The official blog of American Veteran Magazine, the national quarterly publication of AMVETS.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

COLA Hoax: Benefits Will Not Double in 2011

Over the last few weeks, a chain e-mail started to circulate in military and veterans' circles, purporting that this year's increases in compensation for service-connected disabled veterans would nearly double. However, the e-mail is a hoax.

The e-mail included a mock version of a Congressional bill, H.R. 4667, which was rife with errors. The text included a chart outlining how the rates would supposedly increase "to bring monies in line to the America[sic] middle class." Here is a copy of the phony bill:

The four-page text contains multiple inconsistencies ranging from the type font to erroneous capitalization and syntax errors such as "disable veterans" and "be low." The bill also claims to be from the first session of the 111th Congress, which ended on Dec. 4, 2009.

Recently, Congress did pass a version of H.R. 4667 that will increase COLA rates for 2011 keeping with the standard percentage increases in Social Security taking effect on Dec. 1, 2010. To view a copy of the bill, which is now Public Law 111-247, Click Here.

The hoax bill was forwarded to AMVETS National Headquarters by an AMVETS National Service Officer in Georgia who was suspicious of the e-mail's content, after receiving it from a client. Other service officers soon started to receive similar inquiries into the validity of the e-mail.

AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley quickly discovered that the e-mail was fake and AMVETS National Service Department informed service officers in the field, providing each of them with the accurate bill to properly inform the veterans they serve.

Stars & Stripes Rumor Doctor also caught wind of the e-mail and published findings on the hoax.

AMVETS leaders supported the real version of H.R. 4667, which ensures veterans' service-connected compensation will increase for 2011, accounting for perpetual increases in the cost of living.

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14 comments:

  1. the service oraganization still should have pushed for an increase in compensation!its been 20 years since actual compensation increased with todays economy the present rate pay at a 100% will and still not insure many new area and past era veterans there just pursue of the american dream!its a disgrace and a let down by those in our service organizations who have occupied there post for the past decade century and war and economy!congress give thereselfs pay raises and many of them have never serverd or come home wounded or maimed,disabled injured due to the service of america veterans must stand united and together!bring veterans into the middles class far to many veterans live month by month so many labled unemployable and homeless service organisations stand together for tommorrows generation of veterans and todays andpast vetrans

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  2. Absolutely disgusting that we have millions of veterans; me included, who sacrificed so much in the defense of our nation to find out this is a hoax. I can only imagine the person(s) who did this are either non vet's or a foreign entity. To add onto the first comment, it is time to increase the compensation up to the middle class. We have veterans who are 100% disabled who cannot work and find themselves struggling. As for myself 20 years of services and numerous combat deployments, seems like a slap in the face. Although I am proud of what i have done. I now feel like a forgotten retiree

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  3. Maybe it was started just to get the talks going on a reasonable increase of payments. While I appreciate that the benefits exist, I think Veterans that cannot work due to service connected injuries should not have to live in poverty.

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  4. I want the person behind this to come clean or pay us for the hoax. If he or she wants to post wrong information let them pay every vet for a year then thy will stop this horse shit if it is. They can also rote in jail for the next 100 years. Im so fare in debet that they can pay my debt. We have been underpaid for the last 25 years. Congress cutting retirement in 1996 what a slap in the face. To spend 22 years in service and almost dieing in the gulf due to gas from the skuds.

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  5. Who is to blame for this situation combat veterans are in - in regards to amounts received for their disabilities by the VA?

    It is those in the veterans business from politicians using veterans to get elected and those professional veterans running veterans organizations who are too lazy too busy sucking up the social life DC life or are those jealous of those who actually served in combat.

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  6. Congress give the veterans the money because they will spend it and that will take the economy back up.

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  7. My husband is an American Vet from the Vietnam War. He is still having flashbacks from the times he served in the field. I see tears in his eyes. He lost nearly all the men in his group. He never talk to me. His best friend died two years ago, he served as a Marine with him in Vietnam, he talked with him. I would hear them discussing the compensations of the vets. I was saddened by the concern of congress for the welfare of our returning vets when voting on financial compensation. Congressman and Senators can not win an election without votes from the disable American vet. For example, Sara Palin can not win without the women voting for her as a presidential candidate. Women in this country would never vote for a simple minded woman to run this country. Disable vet could rule with their vote in 2012.

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  8. Thank you for posting the bad chart of benefit payments.
    Please Post the correct chart for the new benefits payments. I have looked all over the "official sites" and cannot locate a new table/chart of what the new benefits will be.
    Could you help us out? Ken Cowles, Life Member

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  9. From everything I have read and seen on television, there will be NO cola for 2011. The rate will remain the same as last year and the year before. Yet, you can bet you tail that congress will vote themselves an increase!

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  10. By the way, the above post came directly from President Obamas mouth, at a backyard meeting held in Arizona.

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  11. When will the repeal for USFSPA

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  12. WILL THERE BE ANY INCREASE BASE ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF PUBLIC LAW 111-247 AT ALL?

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  13. My questions is simple, I DID NOT RECEIVED MY VA BENEFIT FOR THE MONTH OF JAN. Normally it is posted on that Friday Dec 31, 2010 since Jan 1 fails on a weekend. But I got some crocked story from my bank saying the Depositor, which is the US Treasury VA Benefits is allegedly depositing it on Jan 3rd Monday, which is way out of the norm.

    I am just wondering, did all VA veterans have the same problem or is mind isolated and why? I have been getting regular deposits from teh VA for nearly 20 years--this is the first and I am shocked. Who can address this for me and what recourse should I take?

    I am living abroad and this has caused me serious undue stress and anxiety, as well as causing my family and kid to suffer due to the VA doing this? Please anyone have any suggestion or guidance is greatly apprecaited. Please email me at npcfilam@gmail.com

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