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I don’t know who the idiot was that thought the following was an excellent idea, but I’d like to meet him or her and have a very pointed discussion. Starting with the fact that this is ABSOLUTELY NOT the way to fix all the problems at the VA!
What’s the problem you ask? Keep reading. However, for any veterans out there, you might need to hold on to your temper with both hands. Let’s start with the title and go from there.
Eliminate Concurrent Receipt of Retirement Pay and Disability Compensation for Disabled Veterans
Yes, you read that correctly. And you know, that pretty much says it all. But lets break it down just a bit shall we?
As a result of several laws, starting with the National Defense Authorization Act for 2003, two classes of retired military personnel who receive VA disability compensation (including those who retired before the enactment of those laws) can now receive payments that make up for part or all of the VA offset, benefiting from what is often called concurrent receipt. Specifically, retirees whose disabilities arose from combat are eligible for combat-related special compensation (CRSC), and veterans who retire with at least 20 years of military service and who receive a VA disability rating of at least 50 percent are eligible for what is termed concurrent retirement and disability pay (CRDP). CRSC is exempt from federal taxes, but CRDP is not; some veterans would qualify for both payments but must choose between them.
The proposal is eliminate the option of both starting in 2018. Here’s the deal.
A. Whether anyone wants to accept reality or not, this is and never has been in any way shape or form Double Dipping. Even though the CBO and the “genius” (I use that term VERY loosely) would like to convince us otherwise.
B. The ONLY benefit to our veterans receiving a portion of their retirement as disability pay is that that portion of the payment isn’t taxable.
C. Given the very deep issues the VA continues to face to this day, this is most definitely NOT a viable solution and never should’ve been considered.
As a matter of fact, the Good Idea Fairy needs to be taken to the woodshed. Furthermore, the Good Idea Fairy needs to be absolutely BANNED from that swamp called Washington DC.
Penalizing our veterans, many of whom I know personally, is the absolute worst way to start fixing the problems the VA has. Getting rid of the incompetent bad apples is the very first place to start. Our veterans have served with honor and courage. It is only right and good that we honor them back.
That we do NOT penalize them for the incompetence and indifference of others. Our veterans are NOT a budget item!
We don’t know yet who President-elect Trump’s choice for the Veterans Administration is, but I would STRONGLY suggest the elimination of this “idea” is an excellent place to start.
Rusty Shackleford says: You know the pajama boy who came up with this idea never had the first inkling of what vets and especially disabled vets go through, or what military service is like….I can’t help but look at that pic on today’s VGB homepage of then-Princess Elizabeth changing a tire while she served her country in WW2…she had more testicular fortitude then than President Stompy Foot has ever known, and had more class to boot!
SFC D says: I recommend the pajama boy genius spend a couple of months as a volunteer in a VA medical facility, or some time with the DAV. I’m sure he’d slink away and quietly change his mind afterward.
Elizabeth jo says: When will this be decided??? So upsetting
Hopefully its a bad “idea” that will never take up space in a bill. Hopefully we caught on early enough to raise a very big stink about it and ensure its failure. 😉
GWB says: I don’t know who the idiot was that thought the following was an excellent idea
Do keep in mind that Social Security already reduces your retirement payments, where disability payments are received.
some veterans would qualify for both payments but must choose between them
I think you need to read that statement again. It says they have to choose between the retirement version of concurrent pay and the combat-related version of concurrent pay. I know it doesn’t agree with the title, but the choice given in the bit you quote is between CRDP and CRSC, not between retirement pay and disability pay.
Part of the problem with the VA is complex rules like this require more bureaucracy. Which feeds on itself, making more rules to clarify the old rules, which requires more bureaucracy, which….
That is true regarding SS.
However, given that this idea is now floating around the CBO, the fact that any current or future retire drawing CRSC or CRDP would no longer receive those funds in interest of “saving” money… what’s to stop that stupid Bad Idea Fairy from taking it many steps further? Nothing unless we make sure its stopped. 😉
The VA has the ability to save $$ right now by firing those administrators who need to be fired and to quit running up the billion dollars over budget worth of costs for the Denver VA hospital being built. To me – that’s a GREAT idea! To the bureaucracy of the VA…not so much. 😉
Jeremy says: Recommended reading before you write anymore on this topic: http://spousebuzz.com/blog/2016/12/awful-military-retiree-pay-idea.html
Thanks! They point out the same thing… this is a proposal/idea that needs to go far far away.
So the more we all bring attention to it, the less chance there is of it making it into a bill and getting passed. 😉
Jeremy says: I would recommend you change your headline. The VA hasn’t proposed anything.
Thanks, but I’ll leave it as is. Specifically because agencies put together their ideas for budget cuts/increases before sending to the CBO for analysis. So logic points to this having started at the VA. 😉
CW says: This shows even more how they steal from our vets. If a person receives a settlement from military it has to be paid back to VA like loan. Which is deducted from monthly benit payment received by veterans. How bout them apples.
Melinda Bean says: I know “congressional researchers” would not appreciate someone messing with their retirement pay……..
Fred says: This is an idea CBO floats every year. It is not a policy proposal and it most certainly did not come from the VA. You can beat up the VA about a lot of things but your headline and the implication that this is their idea is flat out wrong and a lie. If nothing else is all you are doing is getting veterans pissed off at the wrong target and if your goal is to prevent this from becoming a law then focus your readers on the actual source instead of sending them on a rampage against the VA. Just change the headline.
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