john999

I guess you are dealing with OWCP. I think that since you have a on the job injury they will have a hard time firing you if their is anything you can do. I was on limited duty for five years with the post office before I went out on total disability via OWCP. I was on OWCP until I got TDIU and OPM disability and SSDI.

My original effective date is December 4, 1971. I have not tried to go back that far, but I do have VA records of hospitalization in 1972 in my C-File, but not all my records. I had a bunch of psychological tests (including ink blot tests)that disappeared from the record. I freaked out the psychologists because I kept saying the blots looked like bloody guts to me. John

What my psychologist has told me is self-employment is one of the best options for people with disabilites. If you want to work that really would be ideal. If it is going to be a real business that will put the kabosh on TDIU if you start to earn a living. The VA should be glad to train you with this goal in mind. Are your physical and emotional disabilites going to allow you to work enough to out weigh the money you would get from TDIU if you get 80% and apply for SSDI?

I agree with Teac. Send it in now. Who knows when and if the VA will send you the form? The VA is supposed to send you the employment questionaire but, as Teac says, they could send you a proposed reduction instead because this is their only shot at a guy on TDIU. Just send it every February from now on. The form takes about five minutes to fill out at the most. John

I got mine by check as well. I have had direct deposit for 20 years at least.

YES!

Appealing SSD claims is the norm. Winning a claim first time around is unusual. APPEAL!

Are VA hospitals really this bad? I wonder if it is even safe to have my teeth cleaned at the VA?

I think it would be due August 2013, but if the VA sends you the form in the mail fill it in and send it back certified mail/return receipt. I send mine in the last of December every year. I get the form off the web and send it.

You know I have opposite problem of very high arches which results in the same sorts of problems: PF, over pronation, problems standing for long periods without pain etc. I never noticed it until I was wearing army boots on some of those marches to the rifle range. I thought everyone's feet hurt like hell. I had surgery on one foot and I would never recommend that to anyone.

2/3 of Vietnam vets are dead, so this to me is a high rate 40 some odd years after the end of the war. I wonder how this compares with cohort of males age 60-68 who did not serve during Vietnam? We know that socioeconomic factors were at play because if you have money to go to college you could get out of serving during the worst years of the war.

I get about six dollars for round trip to my VACM. I was told for years I could not get anything. I got my first travel paycheck in the mail. I was told not to even bother asking for it, but this guy at mental health said I should send in the form anyway.

TDIU is safest rating because unless you go back to work you are by definition still TDIU. I have been TDIU for 11 years. How would I ever get back into job market with 11 year blank in employment history?

I guess what concerns us here is if active military has pay cuts what will happen to veteran benefits? Shit trickles down hill while money flows upward.

I think they are just concerned with suicides of OIF/OEF vets. If all RVN vets died the VA would have a party.

Hey, you got your claim started and that is what counts. Nobody knows how long a claim will take so the estimate of late 2014 is just a guess.

VSO's will scream.

Jim Mac How old are you if you don't mind me asking? If you are over 40 getting rehabbed probably won't do you much good since no one will hire you anyway. If you could get rehabbed for some self-employed type work that might be good. I went through voc rehab while I worked at the post office since I knew I could not continue that kind of work. Voc rehab did not do much for me. I was getting close to age 50 and who is going to hire an aging geezer with a disability? I was making 50 grand at my crummy USPS job and where was I going to get that money when I could not even do a clerk's job any more. It did help my TDIU claim down the road.

Your retro money from a claim is not a new claim. It is just money the VA owes you. If you win a claim and have two years retro due you it should be in your bank within days. I got 8 grand of retro a few years ago and it was in the bank before I got the actual decision in the mail.

There is the other kind of Durable POA that some spouses have but that is not about the VA and is good only as long as the spouse is alive. I have my wife's POA and she has mine. This is good to have if your spouse is on life support and you need to get into their bank account or some IRA. Then there is the health care POA so you can make medical decisions for someone.

How is your blood sugar? If a RVN vets does not have IHD, or hardening of the arteries he has DMII. All these things seem to go together for us. Check prostate for sure and do stay on top of any pre-diabetes as the VA likes to call it. If you fasting glucose is over 110 you are probably pre-diabetic. Mine was about 119 8 years ago when AO exam doctor told me I was pre-diabetic and that it could be from AO. Now I am SC for DMII. I filed as soon as glucose got over 125. I got 10% but was a wake-up and explain my foot problems a little. John

The VA has 900,000 claims in the system and a lot more coming every day. It is my guess that every OIF/OEF vet is going to file a claim one day. Aging RVN vets with DMII and IHD will be filing. I don't think the VA does have time to readjudicate my seven claims if I file a new one next week. A TDIU claim is almost impossible to be reduced unless the vet has gone back to work full time. I have heard of 100% vets who suffer from mental conditions getting reuced due to their dumb actions of telling the VA they feel much better. I knew such a vet. When he found out what his big mouth had done he filed an appeal and got his 100% back after about a year. You need to use common sense when you file a new claim or for an increase. If you are getting 70% for PTSD and working at a decent job full time and have a decent home life it is probably not a good idea to file that PTSD increase. However, if youi are homeless and jobless it is a good idea especially if you have a recent hospitalization. I had eight claims granted after I got TDIU back in 2002 including P&T, a claim for an EED, and two SMC claims. John

You need at least 50% to get to 100% schedular. You could get TDIU if you don't already have it. I have 90% as well and it is very hard to get to 100% from there. I have TDIU. John

I would send it except for "Currently unemployable" statement. It would be better for the doctor to just say "unemployable" but if that is what you have send it. I don't see a GAF. What is his rating at present and what GAF did VA give him. The letter could be much stronger, but you have what you have. John

Since we are talking about years of potential retro I would do as Chuck says and get a lawyer to look at this rather than beating yourself to death trying to do it on your own. If the lawyer sees potential money he will work to get it, and he knows the law. John