>>512054904 (OP)(OP) I’m on the policy side at VA, and I want to be straight with you. The frustration you’re voicing is something we hear a lot, and it isn’t misplaced.
The percentages don’t map cleanly onto the dollar amounts because the system uses the “whole person” formula—each new disability is calculated against what’s left of you that’s still considered “able.” So 70% doesn’t equal 70% of $4,000; it comes out closer to $1,700. The original idea was that veterans at less than 100% could still earn in the civilian world, so the compensation was a supplement, not a full income.
We know that idea doesn’t match reality for many vets today. Which is why in the last decade we’ve pushed reforms:
Expanded healthcare access at 30% and above, so medical costs don’t eat your entire check.
Individual Unemployability (IU), which pays at the 100% rate if your disabilities make sustained work impossible.
Stronger caregiver programs, including stipends, because we know families carry much of the burden.
Faster appeals and expanded presumptive condition lists, to reduce the years‑long fights too many have endured.
Is it perfect? No. The math is a relic, and we’re still working to modernize it. But your feedback is what fuels those changes. Keep calling out the gaps—you’re not being ignored.
Semper Fidelis. In Nomine Regis.
