Posted on Oct 9, 2015
Are you aware that Individual Unemployability is under fire?
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Over the past few months, the issue of Individual Unemployability (IU) has been both a topic of discussion and one of rising concern for DAV and its members. A hearing regarding IU was held before the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability and Memorial Affairs on July 15, 2015.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), for eligibility to IU, a veteran must be unable to maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his or her service-connected disabilities. Marginal employment, such as an odd job, is not considered "substantial gainful employment" for VA purposes. In addition to the employment barrier, a veteran eligible for IU must have one service-connected condition ratable at 60 percent or more disabling, or two or more service-connected disabilities, at least one condition that is ratable at 40 percent or more disabling, with a combined rating of 70 percent or more disabled.
Reports published by the Congressional Budget Office in August 2014 and the General Accountability Office in June 2015 made recommendations for substantial changes to the IU program. If implemented, these changes would cause significant financial harm to wounded, ill and injured veterans, their survivors and dependents.
Many of the views expressed within these reports are quite troubling, particularly the notions of restricting, limiting, or eliminating entitlement to IU on the basis of age and offsetting IU benefits when veterans are in receipt of other earned federal benefits such as military compensation or Social Security benefits ; concepts that DAV vehemently opposes.
No legislation has been introduced to address IU, but discussions are underway. DAV wants the voice of DAV members, the auxiliary and other DAV supporters who are concerned about the preservation of veterans' benefits to be part of this discussion. DAV asks you to contact your elected officials with the letter provided, or please write your own letter for the same purpose.
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/x1XeTseIDYCxv6-1zivP3Q
There was a news report last year or so regarding how some veterans were collecting, military retirement, service connected disability pay and social security. Tied into this was the IU (Individual Unemployability). Some in the public and Congress were upset over this issue. Thus the focus.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), for eligibility to IU, a veteran must be unable to maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his or her service-connected disabilities. Marginal employment, such as an odd job, is not considered "substantial gainful employment" for VA purposes. In addition to the employment barrier, a veteran eligible for IU must have one service-connected condition ratable at 60 percent or more disabling, or two or more service-connected disabilities, at least one condition that is ratable at 40 percent or more disabling, with a combined rating of 70 percent or more disabled.
Reports published by the Congressional Budget Office in August 2014 and the General Accountability Office in June 2015 made recommendations for substantial changes to the IU program. If implemented, these changes would cause significant financial harm to wounded, ill and injured veterans, their survivors and dependents.
Many of the views expressed within these reports are quite troubling, particularly the notions of restricting, limiting, or eliminating entitlement to IU on the basis of age and offsetting IU benefits when veterans are in receipt of other earned federal benefits such as military compensation or Social Security benefits ; concepts that DAV vehemently opposes.
No legislation has been introduced to address IU, but discussions are underway. DAV wants the voice of DAV members, the auxiliary and other DAV supporters who are concerned about the preservation of veterans' benefits to be part of this discussion. DAV asks you to contact your elected officials with the letter provided, or please write your own letter for the same purpose.
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/x1XeTseIDYCxv6-1zivP3Q
There was a news report last year or so regarding how some veterans were collecting, military retirement, service connected disability pay and social security. Tied into this was the IU (Individual Unemployability). Some in the public and Congress were upset over this issue. Thus the focus.
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Benefits
DAV
Employment
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
Suspended Profile
I hope everyone writes to their Congrespeople through the CAN... this is disgusting, but not at all surprising given the climate against military and veterans on BOTH SIDES of the aisle...
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Sgt Spencer Sikder I wasn't aware of that. As an IU receiver, this is, of course, very upsetting. Luckily, the elected officials for Alaska are very Military friendly. I will be checking in with DAV immediately. Thank you for the info.
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I am adamant that veterans who have a disability that precludes them from working receive IU or they are at risk of being financially disable as well.
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We PAID for those benefits with our years of service and our bodies and lives. To take them away to save a couple $$ is really misguided...
While you are correct that more taxes will make many more corporations offshore their earnings, individuals can't do this quite as easily. The rub with the executives is that their earnings come in Capital Gains, so they pay a lower rate than on Income Tax, AND they don't pay FICA on those earnings.
You may say, so what, they don't use Social Security either. Yet here is the rub - since Reagan, they have been taking both Principle AND Dividends from the Social Security Trust Fund, to offset the deficit in the General Fund. The result of this is that FICA becomes a de-facto regressive income tax, rather than serving its intended purpose of paying for our Social Security and Medicare benefits. If the upper income limit were removed and individual Capital Gains were taxed as well, it would be much more equitable, since so much of the $$ are going to the general fund...
I believe people focus too much on the tax rates and too little on all the exemptions, deductions and loopholes available to the wealthy. If we capped all exemptions, deductions or other loopholes at a reasonable amount we could see a huge increase in revenue. A change as small and simple as limiting the deduction for interest on home loans to $20K per year per family would probably pay for every veteran who qualifies for IU.