Doordash and TDIU

[johnsoncm]

My question is can you be on TDIU  and still do Doordash?  Next year will be 10 years TDIU for me.  I'd like to make some extra money to payoff bills and think about a bigger home for my family.  I know there's no way I can work like I used to, I've accepted my limitations,  but Doordash would let me work when I want and if I'm hurting, I don't have to do anything.  Plus I think it would qualify under both marginal and protected environment work.

Honestly, though,  the VA terrifies me, and I've heard stories of vets who followed the rules and got screwed anyway.  So I'm asking for advice or anyone with experience here.  I tried going on the Board of Veterans Appeals site and searched up "Doordash" to see if anyone has gone through this, but nothing that applied.

Thanks.

 

[Mr.B]

Did you hire a lawyer! most of the time you need a lawyer to win! Ninth circuit court case Oregon! One federal department says you are disabled the other must consider you disabled.

[johnsoncm]

6 hours ago, Mr.B said:

Did you hire a lawyer! most of the time you need a lawyer to win! Ninth circuit court case Oregon! One federal department says you are disabled the other must consider you disabled.

Yes, I did have a lawyer for the last go round 

[johnsoncm]

20 hours ago, broncovet said:

Each year, Social Security sends VA a form on how much you earned.  

The term is "unable to maintain substantial gainful employment".  Now, SGE is defined as earning the poverty level in 12 months.  

Therefore, if you earn under the poverty level in a year, you do not have SGE.  Here are the poverty levels.  Make sure you stay under those:

(They are based on number of dependents in household):

As you can see the poverty level for a single vet, no kids is 13k in a year, and about 18k if you have a spouse or dependents.  Stay below those numbers, and you dont have SGE.  

https://www.va.gov/pension/veterans-pension-rates/

This is why VA wants you to send the form in each year.  

Right, that's what I've been told by Vet advocates.  And I figure if I only do a couple deliveries a day or so, make like $200 or $300 a month, that'd be about what I could probably do and also I'd be way under those guidelines.   I have heard stories though, and I'm wondering how truthful they are, that guys have stayed under the limits and still got a letter from the VA telling them they were cutting benefits.  Have you heard anything similar?

[johnsoncm]

On 9/14/2021 at 10:41 AM, Marine Corp 69/70 said:

Johnsoncm   Have you been going to the VA or private doctors for your disability’s has any of your disability’s improved, if not I would call the VA and ask them if I felt up to it, can I try being a doorhash deliveryman will it affect my TDIU yes or no if no get it in writing if yes them you have to make a big decision good lucky ( SemperFI Brother )

I've been seeing a private doc who prescribes the meds I need.  I've asked a vet advocate about the working on TDIU and get the regular answer of "this is what the rules say".  I guess my thing here is that I know the rules, I know doing doordash should hit all the marks - staying under the poverty threshold,  I can work whenever I want like an independent contractor, and it's just picking up someone's food and taking it too them.  I just don't know how far to trust that they (DVA)  won't try to screw me anyway.  There are some stories on this board.....

[johnsoncm]

On 9/14/2021 at 11:29 AM, pacmanx1 said:

Instead of thinking going back to work I would suggest filing for SSDI (SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY INSURANCE). This benefit pays you your early social security retirement pay and would allow you to get both VA compensation and SSA benefits. Some veterans don't know they can get both and the income is not that bad. As stated above, if your conditions have not gotten better and or if you can get a medical opinion that you cannot work due to your service-connected disabilities, you can ask the VA to grant you P & T (Permanent And Total) and this would open the door for other benefits like DEA CH 35 (DEPENDENT EDUCATION), CHAMPVA (DEPENDENT MEDICAL), MWR (MILITARY ID CARD). 

The main thing about getting SSDI, is not only pays you your early SSA benefits, your dependent may be allowed benefits also but that would be up to the SSA Office. One of the main things about getting P & T is that your dependent would get CH 35 which is paid (COLLEGE) education for your dependents. The two benefits can add up to around $4,100.00 a month and could be more if your dependents get anything or work and the CH 35 is a separate payment to your dependents. 

The rating I have is normally at 90% scheduler but they gave me the extraschedular TDIU P&T.  That's actually why I'm so anxious about it.  If I get dropped back to 90% that's like $1000 a month gone, plus they take the CHAMPVA and college stipend for the kids away.  I've been out of the loop so long and I know there's no way I could go back to doing anything like what I did before, the stress alone would put me out of commission.   But I'm also not really thriving where I'm at now.  Got 4 bedrooms, 4 kids me and the wife and it's a rancher I got really lucky on.  If I could just drop a couple of debts, I'd be ok, but tdiu you know?

The rules say I SHOULD be able to do this, but after my experience and what happened to some friends, I have a real hard time trusting their word, ya know?  I'm just trying to find out if my concerns here are legit, or if it's just my anxiety talking.

[broncovet]

Yea, I have heard lots of Vets stories.  My favorite is that the VA only approves Vets who are green and from Mars on the first go around.  That one is likely true.  

If you are gonna base your decision on rumors, well, take your pick. Instead,  I say base it on regulations, and hold VA to them also, "even tho" they try to break their own regulations all the time.  If VARO complied with 100 percent of the regulations 100 percent of the time, then we would not need BVA, and it would be shut down.  

Last I heard BVA isnt being shut down for lack of work.  

Rather than worrying about VA reducing you from TDIU when you make 300 bucks a month driving for uber or whoever, I suggest buying a lotto ticket.  Then worry about what you will do when all your lottery winnings is gone.  Seriously, worrying rarely helps.  

Irrational Fear of reductions, however, often keeps Vets from getting benefits they deserve. 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by broncovet