterans who turn 62, an age at which millions of American's continue working and saving money for their retirements-a luxury that many disabled veterans do not have-would be grossly unfair to the men and women served.
We are calling on all DAV, American Legion, VFW, AMVETS, and Vietnam Vets org, The Enlisted Association for reitered members, and supporters to contact their members of Congress and urge them to reject the harmful proposals that would negatively affect injured and ill veterans, their families, and survivors. [-] less if you agree please sign the petition we need at least one million signatures.
Updates
June 12, 2017
The rapid growth of our collective opposition signals that the public recognizes the severity of these proposed benefit reductions. This momentum demonstrates a clear refusal to accept a budget that abandons our disabled veterans and their families.
14 Comments
The VA thinks the suicide rate is high now enact the termination of IU at age 62 and watch the suicide rate explode. This bill is a death sentence to many disabled veterans stop the erosion of veteran benefits.
I have 2 purple hearts, presidential unit citation, many more awards from the army. I was a sgt. in 173rd airborne brigade. I was on hill 875 in dak to. all the officers were killed and most of my buddy's. So many things was covered up by people in charge. one of my best friends died about a week ago from the viet nam war. we just had a day for the vets. so many years viet nam vet were treated less than right. I finely have people that thank me for fighting for this country. Now the president that told me he was going to help the vets is going to take away our iu this is the biggest slap in the face sense I returned from viet nam. I will loose ever thing I have. President trump should have never signed this bill. He lied to us. please don't let this bill pass.
Stop the Federal Budget from eliminating the unemployability rating for our most disabled Veteran, this would cut their check in half and reduce other benefits and could very well make them HOMELESS.
Do not take these benefits away from our vets! Cut waste somewhere else. This is betrayal. Help the vets, do not make things even worse. They have struggled to get these benefits a long time. If you cut these benefits it will be my last Republican vote.
There has to be another way
This POTUS is "Agent Orange" all over again. Once again, the Nam Vets are and always will be the Military's "Step Children" 1
Sounds like this Proposal says when a person reaches S.S. age they can change their life and live with less money or not need as much.
vets are having a hard enough time . don't reduce our benefits .
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The VA thinks the suicide rate is high now enact the termination of IU at age 62 and watch the suicide rate explode. This bill is a death sentence to many disabled veterans stop the erosion of veteran benefits.