We have a guy who asks for money on a street corner. He has 2 artificial legs and wears an Army uniform so I guess he lost his legs in combat. What kind of money would he get from the Army for losing both legs? Would he get a monthly amount for life? I assume he can still work desk type jobs so I don’t know if he is considered totally disabled.
(I realize he could have lost his legs some other way but let’s assume he lost them in combat)
I don’t know but I do know of a local man on disability who makes over $5,000 a month, has all his parts and really could work if he wanted to but now he’s just an alcoholic. I wouldn’t even consider his disability to be military related. Like a lot of government benefits I think it probably depends on how well you know how to work the system.
Just because he’s wearing an Army jacket doesn’t mean he’s a veteran…lots of homeless people prefer Army surplus jackets because they’re relatively cheap and very durable. I still have one that I bought 16 years ago and it’s in good shape.
I realize this guy may have no military connection but he does have 2 artificial legs. You can lose both legs in a car crash or possibly to disease but it seems that combat is the most likely cause of his situation.
Regardless he would qualify for Social Security disability, and that is ussually around 1800 per month. Not a whole lot, but if you go to the right area, and play nice with roomates, you can live off of it.
Why on earth would you say that? I’m sure that combat is one of the less likely ways to lose two legs, unless he lost them in this current war which has produced a lot of amputees. Diabetes, for example, will take a leg fast as you please.
Monthly compensation from the VA for 100% disability is currently $2,650 a month. For 90% disability, it is $1,600 a month, and 70% is around $1,400. I really can’t recall any guidelines on what kind of disability rating a guy wih no legs would have, but I presume someone without legs, probably suffering from PTSD, would be very close to 100% disabled.
I do not believe one can collect VA and Social Security Disability concurrently.
If you are 100% disabled through military service and married you get $2,823 a month. But that is tax free and you can work if you wish. Also your health care is free. If you have more dependents than a spouse I think you get something for them also.
You can also apply for SS Disability. The SS is also tax free is you have under a certain amount of earned income.
SS disability is the amount you would have recieved if you had waited until age 65.
If you pay into SS you should be getting a statement twice a year. Look on it and it will give you an estimate as to what your disability payment would be.
The VA views being disabled as not so much being totally unable to work as being so fucked up that you shouldn’t have to work unless you want to. (Okay, that’s not exactly the way the rules read, but it seems to be the usual way they are interpreted.)
Two men I was in Vietnam with lost legs, one was a double amputee. Both have been 100% since getting out of the service. Both men held jobs for many years.
Another man in Vietnam with me came close to losing a leg, and a bunch of other stuff evidently. He was a mess when seen last. He was declared as being 100% disabled by the VA. California sent him to college. He stayed there for 10 years having, he told me a couple of years ago, a wonderful time. They finally said he’d had all the schooling he needed, so he quit. He said he’s never worked a day in his life after getting wounded.