Veterans Cost of Living in 2022 could be big

[Tbird]

Veterans may be in line for a big cost-of-living boost in their benefits payouts starting in December thanks to legislation finalized by Congress on Monday. Read: https://hadit.com/a-big-cost-of-living-boost-for-veterans/

[deedub75]

8 hours ago, john999 said:

Workers and retired people are always behind the eight ball when it comes to inflation.  I believe that the cost of food, gas and most other essentials havs risen more than 6% this year.   Some of those in congress have been trying for years to reduce the COLA for us.  They are the believers in the "trickle down" philosophy.  I got a disability insurance payment of $675 a month in the year 2001.  There was no inflation adjustment to the annuity.  20 years later that $675 is chump change because the buying power of the dollar has eroded badly.  

There are some that want to raise it too though.  

[broncovet]

I agree with John.  Inflation erodes the dollars of social security and Veterans slowly.  Example: 

Savings accounts used to earn an easy 4 or 5 percent, now they are less than 1/2 percent.  Assuming 5% inflation, this means your money erodes almost $50 for each $1000 you have in savings.  

Worse, our checks do that also.  I remember my father who got a whopping $330 per month social security back in the 60's.  He thought that was a lot, plenty to live on.  Gas was 29 cents a gallon, hamburger 59 cents a pound.  A new Datsun (now called Nissan) pickup was under $2000.  Many of these things are 10 times, or more what they were.  I think when he died he was getting $600 per month.  So, inflation went up 10 x, while his wages only doubled, over the years.  

A new pickup (should you be able to find one for sale, there is a shortage) is about $50,000.  That is 25x.  Hershey bars were 5cents, now those are about $1.  

[john999]

Bronco

 

              Thirty years ago I bought my house for $70K.  Recent estimate was $486K.  Same house, same neighborhood, but prices for housing have exploded in my neighborhood. Most houses in my area are being torn down to build million dollar houses.  A guy on my street sold his old house as a tare down and he got $500K for it and it was torn down in two days.  I grew up on my father's SSA survivor benefit with my mother and two brothers and sisters.  We made it on probably $400 a month through the 50's and most of the 60's.  Could anyone do that now?

[broncovet]

John

    Yea, the VA expected me to raise my family of 5 on $400 per month in 2005.   They awarded (after a denial, BVA appeal, and then an "implementation" of the BVA award at zero percent.) me 40 percent.  (I was unemployed/unemployable and eventually won tdiu). 

    I lost my home as my house payment was more than the 40 percent the VA expected me to live on.  (Even that took the VA 3 years).  Even tho I lost my home due to VA ineptitude, I eventually bought another after I got to 100 percent.  

    I guess they figured "cost of living" for a family of 5 was $400 per month.  

    I should have never had to lose my home..VA should have just done it right the first time..instead of making me wait until 2009 (7 years) for my benefits.  

     Even then, it took VA 10 more years to straighten out the retro and mulltiple appeals.  In 2019, seventeen years after I filed, they finally got it right..almost!  They still messed up dependents, and SMC effective dates.  And VA wonders why Im mad and dont trust them.   Well, I have forgiven them (it does not help to keep a grudge "even if" they deserve it).  

     But I still dont trust VA Even in 2019, they shorted me 50 k retro, and I had to request an audit to fix that.  

     Every single decision they ever made had one or more errors.  Every one, starting with 2002, when I had all 3 Caluza elements.  They made up stuff to deny, claiming "it was too long since service" to be SC for hearing loss.  "Time since military service" is NOT one of the criteria for service connection.   They just made it up.  

[john999]

Bronco

 

             I became totally disabled in 2001. I got SSDI, OPM disability and worker's compensation way before I got the VA to do the right thing.  I foolishly assumed the VA would help me right away since I was a disabled vet before I became totally disabled. I was wrong on that one.  When I first lost my job due to disability I was scared shitless.  It took about six months to sort of get things in order, but during that period I think I lost 20 pounds due to worry. It took about 18 months to get the VA to grant TDIU.  I had great doctors and loads of documentation but the VA tried everything they could to low ball me or deny my application for TDIU.  Eventually I had three shrinks working with me to get my TDIU.  This was cruel and unnecessary since my disability was right there and all the other "harder" organizations granted me full benefits.    Now VA is screwing around with my medical so I don't trust them one bit.  Just using VA medical is a chore and I am sick of them.