The new veterans are filing for disabilities at historic rates, with about 45 percent of those from Iraq and Afghanistan seeking compensation for injuries. Many are seeking compensation for a variety of ailments at once.
Experts believe a variety of factors are contributing to the surge including a bad economy and more awareness about head trauma and mental health. Even though it’s been 40 years since the U.S. ended its involvement in the Vietnam War payments for that war are also still rising.
I came across this information while reading an article in the Washington Post about how some descendants of Civil War veterans were receiving benefits over 100 years following the end of the war. For the full article visit: US war costs last for more than a century, monthly payments to Civil War vet families
While some might worry about the costs associated with the accelerating growth in disability payments for soldiers with injuries, I am not. Not concerned about those WITH injuries that is. What I AM concerned about is the likelihood that there is a lot of abuse and fraud taking place. Uninjured veterans claiming injuries are reducing the funding available for those who were actually injured and whom the funding was intended to help.
This dilution of available federal funds is accompanied by a dilution of private funding, via non-profits, as well. I, for one, will do my best to do as much as I can with the limited time and resources I have to do the most good for the cause.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.