Deacon 2011

Thanks Kelly and Chuck... I'll confer with my Dr. so that I am providing an honest answer. Perhaps I'm getting anxious over nothing.

Just received my first SSDI Update Worksheet (the form is dated 2013)... Iv'e searched previous post here but I have some concerns about the following: Question #2 ask if I have attended school/work training... I have attended a few classes at a local Bible College... not sure if this will become problematic. Question #3 ask if I can work and allows for the following responses: (1) I/My Dr. have not discussed me rerunning to work (2) My Dr. told me I can't work (3) My Dr. told me I can work The reality is... (1) My doctor(s) and I have never discussed me returning to work because (2) they agree that I cannot work, and have (3) never told me that I can work... the questionnaire only allows for one response. I'm uncertain how I should respond... and their instructions appear misleading. We all know that SSDI can be a nightmare, I don't want deal with this again. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your responses, I just wanted to take some classes for my own edification on biblical history. Perhaps this is not the way to go, I didn't want to lose the benefits I've earned but I don't want to lose any just because I desire to know more on a particular subject.

Hi All... I am TDIU P&T and receive SSDI. I want to take some classes in the area of divinity, for my personal knowledge; I have Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits available... I've searched Hadit and other sites for answers but have still been unable to find "direct" answers as to whether or not I can take classes without any headaches. Not sure what to do, any help is appreciated.

7... I like your way of thinking! And, I agree with Mike totally. You can't rope the med staff into the retro bit. Although it took a long time, I must say they did me justice in the end. Life has taught me lately, not to trust anyone except the wife and the dog! Thank God for SSDI and the IU rating, if not for that, we would be pulling out the weapons that Cool Breeze is looking for! Try not to think about the retro, it will come, pondering on it only brings stress. Oh well, the wife is not home, so I'm gonna talk to the dog... at least the dog dosen't know what retro is and will not tell me what I already know like when weI call the VA 800#.

Dang Cool! I haven't been on the site for a while... I thought you would be good to go by now. My status changed right after yours; I have decided not to have any expectation to see any retro before Christmas... not stressing over this stuff anymore.

Cool, Other than what you last posted, do you have any indication as to what's happening with your retro?

I can only share with you what I've experienced and have been informed of by DFAS and VA... In June of 2011 the VA and DFAS began a "combined effort" to audit retro payments issued to retirees due to apparent "overpayments" related to CRDP. In short, the VA now sends payment data to DFAS for them to "scrub" to ensure or validate whether or not the Veteran is owed any retro. In my case, I received two increases in one year... Feb 2011, from 40% to 80%, retro paid within days of the new decision. In Dec. 2011, awarded TDIU and a bunch of other increases but, due to the new audit controls, no retro YET. This action, from my understanding only applies to retirees. I was informed that it takes only one payment to "activate" the audit process by establishing "payment history"; afterwards, the information regarding retro (if any) is provided to the VA for payment to the Veteran. CB was given a series of timelines as to when retro would be paid, I was only informed that the process "would not take long". I've stressed too much over waiting for my last claim to be completed (467 days), I'm not doing that again, if and when it shows up , it shows up.

Cool, Have you talked with the folks at DFAS? When we talked about this in the forum about a month ago, I call DFAS and got in touch with one of the auditors in the section formerly known as "VA Retro Pay". She explained the process to me and indicated that all they needed was for one payment to be made with the veterans new CRDP amount, this would trigger the audit and the retro (if any) would be awarded. Unless she lied to me (and of course that's possible) she did not indicate that retro pay activity would be "actioned" as a new claim. This is the # I called... if it goes to the retirement pay section, have them transfer you to retro. Hope this helps. 877-327-4457 (then select option 1 or 3)

If you are rated at 100% scheduler (against the rating tables) you can still work. If you were awarded IU, commonly referred to as TDIU (Total Disability Individual Unemployability) you can't work as you are considered unemployable. If I were you, I would take a look at the letter from the DAV again to make sure it says nothing about IU; if it does not, then it's relatively safe to say that the VA did not rate you as TDIU and you can continue to work.

Ok, I'm in the same boat I guess since I am retired military as well. When did this change? Last year I had an increase from 40% to 80% and rec'd retro right away. Right now they only take $5 for VA waiver. Sounds like I might have some more waiting to do???

No, I don't owe them anything, and I sure could use the retro!

OK... you guys have me concerned. I was just awarded IU back dated to Dec. 2010 along with some other things from a claim going back to May of 2010. So, no RETRO should be expected or am I not understanding what you are sharing?

Thanks, this was very helpful.

Yes, from all I can tell, it's P&T; I've been receiving SSDI for a year now with no further screening for 5-7 years. quote name='john999' timestamp='1325534963' post=267773] Being "S" I guess they made you P&T. If they did not they should have so you don't to worry about future exams. I have never talked to anyone who got IU that was reduced later. Have you filed for SSD? We all get geared up to fight the VA for 20 years and when we win there is a gap to fill.