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

[Testvet]

I don't care how bad they beat UNC I am from South carolina rofl

they don't take negative CPI's away from us we only get raises when there is inflation they don't take away when there is negative inflation good thing for us or they would take away if they could

[broncovet]

Iraqx2

That is the $64,000 question: "Will we get a 5,8% raise or not, or will we get something else." According to watchdog.org we are on track for a zero percent cola:

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

According to at least one poster, the legislation says that if the cola is zero%, then we get what we got last year, which was about 5.8%.

I will go out on a limb and venture this guess:

I beleive Barack Obama will sign this legislation, and I also beleive that the cola will be zero or negative at the end of the year. Bottom Line:

YES, I predict we will get the 5.8% raise in December.

I further predict we wont get the 25% quality of life raise talked about this year, at least.

[Testvet]

Broncovet my crystal ball says NO COLA in Dec for 2010 and NO 25% quality of life payments either

[MikeR]

The bill was signed by the President Yesterday:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to measure inflation. In the event that the CPI increases, S. 407 would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2009, the rates of:

• Veterans' disability compensation,
  
• Dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children, and
  
• Additional related benefits.
  

The cost of living adjustment (COLA) is designed to offset inflation. If the CPI increases, COLA for the above-mentioned benefits would match the annual increase provided to Social Security recipients. This year's COLA rate has not been determined, and some predict that the CPI will decrease this year. In the event of a decrease in the CPI, veteran and survivor compensation will remain at last year's rate.

So what they are doing is clear, if the CPI goes up we get an increase, if not we at least don't lose any money.

Mike

[jbasser]

The bill was signed by the President Yesterday:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics uses the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to measure inflation. In the event that the CPI increases, S. 407 would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase, as of December 1, 2009, the rates of:

• Veterans' disability compensation,
  
• Dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children, and
  
• Additional related benefits.
  

The cost of living adjustment (COLA) is designed to offset inflation. If the CPI increases, COLA for the above-mentioned benefits would match the annual increase provided to Social Security recipients. This year's COLA rate has not been determined, and some predict that the CPI will decrease this year. In the event of a decrease in the CPI, veteran and survivor compensation will remain at last year's rate.

So what they are doing is clear, if the CPI goes up we get an increase, if not we at least don't lose any money.

Mike

Mike your on point. The COLA will most likely remain at last years. That actually reads a big zero.

J

[gdsnide]

No reason to be worrying about COLA's yet

Pete,

It really doesn't do any good to worry about these raises any way as what they will be that's it & the Vets have no say in it.

Hey, read something where SS may be different than Vets increase.

Know any thing about this or will it be like always where they will be the same?

It is something to speculate on & see who's right & who's not & if I was to bet my money would be on U as I have been following your answers & U are on the button most of the time, heck ,maybe all the time as I just read & am not that up on what's going on with the VA

BUT. I did get an L1 approved by myself & that suprised the hell out of me.

OK...Question.....The RO approved it at L1,which is the lowest rate,& I got my back pay & am being payed for it & have till Oct.31 this year to NOD it & if I sent some new information pertaing to claim would all that go to BVA or would they settle it at the RO? Also, I take it I would still receive the SMC L1. Am I correct? Can the RO approve a NOD or would that with the new evidence go to the BVA? Or should I file a NOD & then send in new evidence later or vice versa

Sincerly.

GARY