EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF DISABLED VETERANS DEEMED UNEMPLOYABLE, TO BE EXAMINED THURSDAY
Whether you're an employer or a veteran seeking employment, check out HireVetsFirst.gov
October 25, 2005
Contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093
(Washington, DC) On Thursday, October 27, the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled: "The Rising Number of Disabled Veterans Deemed Unemployable: Is the System Failing? A closer look at VA’s individual unemployability benefit."
The hearing will begin at 2 p.m. in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building. It will be webcast live and archived on the committee’s website (see Current Hearings), and may also be audiocast – during the hearing only – on C-SPAN’s hearings website, located at http://www.capitolhearings.org.
Earlier this year the Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission held its own review of the IU system and members were told that approximately 200,000 veterans with disability ratings of 60 percent to 90 percent are now deemed unemployable, but paid as if they are 100 percent disabled.
Between 1999 through 2004, the number of individual unemployability (IU) grants more than doubled.
"With today’s modern technologies, individuals with disabilities have more opportunities than ever to become productive members of society, and I want to hear what VA is doing to make sure these opportunities are made available to our disabled veterans. When our veterans joined the armed services, they wanted to be ‘all they could be’ and as they return from service to their country with injuries, we need to make sure they have the opportunity to be ‘all they can be’ by empowering them with employment and the ability for financial growth," said Chairman Larry Craig.
PANEL I
The Honorable Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary for Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs - accompanied by
– Renee Szybala, Director, VA Compensation and Pension Service
– Judith Caden, Director, VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services Director
PANEL II
Cynthia Bascetta, Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security, Government Accountability Office
Rick Surratt, Deputy National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans
#####
<<September 2005 October 2005
25th - EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF DISABLED VETERANS DEEMED UNEMPLOYABLE, TO BE EXAMINED THURSDAY
20th - VA OFFICIALS PLEDGE "INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY" REORGANIZATION TO THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
19th - 16 YEAR OLD LIVING IN GERMANY GETS U.S. SENATE PAGE POSITION THROUGH CHAIRMAN LARRY CRAIG
18th - VA’S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO BE HEARING FOCUS THURSDAY
12th - NEW MOBILE MRI MACHINE WILL AID VETERANS AND SERVICE PERSONNEL IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO
5th - SENATE VOTES TO AWARD CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN
3rd - SEN. CRAIG’S BILL SEEKS TO PRESERVE DIGNITY OF ARLINGTON AND OTHER NATIONAL CEMETERIES
3rd - U.S. SENATE HONORS VA EMPLOYEES FOR HURRICANE EFFORTS
About the CommitteeLegislationNewsroom and PhotosHearingsIssuesPublicationsLinksContact the Veterans' Affairs Committee
Home Text-Only Version Site Map Privacy Policy
100% SC P&T PTSD 100% CAD 10% Hypertension and A&A = SMC L, SSD
a disabled American veteran certified lol
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
These decisions have made a big impact on how VA disability claims are handled, giving veterans more chances to get benefits and clearing up important issues.
Service Connection
Frost v. Shulkin (2017)
This case established that for secondary service connection claims, the primary service-connected disability does not need to be service-connected or diagnosed at the time the secondary condition is incurred 1. This allows veterans to potentially receive secondary service connection for conditions that developed before their primary condition was officially service-connected.
Saunders v. Wilkie (2018)
The Federal Circuit ruled that pain alone, without an accompanying diagnosed condition, can constitute a disability for VA compensation purposes if it results in functional impairment 1. This overturned previous precedent that required an underlying pathology for pain to be considered a disability.
Effective Dates
Martinez v. McDonough (2023)
This case dealt with the denial of an earlier effective date for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) 2. It addressed issues around the validity of appeal withdrawals and the consideration of cognitive impairment in such decisions.
I met with a VSO today at my VA Hospital who was very knowledgeable and very helpful. We decided I should submit a few new claims which we did. He told me that he didn't need copies of my military records that showed my sick call notations related to any of the claims. He said that the VA now has entire military medical record on file and would find the record(s) in their own file. It seemed odd to me as my service dates back to 1981 and spans 34 years through my retirement in 2015. It sure seemed to make more sense for me to give him copies of my military medical record pages that document the injuries as I'd already had them with me. He didn't want my copies. Anyone have any information on this. Much thanks in advance.
Caluza Triangle – Caluza vs Brown defined what is necessary for service connection. See COVA– CALUZA V. BROWN–TOTAL RECALL
This has to be MEDICALLY Documented in your records:
Current Diagnosis. (No diagnosis, no Service Connection.)
In-Service Event or Aggravation.
Nexus (link- cause and effect- connection) or Doctor’s Statement close to: “The Veteran’s (current diagnosis) is at least as likely due to x Event in military service”
VA has gotten away with (mis) interpreting their ambigious, , vague regulations, then enforcing them willy nilly never in Veterans favor.
They justify all this to congress by calling themselves a "pro claimant Veteran friendly organization" who grants the benefit of the doubt to Veterans.
This is not true,
Proof:
About 80-90 percent of Veterans are initially denied by VA, pushing us into a massive backlog of appeals, or worse, sending impoverished Veterans "to the homeless streets" because when they cant work, they can not keep their home. I was one of those Veterans who they denied for a bogus reason: "Its been too long since military service". This is bogus because its not one of the criteria for service connection, but simply made up by VA. And, I was a homeless Vet, albeit a short time, mostly due to the kindness of strangers and friends.
Hadit would not be necessary if, indeed, VA gave Veterans the benefit of the doubt, and processed our claims efficiently and paid us promptly. The VA is broken.
A huge percentage (nearly 100 percent) of Veterans who do get 100 percent, do so only after lengthy appeals. I have answered questions for thousands of Veterans, and can only name ONE person who got their benefits correct on the first Regional Office decision. All of the rest of us pretty much had lengthy frustrating appeals, mostly having to appeal multiple multiple times like I did.
I wish I know how VA gets away with lying to congress about how "VA is a claimant friendly system, where the Veteran is given the benefit of the doubt". Then how come so many Veterans are homeless, and how come 22 Veterans take their life each day? Va likes to blame the Veterans, not their system.
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Testvet
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Home » Newsroom and Photos » Press Releases
EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF DISABLED VETERANS DEEMED UNEMPLOYABLE, TO BE EXAMINED THURSDAY
Whether you're an employer or a veteran seeking employment, check out HireVetsFirst.gov
October 25, 2005
Contact: Jeff Schrade (202)224-9093
(Washington, DC) On Thursday, October 27, the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs will hold an oversight hearing titled: "The Rising Number of Disabled Veterans Deemed Unemployable: Is the System Failing? A closer look at VA’s individual unemployability benefit."
The hearing will begin at 2 p.m. in room 418 of the Russell Senate Office Building. It will be webcast live and archived on the committee’s website (see Current Hearings), and may also be audiocast – during the hearing only – on C-SPAN’s hearings website, located at http://www.capitolhearings.org.
Earlier this year the Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission held its own review of the IU system and members were told that approximately 200,000 veterans with disability ratings of 60 percent to 90 percent are now deemed unemployable, but paid as if they are 100 percent disabled.
Between 1999 through 2004, the number of individual unemployability (IU) grants more than doubled.
"With today’s modern technologies, individuals with disabilities have more opportunities than ever to become productive members of society, and I want to hear what VA is doing to make sure these opportunities are made available to our disabled veterans. When our veterans joined the armed services, they wanted to be ‘all they could be’ and as they return from service to their country with injuries, we need to make sure they have the opportunity to be ‘all they can be’ by empowering them with employment and the ability for financial growth," said Chairman Larry Craig.
PANEL I
The Honorable Daniel L. Cooper, Under Secretary for Benefits, Department of Veterans Affairs - accompanied by
– Renee Szybala, Director, VA Compensation and Pension Service
– Judith Caden, Director, VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services Director
PANEL II
Cynthia Bascetta, Director, Education, Workforce and Income Security, Government Accountability Office
Rick Surratt, Deputy National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans
#####
<<September 2005 October 2005
25th - EXPLOSIVE GROWTH OF DISABLED VETERANS DEEMED UNEMPLOYABLE, TO BE EXAMINED THURSDAY
20th - VA OFFICIALS PLEDGE "INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY" REORGANIZATION TO THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS' AFFAIRS
19th - 16 YEAR OLD LIVING IN GERMANY GETS U.S. SENATE PAGE POSITION THROUGH CHAIRMAN LARRY CRAIG
18th - VA’S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TO BE HEARING FOCUS THURSDAY
12th - NEW MOBILE MRI MACHINE WILL AID VETERANS AND SERVICE PERSONNEL IN SOUTHWEST IDAHO
5th - SENATE VOTES TO AWARD CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL TO THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN
3rd - SEN. CRAIG’S BILL SEEKS TO PRESERVE DIGNITY OF ARLINGTON AND OTHER NATIONAL CEMETERIES
3rd - U.S. SENATE HONORS VA EMPLOYEES FOR HURRICANE EFFORTS
About the CommitteeLegislationNewsroom and PhotosHearingsIssuesPublicationsLinksContact the Veterans' Affairs Committee
Home Text-Only Version Site Map Privacy Policy
100% SC P&T PTSD 100% CAD 10% Hypertension and A&A = SMC L, SSD
a disabled American veteran certified lol
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
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