The Supreme Court rejected arguments by a disabled veteran that he and others who missed filing deadlines for disability benefits should still be eligible for retroactive payouts.
Supreme Court votes 'no' to retroactive benefits for veterans who miss deadline
The Supreme Court unanimously rejected arguments from a veteran that he and other individuals with service-connected disabilities
who missed filing deadlines for disability benefits should still be eligible for retroactive payouts if they could show compelling reasons for the late submissions. The case — Arellano v. McDonough — had been closely watched by veterans groups because of its potential to award tens of thousands of dollars to some veterans who failed to submit paperwork for VA compensation within a year of separation from the service.
'Widow's tax' on survivors benefit checks ends Feb. 1
Benefit checks dated Feb. 1 or later will no longer have the "widow's tax" reducing income for the surviving spouses of military retirees who receive survivor benefits from more than
one program. Until 2020, survivors couldn't receive the full amount of two survivor benefits at the same time. Under the rule known as the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) "offset," the government reduced payments that were part of that program by the amount of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) that beneficiaries received from the VA.
Congress' next big veteran issue is fixing concurrent
disability and retirement receipt
Last year Congress passed the PACT Act, a massive benefits expansion for veterans who suffered toxic exposure injuries while in the service. This year, the biggest legislative push
on veterans issues could be making sure those veterans and others hurt on duty get all the money they're owed. The Major Richard Star Act — named for an Army veteran who died in 2021 of cancer-related burn pit exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan — would allow combat-wounded veterans who are medically discharged before serving 20 years to receive both retirement and disability pay, with no offsets.
9 things survivors of veterans should know about DIC benefits
If you are a survivor of a veteran and are considering applying for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), you may be wondering how the benefit works. Here are nine things that can help you if you're a survivor planning to apply for DIC or appeal a DIC decision.
Did you live or work at Camp Lejeune before 1987 and now have a health condition? You may be eligible to take legal action and seek a financial settlement from the U.S. government.
" They are the most knowledgeable and professional attorneys I have ever had the pleasure of being represented by! I would recommend them to any veteran! - M.S., a Navy veteran from Tennessee
