Military Camp

If you are retired or get VA and SS payments READ THIS

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  • Ole Cowboy

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    What is their claimed disability or combination typically?

    There is lots of fraud too even on lower levels, people claiming stuff that is hard to disprove.
    Not sure why, but in our many conversations I never bothered to even ask. If you are a GO then you are up around 35 years AD, puts you in your mid 50's. Most folks start having problems by then. Could be minor like high blood pressure and a host of other things that affect us, but don't slow us down until you are sitting in front of the doc, getting ready to retire.

    I can say that most all GO's work hard, VERY hard. I would save average day is about 14 hrs. Many of these guys are indeed dead men walking. General Max Thurman died right after he retired like weeks. He was EATEN up with cancer, no one knew, not even my best friend the Surgeon Gen. I know it affected, he called me and we got together and he was in near tears asking how and why as he personally took care of GO's and knew Max very well. He told me Max must have been in MAJOR pain 24x7, not sure how he carried on. He was a 4 star and TRADOC Co, I personally did not like him, he did a lot of things I thought were wrong for the Army and wrong for soldiers...
     

    Texas42

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    "The average payment was about $59,000, but about 2,300 veterans, or 4 percent of the total, received concurrent payments of $100,000 or more, the Government Accountability Office said.
    The highest payment was to a veteran who received $208,757 in combined payments in 2013".

    That quote is a typical misuse of statistics. First, it is just thrown out there hoping it will stick. There are no explicit examples to support the allegation.

    My retirement and VA disability payments don't even approach those numbers.

    On the other hand, Colonels, General Officers, and Sergeant's Majors make up about that four percent number.

    Rank has its privileges, even in retirement.

    The VA system's payments should be easy to track by someone. I'm not sure what explicit examples you are looking for. I'm not say those numbers are correct and if those numbers are accurate, you are talking about a group that is drawing military pension, Social security, and VA Benefits. All three added up could easily make those numbers. No one is saying the average VA disability payment is 59k.
     

    Hill Billy

    USN 1974 -1977
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    For those in here who aren't Vets and are bitch'n about the VA, STFU! Did you serve? If you did, GREAT. If you didn't, then STFU!
     

    Shotgun Jeremy

    Spelling Bee Champeon
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    Hill Billy,

    Why the hell did you feel the need to resurrect a four year old thread? Why?
    This.

    Hill Billy, as a Seabee vet, would you just STFU about vets already? If people don't like us or the VA system - who cares? It's not like you're losing your benefits over it. You're not going to change their minds, nor will they change yours. I hear more bitching from angry vets than I do from non-vets.

    Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk
     

    gshayd

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    Since this has been resurrected from the dead. I draw military retired pay because I served 20+ years in the military reserves.. I draw VA disability because of the disabilities that were service incurred. I had no choice about serving when were called up in 2003 . These disabilities keep from being able to work a full-time job. If the government could make me 100% healthy again I would gladly give them 100% of the disability pay back. I draw Social Security because I paid into the system just like everybody else did and it is not an entitlement. I draw Civilian Retired pay because I also worked 30 years as an Army Civilian. Now some Jackass in the Congress is braying that I am a triple dipper. No way I earned all those retirements by working the Congress critter and anybody else should guess which finger I am holding up if they think I am triple dipping. The greed of Congress knows no bounds.
     

    Bozz10mm

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    Correct me if this has changed, but when I retired, your military retirement pay was reduced by the amount of your VA disability pay. The only gain was that the VA pay was not taxable.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    Correct me if this has changed, but when I retired, your military retirement pay was reduced by the amount of your VA disability pay. The only gain was that the VA pay was not taxable.
    There is what is known as concurrent receipt. 50% disability rating by the VA is the primary qualifier that eliminates the offset. If you don't qualify for concurrent receipt then yes, your retirement is offset. If you do qualify then no offset.
     

    gshayd

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    Correct me if this has changed, but when I retired, your military retirement pay was reduced by the amount of your VA disability pay. The only gain was that the VA pay was not taxable.
    Congress passed a law that they would add 10% per year back to your retirement pay till you could draw 100% of your disability pay and 100% of your retired pay by doing a CRDP payment on your retired pay. There are two kinds of disability. Its called CRDP everybody was 100% by 2014. You have to have a disability rating of 50% or more. You do not have to apply for this. I had to call DFAS because my first check the deducted retired pay out. The CRDP is taxable income too. There is also CRSC you have to apply for that through your branch of service.
     

    gshayd

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    There is what is known as concurrent receipt. 50% disability rating by the VA is the primary qualifier that eliminates the offset. If you don't qualify for concurrent receipt then yes, your retirement is offset. If you do qualify then no offset.
    You can apply for CRSC if you have a "combat" related injury and you have a less than 50% rating. This has to be approved by the branch of service you were in.
     

    txchl33

    .·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·.¸ ><((((º>Rev 4:1
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    Apr 14, 2011
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    This is something to keep and eye on, Libs HATE the military and especially hate soldiers!


    Report says 60,000 veterans get triple benefits


    By MATTHEW DALY



    Nov. 1, 2014 10:45 AM EDT


    27612



    2 photos

    FILE - In this July 9, 2014 file photo, Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla. speaks on Capitol Hill in... Read more


    WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 60,000 veterans were triple dippers last year, drawing a total of $3.5 billion in military retirement pay plus veterans and Social Security disability benefits at the same time, congressional auditors report.
    It's all legal.

    The average payment was about $59,000, but about 2,300 veterans, or 4 percent of the total, received concurrent payments of $100,000 or more, the Government Accountability Office said.
    The highest payment was to a veteran who received $208,757 in combined payments in 2013.

    Some lawmakers say the report shows the need for better coordination among government programs that are facing severe financial constraints. The Social Security Disability Insurance trust fund could run out of money in as soon as two years, government officials say.

    "We should fulfill our promises to the men and women who serve, but we need to streamline these duplicative programs," said Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who requested the study.
    Veterans groups disagree. They say the retirement money was earned for years of service in the military, while disability payments are compensation for service-related injuries and wounds.

    In most cases, veterans who receive a combination of benefits are severely disabled. About 4 in 5 veterans who got triple payments had a disability rating of at least 50 percent, the GAO said. Nearly half of those receiving triple payments were at least 60 years old.
    Louis Celli Jr., a Washington representative for the American Legion, said critics of the multiple benefits are "misguided and uninformed." He said the report "should simply be filed in the category of one of Sen. Coburn's parting shots to loyal upstanding American patriots who have sacrificed so much for this country."
    Coburn, a longtime critic of government spending, is retiring at the end of the year. He said in an interview that the report raises legitimate questions about whether disability benefits are getting to those who truly need them.

    "This is billions of dollars a year in duplicative payments," Coburn said. "We ought to reassess and say, 'Are we doing more than take care of people in need?' I'm not against the military. I don't think they should be triple dipping."

    Most Americans would find it hard to understand how someone making $86,000 a year in tax-exempt VA income qualifies for Social Security Disability Insurance, when civilian workers are disqualified from the program if they make as little as $13,000 a year, Coburn said.

    Only 17 percent of those who received multiple forms of compensation had suffered a combat-related disability, according to the GAO.
    Veterans have long been exempted from rules that deny Social Security benefits to anyone with other income exceeding $13,000 a year.
    But until the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, veterans were barred from receiving both military retirement pay and Department of Veterans Affairs' disability benefits. Under a Civil War-era statute, the Pentagon docked retirement pay dollar-for-dollar up to the amount of disability benefits from the VA.

    With bipartisan support, Congress changed that law in 2002, gradually restoring military retirement pay to veterans also drawing disability benefits from the VA.
    "Our nation's status as the world's only superpower is largely due to the sacrifices our veterans made in the last century," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in March 2002 when the bill was being debated.

    "Rather than honoring their commitment and bravery by fulfilling our obligations, the federal government has chosen to perpetuate this longstanding injustice," Reid said. "Quite simply, this is disgraceful and we must correct it."

    At the time, then-Sen. John Warner, R-Va., a former Navy secretary, posed a question to fellow senators: "How can we ask the men and women who have so faithfully served to sacrifice a portion of their retirement because they are also receiving compensation for an injury suffered while serving their country?"
    Warner acknowledged that the change would have "significant cost," but added; "Is the cost too high? I think not."
    About 3 percent of the nation's 1.9 million military retirees collect all three benefits, the GAO said.

    The report did not recommend changes to the program. The VA said in a response that it "generally agrees" with the report's conclusions. Social Security officials did not comment.


    http://bigstory.ap.org/article/604a...eport-says-60000-veterans-get-triple-benefits
    Well Illegals get to claim 10 children and get $10K refunds from the IRS, Poke'm Vets!!
     

    gshayd

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    They are so full of crap it's pathetic.

    I draw military retired pay because I served over 20+ years in the military. That is based on my years of service and retired rank in the military reserves.

    I draw disability pay from the VA which is for the disease and injuries caused by military service. I have health problems because of that service.

    I draw Social Security for military service because I paid into the social security system and medicare so I expect to get it back.

    I also draw a retirement for being an Army Civilian working for the reserves. My civilian job required me to be a member of the military reserves. This job also had to pay social security and medicare.

    At one time Army civilians/military did not pay into social security. Congress was greedy for money to spend on social programs so they started a new retirement plan that pays 1/3 the retirement of the previous retirement system. The new system requires you to have a 401k plan to put money in to get a decent retirement. They also make a 1% payment into it the retirement plans. So you only pay 1% less on your social security and medicare.

    I am still paying taxes on my retirement income.

    Congress required us to pay into social security and medicare. They just want to screw veterans and retired veterans so they have more money to put into social programs for noncitizens who are illegal immigrants.

    Most of us are not drawing big money that is probably the Generals and Colonels.

    They know what they can do with themselves and the horse they rode in on.

    I probably paid more into social security and medicare than they did.
     

    Renegade

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    Congress required us to pay into social security and medicare. They just want to screw veterans and retired veterans so they have more money to put into social programs for noncitizens who are illegal immigrants.

    In fairness here, it was not just mil who got screwed; Civs got screwed too when they moved to FERS from CSRS. As you point out, they need more money for social programs like Social Security and Medicare. Rare are jobs that do not pay in SS nowadays.
     

    gshayd

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    In fairness here, it was not just mil who got screwed; Civs got screwed too when they moved to FERS from CSRS. As you point out, they need more money for social programs like Social Security and Medicare. Rare are jobs that do not pay in SS nowadays.
    FERS Employees make about 1/3rd the retired pay of a CRCS employee. Been there and done that. We also got screwed when Obama discontinued the new pay system Bush put in. when we went back under the GS schedule I was already a step 10 and making more money than the pay scale for step 10 in my pay grade. They had to put me on saved pay until I retired.
     
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