Are you a Vietnam Veteran? Do you know a Vietnam Veteran? Do you care at all about veteran issues?
Then we need you to help spread the word quickly.
The VA is out to change a small program that currently benefits many, many Vietnam era veterans and their widows:
The VA pension—or widow’s pension–benefit provides money to needy veterans and surviving spouses who require daily assistance for necessary activities such as eating, bathing and dressing. Basically, there is no hard and fast net worth number to be eligible, at least for now. If you get down to $80,000 in assets—not including your house or car—and you have high deductible medical expenses that net out your income, you may qualify. A single veteran’s maximum monthly benefit is $1,788, and a surviving spouse’s is $1,149 (it’s tax-free).
Forbes, March 10 2015
Eventually, this program should also help veterans from both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. But if the VA has anything to do with it, the process of applying will be onerous. According to
Eileen Walsh, a lawyer who specializes in elder law, "the VA is rigging the system to disqualify those in need, or force them to bleed through whatever incomes or savings they have to retain the benefit."
To make things worse, the VA tried to makes these proposals happen through Congress and failed several times. Congress wants nothing to do with the proposed changes but seems unaware that the VA is striking out on their own.
The new proposals make a one-size fits all law that would probably cost more to execute than the actual money it saved. Furthermore, it already takes 6 to 9 months to process these applications - if our government starts extreme means testing and has to wade through three years of financial records for each and every applicant, that time could easily double. Each of those hours is more taxpayer money being spent on bureaucratic run-around.
It makes no sense to have veterans in true need jump through more hoops to claim a benefit related to their wartime service to our country. This is a benefit that has existed since the Civil War and has helped thousands of veterans live decent lives in their old age.
First, you might be wondering if you or a family member are eligible for the pension as the rules exist today. You can find out from an advocate this afternoon by signing up for this Webinar that will take place at 1PM EST TODAY, Wednesday, March 18th. This webinar is being organized by a trustworthy friend of mine whose own father will be affected by these changes. She really cares and wants to make a difference.
Second, you can let the VA know how you feel about the proposed changes by leaving your comment here before March 24, 2015. Your personal story matters most but if you're looking for the words to write, one of our DailyKos Vietnam Vets put it this way:
"I suspect that the total number of cases where someone's lifetime earnings were so small that they had earned that little in monthly Social Security but had somehow accumulated significant net worth are very few and far between."
Third, you can also call your elected representatives and ask them why on earth the VA is working around Congress.
Thanks in advance for spreading the word and helping us to prevent this ill-conceived proposal.