Requesting unemployable from the VA

[Joe Stoner]

My wife has a 70% disability rating from the VA. She has a disability rating of 30% for Dysthymia disorder, 30% for headaches,post-traumatic, with migraine  character and some other stuff. She has not worked for over 5 years. She recited a letter from her doctor a few years ago that he put in the letter for her not to work with all of this stuff going on with her. So she stopped working, we did not know we could request unemployabity from the VA. We are in the process of requesting but we think what could be a show stopper for us is that she attends college, mostly online , does it from home. My question is this a show stopper for her? And what verbal can we use to explain why she is unemployable and why she goes to school. Any advice you can give me I would appreciate it. Thanks, 1SG (RET) Stone-Cold

[broncovet]

I agree IU is hard, but so is sleep apnea, and so is SMC Housebound.    In fact, VA wants to fight us for every nickel.    VA seems to think the AVerage VA employee should make about 145k per year, while even a 100 percent Vet gets about 35,000 about 1/4 of what VA employees make.  (And few vets get 100%)   Source:

http://www.salarylist.com/company/Department-Of-Veterans-Affairs-Salary.htm

[Vync]

11 hours ago, broncovet said:

I agree IU is hard, but so is sleep apnea, and so is SMC Housebound.    In fact, VA wants to fight us for every nickel.    VA seems to think the AVerage VA employee should make about 145k per year, while even a 100 percent Vet gets about 35,000 about 1/4 of what VA employees make.  (And few vets get 100%)   Source:

http://www.salarylist.com/company/Department-Of-Veterans-Affairs-Salary.htm

Hey Broncovet,
If you want to get specific, I found this search engine that shows ranks/salaries of individual Federal employees, but it only goes through 2014:

http://www.fedsdatacenter.com/federal-pay-rates

 

You are totally correct about 100% rates vs. Federal salaries. Unfortunately, Federal employees can strike and still get paid when the strike is over. Veterans can't strike.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Vync

[green]

i have to disagree Vync, Fed's can't legally strike.  Remember the air traffic controllers that decided to strike and all lost their jobs?

Wikipedia

"Another important difference is although the NLRA allows private sector employees to engage in "concerted action," like workplace strikes, the Statute does not grant this right to federal employees. In fact, the Statute specifically excludes from the definition of "employee" those persons who engage in a workplace strike. It specifies that it is an unfair labor practice for labor unions to call or participate in a strike or a work stoppage that interferes with the operation of a federal agency."

 

[Vync]

9 hours ago, green said:

i have to disagree Vync, Fed's can't legally strike.  Remember the air traffic controllers that decided to strike and all lost their jobs?

Wikipedia

"Another important difference is although the NLRA allows private sector employees to engage in "concerted action," like workplace strikes, the Statute does not grant this right to federal employees. In fact, the Statute specifically excludes from the definition of "employee" those persons who engage in a workplace strike. It specifies that it is an unfair labor practice for labor unions to call or participate in a strike or a work stoppage that interferes with the operation of a federal agency."

 

Hey Green,
I do remember the air traffic controller strike. If memory serves, Reagan fired all of them.

You are correct!

[HorizontalMike]

Unfortunately my bet is that the VA will consider your wife going to school as "rehabilitation" and thus preparation for employment.

[broncovet]

Yes, Mike's correct, again.  I can see VA arguing you "actually improved under ordinary conditions of life" in that going to school was the same as working....