ptsd Who decides amounts of DIC?

[kate7772]

I'm just wondering who decides on the amount of DIC?  Is it the Sec. of VA or some governing body?  Been doing a lot of thinking lately.  My husband is 100% P&T.  If he should die and it is due to his disability or he makes it to the 10 year mark, I will get approx. $1257.  It will be impossible for me to make it on that amount which scares me to death.  His disability goes back to 2011 officially but I am sure it was long before that.  Because of that fact, it was difficult to impossible for me to pursue my own career.  I was always watching him and sometimes even working for the same company so I would be able to help him and keep an eye on him and his PTSD symptoms.  At the time, we did not know what was causing his problems so did not file for disability.  Through a lot of investigation and others mentioning things to us, we finally understood what for so many years was not understandable to us.  I'm sure there are so many others that are dealing with these same issues.  Since I did not have my own career and his was sporadic through the years, we are grateful for the disability compensation that was finally awarded.  But, in the event of his death, the future is so scary.  I really feel widows and widowers should be entitled to continue to receive the full disability upon the veteran's death, especially older survivors.  So, who decides these issues.  Who would need to be lobbied?

Thanks,

Kate

[broncovet]

Buck..

   Living within your means is difficult.  Its even tougher to scale it back to have some to save for retirment.  However, let's say something happened and your pay was cut 10%.  You would get by, but you would have to give up some things.  Yes it would be painful deciding what would be cut.  

   You can acutally (probably) do just that.  Set up a savings account where 10% of your income goes into a savings account.  Then, do your budget and get the axe out.  You will have to cut things.  

   For example, you may have to move into a cheaper apartment.  You may have to cut one or more cell phones.  You may have to cut cable tv.  You may have to virtually eliminate eating out.  If you had no choice you would do those things.  Impose that on yourself by depositing 10 % (if you cant do 10%, try 5%).  We think we have to have all these things, but, in a forced cutback, we find out that there are things to cut.  

    I did just that for 2 years, thinking if I could hold out 2 years, I would get VA benefits and save my home.  It took VA more than 3 years to deliver my initial benefits.  I lost my home anyway.  Hopefully it wont take VA 3 years to approve your DIC, because usually, if you can survive 2 years on little or no income you can get past it.  VA figured out a way to delay my claim for 3 years with BVA appeal, and, then the RO  decided to "award" me 0 percent after the BVA appeal win.  BVA appeals, back in 02, did not take nearly as long as they do now.  

    Once, I was giving financial advice to a gal in college.  She explained that she only made 1000 per month her rent was 500, car was 150, so she could not save money.  I explained she did it backwards.  If you only earn 1000 per month, then no more than 300 should be spen for rent, so, with half her income going out to housing it was no suprise she could not make ends meet.  I suggested she find an apartment for 300 or less.  

     She said she tried that, but none would take her cat.  I said she needed to make tough choices.  If her cat is more important to her than financial health then that is a choice she made.  She kept the cat, and never broke out of the cycle.  Its okay to choose other things, but I would not put myslef in financial jeapodry for a cat.  I would get an outdoors cat.  

     Its all about choices and priorities.  Most people make poor financial choices and get bad results.  

[kate7772]

At this time we have life insurance but it will expire in seven years.

My husband is 71 and I am 65, so hiring preference or some of the other things would not have any meaning for us.

I am basically thinking ahead and it is very scary.  I emotionally supported my husband for many years before we even were aware what his issues were.  This was often at the expense of pursuing my own career/retirement.  So, basically, I only have limited social security benefits.  His award goes back to 2011 and is 70% PTSD and 10% tinnitus and 80% kidney disease.

It is ridiculous what they are doing/not doing with the retirement/disability.  Is this issue being seriously lobbied?  I would really like to pursue the issue of continuing the full disability for widows/widowers, especially the older group, that can no longer work or pursue a career.  The younger widows can go back to school and gain a career, but the older ones have no hope.  Many have spent their career years supporting and being there for their disabled spouses. only to live in poverty as they age.  So many wasted years of my life when I had no clue as to why my husband was the way he is. When we realized he had PTSD due to things he witnessed both in Vietnam as well as on the homefront, it was like a huge light of clarity came on.  Suddenly, everything made sense.  Had we realized it sooner, we would have applied for disability sooner.

My thought was that with our new President seeming to be concerned about our military, maybe he would be equally concerned for the veterans and their problems.  I know from experience that reaching out to the right person, can make a huge difference.  It did with my husband's disability claim.  But, how to reach that right person?

[Berta]

 

PHONE NUMBERS- The White House
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414

 Or write to the President at

President Donald J. Trump

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

 

And/or  VA Secretary Dr. David J . Shulkin ( he was confirmed yesterday)

                         Veterans Administration Central Office

                              810 Vermont Avenue  NW

                                  Washington DC  20420

 

and/or 

http://www.goldstarwives.org/news/328349/March-9-2017----GSW-testifying-before-Joint-House-and-Senate-Veterans-Affairs-Committees.htm

They can be reached via info@goldstarwives.org and perhaps you could get on their emailing newsletter list.

They will without a doubt continue to pursue their agenda that I posted above.

They might be interested in having your help or your input into that.

They also have a facebook page

And have done considerable leg work for many years already on testifying before Congress and the Senate in support of their agenda and legislative goals as I mentioned above.

You could also try Jim as well:

jim@goldstarwives.org

 

 

 

 

                              

 

Edited February 8, 2017 by Berta

[DonH]

Berta,

Are you saying if your husband dies from a service connected disability/ the wife is considered a Gold Star Wife even her veteran husband if not dying in battle?  My husband is Purple Heart Vietnam Veteran, In addition to PTSD, Agent Orange Exposed, DM11, Cancers, etc. So would that make me eligible if I would be the longer liver? SBP? RESPA?

Wife of DonH

Edited February 19, 2017 by DonH
adding more details

[Berta]

That is a good question.

I found two different criterias for membership at the GSW web site:

You are eligible for membership if you meet these requirements:

Any surviving spouse of any person of the United States military who died while a member of the armed forces of our country, or who died subsequent to such service as a result of an injury or disability incurred during such service, shall be eligible for membership in the chapters of the Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., if there is a chapter in the area within which the person resides; however, where there is no chapter organized within the place where such qualified member resides, such qualified person may become a member-at-large.

https://goldstarwives.site-ym.com/general/register_member_type.asp?

 

and

Who we are: 

·         The widows/widowers whose spouses died while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States,  or as result of service-connected disabilities.

·         The widows/widowers of service personnel of all armed conflicts involving the United States of America.

·         The mothers and fathers of children whose parents gave their life in the service of the country.

·         The widows/widowers of service personnel of all ranks, races, and creeds.

http://www.goldstarwives.org/?page=Who

I think maybe they have different types of memberships- but I will check with them.

When I joined GSWs I didn't think I could join, as I had a DIC award due to VA malpractice. I asked them via snail mail if I could join and they wrote back to me with the application and said they did want me to join.Subsequently the VA awarded for direct SC death of my husband anyhow. ( Combat USMC, AO ,Vietnam,IHD, DMII).

SBP:

http://www.military.com/benefits/survivor-benefits/the-survivor-benefit-plan-explained.html

 

I don’t know what RESPA is

The REPS benefit application is here:

It explains the criteria for this benefit.

https://www.va.gov/vaforms/form_detail.asp?FormNo=21-8924

 

[DonH]

Thanks, Berta. Great resource of advice as usual.

REPS is what I meant. I just got the spelling incorrect.

Also my mother is a DIC recipient. My father was career military and 100% disabled veteran/permanent and total. He served in Korea and as a last tour of duty in Vietnam. He was AO exposed with DM11 and cancer (prostate); several other service connected disabilities to also include COPD. My mother is in her late 80's who more recently entered a memory care assisted living facility. It is a lovey place. She resides in Colorado. My father left her reasonable comfortable......but, yet as time goes on, long term expense is always a consideration of concern. If she, too, would be a candidate for more untapped/unknown financial supplements, that would be good to know.

Edited February 19, 2017 by DonH
spelling and adding more details