Should veterans and retirees be "Triple Dipping?"

I think if you qualify you deserve it.

i haven't applied for SSI benefits but i get the rest, there is also a bigger, less known, area where you can buy back all your milutary time without losing military retirement pay if you were medically retirrd from wounds from war. that will equate to anothr government retirement after 5 years of work, well worth the pain i feel everyday trying to get mobile eniugh to go to work

You absolutely should make more money retired than while working thats the whole point of working away the best years of your life so you can at least be comfortable in your later years and if you are smart with your money you should easily be able to make more money retired with out triple dipping

If a few people scam karma will catch up. Too many actually need these benefits. I would never want to have a non-working disability rating. A non working rating means that SSI agencies will be always investigating in case they see you cleaning your gutters. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

My VN vet dad was “triple dipping” before he died from complications of his service connected disability(120% VA rating). If you qualify for it, you earned. I am 50%, getting disability and Chap 31 right now.

A local marine veteran who served in vietnam was on 100% disability, he had agent orange, ptsd, and stints in his heart. I don't know exactly why, but his disability was taken from him.

I retired without disability compensation from the Army Reserves even though I may qualify due too knee and ankle injuries, along with skin problems and conditions from various chemical and environmental exposures acquired on while Active Duty. Later I retired from a DoD Civilian Firefighter's position under FERS. Thus I have two Gov't Retirements. I can always seek to have my knee and ankle injuries re-evaluated to see if I qualify for VA disability, currently I don't see the need for myself though I do have some recurring pain. If I wasn't doing a volunteer gig currently for no pay, I could go back to work and further pad my Social Security, and build another 401K for future fun. But when you consider that Service members may be medically retired and qualify for benefits, they earned. It is up to them to file for and to collect. but there may be offsets to medical retirement pay based upon earned income that depends upon the era the person was in service. Under CSRS rules you cannot have 2 gov't pensions. Under FERS rules since one is a 407K plan you can have 2 gov't pensions. A medical retirement may not be taxed at the same rate as regular retirement (it is generally a lower amount if at all depending upon jurisdictions). But ultimately I am not a Medical Practitioner, qualified to rate the level of disability some one receives, gets treatment, and compensation for. But I have seen the nature of the injuries other service members received, some are well deserving of the "Triple Dip" as you put it. I don't begrudge them it. Are some riding the system, possibly. The ones who do get caught out, generally become all the more poorer for their actions. But as long as it is legal. No issues from me.

Don’t confuse the three different programs. First if you qualify for a retirement that is a separate thing. The vestment period for military retirement is 20 years , that is 4 times the vestment period of a private industry pension program. If you leave at 18 years you get nothing. It has nothing to do with disability. Disability from the VA is based on your medical records and VA examination. You don’t decide disability...the VA does. The average 45 year old that has never served does not have 4 to 8 acute injuries that would get you 50-100% disability. Finally SSD is something you paid into with FICA. It’s your money and dam hard to get if you are under 55. If you qualify for all 3, I guarantee you need it. Talk to some veteran retirees who qualify for all three....they aren’t getting over. Their health is bad and their QOL isn’t great.

I wouldn't worry about the one's who say triple dipping is getting over on the system. Believe me if you are getting it you deserve it.

If you payed into it, put the time in. Then you earned it. End of story. Anybody who says different is just jealous.