Will the veteran be required to repay vocational rehabilitation if granted an earlier effective date on disability claim?

[kent101]

If I enroll in vocational rehab and the VA grants and earlier effective date on my claim will I have to repay vocational rehab benefits since the earlier effective date was 15 years ago? Vocational rehab only allows enrollment for veterans 12 years from separation or the effective date of a disability award. 

[broncovet]

No.   You either qualify for Voc Rehab or not, and you will either get an EED or not.  Voc Rehab is not deducted from your compensation.  

If you were paid at the 30 % rate, for example, and then get an eed for 100 percent, then yes, you have to repay each month you already got paid for 30 percent.  But you dont have to pay back voc rehab just because you get awarded compensation.  

Good question, tho.

Voc rehab and compensation are independent from each other except that voc rehab may want some sort of disability to get voc rehab.  

Edited April 9, 2017 by broncovet

[kent101]

7 hours ago, broncovet said:

No.   You either qualify for Voc Rehab or not, and you will either get an EED or not.  Voc Rehab is not deducted from your compensation.  

If you were paid at the 30 % rate, for example, and then get an eed for 100 percent, then yes, you have to repay each month you already got paid for 30 percent.  But you dont have to pay back voc rehab just because you get awarded compensation.  

Good question, tho.

Voc rehab and compensation are independent from each other except that voc rehab may want some sort of disability to get voc rehab.  

I qualify for voc rehab right now because I was service connected a year ago, but if the VA approves my NOD for a 2001 EED then I don't qualify for voc rehab since it was over 12 years ago I would be considered SC. So I wonder if the VA is going to say "You were qualified for voc rehab but since we approved your EED you are now not qualified for voc rehab. Since you started the program you will have to drop out and repay any benefits used under voc rehab".

[Shake-n-Bake]

I just applied for Voc Rehab, which certainly doesn't make me an expert (I haven't heard back from them yet, either). However, in reading up on it, I'm pretty sure the language is something to the effect of "12 months from notification of your disability rating". You can just go on their publicly accessible webpage and double check that, but if I'm recalling correctly, it seems like having your date adjusted back 12 years shouldn't effect your eligibility in any regard, since the relevant notifications are all contemporary. In fact, when I read through their info the first time, I assumed that wording was specifically because benefits are often back dated, by the time a veteran fights their way through the red tape.