Veterans Compensation Act Of 2009

[broncovet]

According to what I have read this ACT 407, "The Veterans Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment Act of 2009" which has been passed by congress but not yet signed by the president, will give us a raise.

If you read the link, those changes, if the president signs it, would mean about a 5.7% increase, or about a $150 more for a 100% disabled Vet effective December 1, 2009.

I dont know..maybe I dont get it, but it looks like we are getting a nice raise unless Obama vetoes it.

http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/ge...:s407es.txt.pdf

More is here:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-407

Considering that vawatchdog.org says that our normal COLA would be about 0% this year, I would say 5.7% is a much improvement from that.

http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfjun09/nf061809-1.htm

[Pete53]

Summary said the same as Social Security Cola so I believe it is the same thing they pass so that COLA is matched. No don,t think that its the Quality of Life one

[Testvet]

we got that 5.7% last year the COLA that is projected for this year is a negative number and the only thing good about that is they don't reduce our checks by that amount sadly no social security or veterans compensation recipients will get an increase this year despite the fact all utility companys and most other companies we do business with will be raising their rates wo already have gas for the house, cable TV, groceries, I have NOT seen any reduction in any items in the cost of living that I come into contact with

the only way most of us are going to see a raise this year is to file for another issue that would obtain us more funds like loss of use K award, aid and attendance, housebound etc and in that case you most likely won't see the money until late 2010 anyway I think you can sell blood without them counting it as employment.....

[MikeR]

Actually I did some research and found another bill competing with H.R. 1513 which ties Social Security CPI increases to the VA comp. Every explanation of this bill states that there is no projected increase to the tax payer.

The other bill on the President's desk waiting signature started with this language in Feb 2009:

S. 407 directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amounts paid to veterans for disability compensation and to their survivors for dependency compensation, at the same cost-of-living (COLA) adjustment rate payable to recipients of Social Security. This increase would take effect on December 1, 2009.

Then is changed to this:

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for an increase, effective December 1, 2009, in the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, to codify increases in the rates of such compensation that were effective as of December 1, 2008, and for other purposes.

It may be that S 407 is fixing H.R. 1513, but we should call Senator Akaka's office to ask for certain.

Mike

[broncovet]

Test...yes, I have heard, also, that they are talking about a zero percent Cola.

The very puzzling thing is

Why would there be legislation to keep VA and social security Cola's the same, when they are already the same, are they not?

[broncovet]

Has it occurred to anyone that the Department of Veterans Affairs has already gotten a substantial increase and maybe a part of this is being returned to the Veteran, so that no taxes need to be raised, that is, the increase is already in the budget.

I mean, if they are not passing these huge DVA budget increases to the Veterans, who is getting the extra money? More employees? More hospitals? More administrative expense for more red tape?

Of the huge increases for department of Veterans Affairs, would it not make sense that Veterans get at least some of this money, instead of giving it to the VA to create still more red tape for us.

[Testvet]

Test...yes, I have heard, also, that they are talking about a zero percent Cola.

The very puzzling thing is

Why would there be legislation to keep VA and social security Cola's the same, when they are already the same, are they not?

Because like all politicians they can claim they VOTED us a COLA raise but due to the fact that there was NO inflation veterans and social security aren;t getting any COLAs which is not THEIR fault after all they voted for US to get a raise but the fact that the CPI shows a negative inflation means we don't get one, but we congressmen and senators voted for you to get one so sorry but vote for us anyway because we delivered for you yada yada yada in other worsds they know we ain;t getting a raise and a vote doesn't cost them anything

now see which way they vote when that Quality of life 25% increase comes to the floor and see how they vote it won't be 100% for veterans I am sure