ptsd Infeasible To Work?

[Dustin2100]

I have been going to Vocation Rehab and they were working with me for a while. They were about to send me to college and they changed their mind and said that I was not employable. I did not even have a chance to do anything wrong? I could understand it if I had failed classes, but it caught me off guard. I went in the office talking about college and working at the post office!!!

I am 70% PTSD and I am receiving SSDI. I just got notice that I am unemployable, I really dont know what to expect now?! I didnt ask for my situation, I really wanted/expected to work. I put in a claim to increase my PTSD rating. I am short on words and dont know if I am explaining myself well enough? Thanks for looking at my post!

[Philip Rogers]

You can be on SSDI and work but you can only make a limited amount, of money, somewhere around $10k+/-, per yr. SSDI needs to be notified if you are working. SSDI allows you to work up to a yr and still collect SSDI under their return to work program. Personally I think about working all the time. I'm trying to think of things I could do, which isn't much.

I have a friend who has a firewood business. He lives on a the main street of a small town, in another state in New England. He buys a pickup truck load of scrap wood from a lumber mill, for $20, cuts and bundles it and sells it off his front porch, making about $500-$600 a load. He averages about $600-$1,000 a month, cash money, which they drop in the mail slot in his front door. Campers buy it when they go camping. I'm considering doing the same thing. It gives him something to do. He also allows people to sell their vehicles, in his front yard, for $100 each. He's TDIU, a former Navy refrigeration specialist and before he became disabled, he got non-working appliances, repaired them and sold them for a hefty profit. He always gave a couple of month guaranty, with each.

Just sayin . . .

pr

[georgiapapa]

Dustin and Vahalla,

An IMO is an Independent Medical Opinion. You can find info and a sample of an IMO on this website.

GP

[Dustin2100]

I really appreciate the help everybody! Really, I did not expect this forum to be so active. I expected to wait a few days until I got a decent reply.

I guess that I feel like I didnt accomplish enough of my life goals. I really wanted to be a business owner. Being unemployable is not exactly a life goal!!! I have been walking around in a daze for the last couple of days, like I have been neutered or something. Am I supposed to just accept the fact that I will never have a real career? 7yrs in the army is my life long work history. I dont mean to get bitter on anybody. I am too young to just "retire". If Vocational Rehab will not help me get employed, I will need insurance for my wife and kid(s). We are expecting again in August! I am at the point in my life where I feel the need to work my ass off to provide for my family, and I have just hit walls.

I have been considering farming or "homesteading" is the word I have been seeing lately. I have 2 1/2 acres right now and I am looking at tractors. I have a mechanic background and I can probably fix one for cheap. During Christmas break, I rebuilt a ford inline 6 cyl and put it in a fuel injected truck. I work on Mustangs as a hobby, but I dont think that I could do mechanics as a living. I am just saying that mechanic skills will come in handy on a small farm.

If I am not employable by federal standards, then I want full benefits. I need insurance and I want my children to have the GI Bill. I am going to make sure that my children use the GI Bill. If they join the service, they are going to be officers and not a grunt like I was!

[Philip Rogers]

Hi Dustin - I understand you wanting to work but sometimes life has a way of getting in the way of our plans/goals. If your family is also interested in the homesteading/farming, it could be good for all of you. You'd get to spend some great times w/your children and spouse.

If you receive TDIU or a 100% rating, plus SSDI, plus an SSDI dependents allowance you would be receiving roughly $77k a yr, tax free, which would be roughly the equivalent of $93k of taxable income. I based this on married, w/a spouse and 2 children. Your SSDI would be based on your military service which I guess to equal about $1600 a month. Your spouse would receive about $800 a month and each child about $400 a month.

That would allow you to garden/farm and have time w/the family. The fact that you're mechanical is a great plus!! You can still make plans for maybe doing something different in the future. I don't know if you've noted how much veggies will be going up, in the near future but growing your own sure would help!

Here's a couple of links to what I did after Vietnam:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/moving-to-the-country-zmaz76jaztak.aspx I was paid $60 for the article in 1976.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/install-a-skylight-zm0z92zros.aspx I was paid $45 for this article around 1978 but they never ran it until 1992.

It may take you a few yrs to get P&T, but once you have that your family will have insurance and college benefits, including your spouse.

jmo

pr

Edited April 7, 2015 by Philip Rogers

[saints13]

I fully understand where you are coming from and how you feel!!! How about asking for an increase of PTSD and any other issues you may have to get 100% then you and your family should be covered insurance wise. Get or ask for TDIU and apply for SSDI.

I heard there is a program per state that pays tuition for children, spouses of Veterans. Usually state Universities not private. Texas and California do it that I know of. Also you can transfer your GI Bill so a dependent can use it. I'm in the process of finding out the paperwork so my daughter can use mine.

As far as work, how about your own business or tree- yard mechanic? You just work on people's cars, tractors, etc in your yard. In my PTSD group that's what the older vets called it, tree-yard mechanic. First time I heard of it.

As for me I do not see how I can work due to all my conditions, All healthcare providers and VOCREHAB have all written the same thing. It is very hard wanting to work but can't work. Everyone tells me to find a hobby, etc. I can't even think of that as stuff I used to do as a hobby I can not do anymore either. So I'm in a daze of wanting to work but can't, finding a hobby but can't think of one. I feel useless and a burden to my family and society. I try to get ideas from my PTSD group meetings.

[georgiapapa]

Dustin,

Great advice given to you by Philip Rogers. You have a good chance of receiving 100% TDIU which, along with your SSDI, will give you an excellent income for you and your family. As Philip stated, you will probably eventually get P & T (permanent and total) status which will provide your spouse and children with Champva health insurance and Chapter 35 DEA educational benefits for your spouse and children. Champva insurance is free (no premiums) and has a low $100.00 family annual deductible. My wife and mother both have Champva and it is, in my opinion, the best health insurance available. With Chapter 35 educational benefits, you would not have to worry about paying for your children's college education. In addition, your wife could receive up to 4 years of college or other education. My wife and I were in our sixties when I received my 100% P & T award. I wish we would have had Chapter 35 educational benefits available for our kids when I was in my forties. It would have saved me a ton of money paying for our children's college education.

Once you reach 100%, you will also have base exchange and commissary privileges available to you and your family. Every state has certain benefits available for 100% veterans. Some states require P & T status to receive the benefits and some do not. The benefits vary by state but often include substantial property tax breaks, auto tag tax breaks, disabled veterans tag (s), income tax breaks, etc.

Since you are already over 50% at the VA, you can receive all of your medical care free of charge at the VA (no copays or deductibles).

Once you reach 100%, you can get all of your dental work free at the VA dental clinic. Since you are already receiving SSDI, I assume you are also covered by medicare and can use medicare to receive medical care from private healthcare providers if you desire.

Dustin, not having health insurance for your family will create a hardship for awhile. However, if you take care of yourself and plan right, you are actually in a situation where you will be able to provide a decent standard of living for your family and would be assured they would eventually have excellent healthcare coverage and excellent educational opportunities.

I wish you and your family well.

GP