Sanitity Check On Retro Pay Computation...

[highoctane]

Ok...need a little sanity check.. my last day on active duty was 11/30/14. My effective date of disability is 1 Dec 14. I received my first regular payment 1 Apr 15( for March obviously). So by my math my retro should be 3 months..1 Jan 15 payment (for December), 1 Feb payment (for jan), 1 March payment(for feb.). The VA paid 2 months and after talking to 2 people they still seem confused because of the way the law is worded about the 1st of the month after disability...IMO that means that is the date you get paid...ie if disabled from 1 dec, you rate a payment 1 jan for December...but 2 people at VA ive talked to so far disagree(granted it was just phone answers). But when they finally let me fully explain all they will say is "DFAS" did the audit..and DFAS says we did the audit with the info VA provided(which was wrong)..

DFAS agrees with me but cant do anything because the VA put the effective date for the audit as 1 Jan 15..VA says that's just the way it works..so why does my rating decision have one effective date and my audit another?

Ok...so am I wrong..and if so what kind of sense does it make that we just don't get retro for the first month?

Final answer from VA was write a letter to us explaining what you think was done wrong...I'm talking to you on the phone and you can see my records and see what I'm talking about...but I have to write a letter??

Ok...rant over...I really wanted to think that the all the VA horror stories were just the fact that rarely anyone reports the good...but so far my claim has been a nightmare. It was done quickly...about 90 days..but everything has been screwed up...the 2 most serious contentions denied for no clinical diagnosis, they are all over my records that the has(DAV SO confirmed this)..3 of my 4 dependents names spelled wrong...and these are easy names to spell and were clearly written on the paperwork...now this retro thing. Even if "that is the way it is"...it makes no sense to me that we just don't get paid for a month. I know its only one month but its the principle...not the money. This whole process is so frustrating.

Ok...now seriously...rant over..

Thanks for listening. :)

[georgiapapa]

highoctane,

Your compensation starts on the first day of the month following your effective date. If you had been discharged on November 29, 2014; your effective date would have been November 30, 2014 and your compensation would have started December 1, 2014. You lost a month's compensation by one day.

Take care.

GP

[highoctane]

Haha..thanks..that's ridiculous. Am I the only one that thinks that's laughable? Like I said its not the money..it's the principle and that's just dumb.

Guess I shouldn't be surprised though. Thanks for setting me straight.

Edited April 27, 2015 by highoctane

[georgiapapa]

highoctane,

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. In my opinion, the VA should start compensation on the effective date, regardless of when the effective date falls. If the effective date falls in the middle of the month, the veteran would receive a partial payment for that month. The current VA policy is just another way for the VA to save money. It stinks, but it is the policy we are stuck with at this time. JMO

Good luck to you and thank you for your service.

Semper Fi.

GP

[Navy04]

Georgia is on the money bud. Same thing happened to me, I was medically retired last of Feb 14, and essentially lost March 14 pay. Just take it for what it is, and be grateful for the VA pay. A lot of Homeless and Starving Vets would be happy with a few hundred a month, to eat and sleep in a Real Bed!!! Good luck and God Bless

[Guest]

Haha..thanks..that's ridiculous. Am I the only one that thinks that's laughable? Like I said its not the money..it's the principle and that's just dumb.
Guess I shouldn't be surprised though. Thanks for setting me straight.

No it really is not funny and it is not a laughing matter. It is what we veterans have to deal with. It is actually horrible what veterans must go through to be somewhat able to survive the VA red tape. The truth of the matter is it will only get worst with VA trying to eliminate the back log with increasing the appeal back log. I do not know any employers that would keep a person with disabilities/handicaps that would have to miss multiple days of work due to health problems. There would be more homeless veterans.

[highoctane]

I have to laugh at things sometimes in order not to get mad...I have heart disease..I don't need any additional stress. :)

Haha..thanks..that's ridiculous. Am I the only one that thinks that's laughable? Like I said its not the money..it's the principle and that's just dumb.
Guess I shouldn't be surprised though. Thanks for setting me straight.

No it really is not funny and it is not a laughing matter. It is what we veterans have to deal with. It is actually horrible what veterans must go through to be somewhat able to survive the VA red tape. The truth of the matter is it will only get worst with VA trying to eliminate the back log with increasing the appeal back log. I do not know any employers that would keep a person with disabilities/handicaps that would have to miss multiple days of work due to health problems. There would be more homeless veterans.