Posted on Mar 23, 2016
SSG Senior Maintenance Supervisor
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We hear about how all these Vets are triple dipping, but I don't think people are educated on how hard it actually is to do this, and how very small of a percentage of people can qualify to do this.

You have to meet all of these requirements: Serve over 20 years, receive a 50% or more VA Rating, be deemed unemployable or 100% disabled by the VA, AND qualify for SSI benefits.
Posted in these groups: Retirement logo Retirement
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SGM Mikel Dawson
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Edited 8 y ago
I'm rated at 40%. I start drawing my pension I loose my 40%. Every day I get home from work my back is killing me. Part of my right foot is numb and some days part of my left as well. On days like this, I drink at least 3 beers, then take 3 codine pills, go to bed with a hot pad on the back with my legs propped up. I lay like this for about 3 hrs to let my muscles relax. I use to sleep on my side, but it was screwed up in Iraq as well, so no more. After what little sleep I get I do manage to get my pants on the next morning. The pain has subsided but I still know I got a back.
As far as I'm concerned, anyone who can get all they can get from Uncle Sam for what we went through - good going.
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CSM James Rollins
CSM James Rollins
3 y
Apply for more, PTSD, do you have ringing in the ears, if so apply for that. Get the service connection up to 50% and you can draw both.
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SSG Evan Paul
SSG Evan Paul
3 y
SGM Mikel Dawson you should contact Veteran Guardians, they will help you get reevaluated and get the higher rating. They’re mostly veterans themselves and know the system.

https://vetsguardian.com/
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SN Dale "CG" Veach
SN Dale "CG" Veach
>1 y
Limiting your income is nothing more than socialism...
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PO1 John Crafton
PO1 John Crafton
2 y
SN Dale "CG" Veach - They're not limiting your income. They're simply supplementing your income differently based on that income. You can make as much as you want, and they can't/won't stop that.
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SPC Treatment Medic
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898
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People look at this as if the cost of a person pulling the "triple dip" is an act of gettin one over on the man. Instead it's actually just a person getting paid what they're owed
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SSG Bill McCoy
SSG Bill McCoy
3 y
COL William Oseles - I agree; and he probably would've still got the VA Rating but probably not the education bennies. The kid is very astute so that's probably what he based his choice on. It also gave him two years of Post Exchange privileges which was good because he did an internship with the FDIC in Washington and lived right outside of Ft. Myer's (VA) back gate. Also, his university was Robert Morris not far from another PX (Oakland Army installation). Retirement would have given him a "forever" access too however.
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PO2 Mike Vignapiano
PO2 Mike Vignapiano
3 y
COL William Oseles - This would've depended on how the military wrote up his Medical Retirement. I helped a Marine buddy of mine make his choice. When presented, we went to the DAV. The went through EVERYTHING. They discovered the way his retirement was written, he would not have been able to get a VA Rating. Most "retirements" (not all) are 50%, with full medical thru Tricare. VA under 50% is treatment at VA facilities only for service-connected disabilities (30% qualifies for Voc Rehab way better than GI Bill). 50% or higher, ANY ailment is treatable at any VA facility, service-connected or not.
If anyone knows someone presented with this choice, have them go to the DAV before they make a choice. IF not, at least see a lawyer who is versed in Military Compensation because the military and the VA is setup to deny your claims and they word things to make the least beneficial for you sound the most attractive.
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PO1 Andrew Whitehead
PO1 Andrew Whitehead
3 y
SSgt Stephen Mills - I draw 100% retired pay (Navy) and 100% disability from VA. However, I do not draw SSI because that isn't permitted and if you do draw SSI, they will come back to you for the money.
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CSM Clifford Fargason
CSM Clifford Fargason
2 y
SSG (Join to see) - A retiree (non-combat) has a VA disability less than 60%, then the retiree will forfeit the same amount of money as he/she gets from VA.
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CW4 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Technician
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For those who legitimately meet all of the requirements, you'd have to have a pretty pain-filled and miserable existence. If you legitimately qualify, you probably need that money.
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CPT Edward Baker
CPT Edward Baker
3 y
SSG John Eroh - I'm in the same boat as you are. Mine was so bad that when I went in for my C&P exam the Doc went and got me a wheel chair. Been in one ever since if I'm up for more than an hour. The more you force yourself to walk the worse it gets also.
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LTC Tom Barbeau
LTC Tom Barbeau
3 y
To add insult to injury, the FY2012 Defence Authorization act changed the rules for CRSC if you were medically retired after it was passed, as I was in July 2013. The new rules state that if you are a medically retired reservist, and your pension is more than your reserve pension would be, your CRSC will be reduced by the amount you are over. This results in most medically retired reservists not being able to qualify for that offset. The people at DFAS on the phone were stunned when they had to explain the change in rules to me. It also explained the extra 12 months of delay in processing my retirement order. I bet they did this to a whole bunch of people.
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SSG Edward Tilton
SSG Edward Tilton
3 y
I sent a DD149 to the Army Board for Correction of Military Records along with my VA rating ( must be 30%or more). Three years later they retired me retro active to the date of my separation and paid me the back pay. I have a retired ID and all of the benefits other retirees have including my dependents
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SGT Jon Creager
SGT Jon Creager
>1 y
Something I took while in the military triggered a upheaval in my endocrine system. This lead to osteoporosis. The VA said my spine was 70% the strength of the average 70 year old man.
I live in pain 24/7 have had cervical vertebrae fusion, was injured and deal with nerve damage that leave something uncontrollable.
I attend my Dr appointments, everything. take the meds the VA sends me.
one of the best spinal neurosurgeon looked at the rest of my back and said simply "Your back will never hold the screws we need to use to stabilizer it. I cannot say I can help your pain."

Double or triple dipping??? No I get VA and now Social Security but I am 65, I also paid into SS for over 50 years. So is it double dipping? NO I earned it!

That 10% listed above do not know what to hell they are talking about.
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