Emergent Populations with Disability: Veterans and Returning Veterans

1
Emergent Populations with Disability Veterans
and Returning Veterans

• Susan Prokop,
• Associate Advocacy Director
• Paralyzed Veterans of America
• Susanp_at_pva.org

2
Paralyzed Veterans of America

• Veteran Service Organization
• Veterans with SCI or SCD
• Government Relations
• VBD National Service Officers
• Sports
• Research
• Architecture

3
Emergent Populations with Disability Veterans
and Returning Veterans

• 1636 Plymouth Colony provides money to
  defenders injured in fights against Indians
• 1918 Soldiers Rehabilitation Act passed for WWI
  vets with disabilities expanded to general
  public in 1920 precursor to Rehab Act

4
Emergent Populations with Disability Veterans
and Returning Veterans

• Panel purpose policy research trends in
  federal government addressing employment and
  recovery needs of service-members w/
  disabilities, including veterans of Iraq and
  Afghanistan

5
Emergent Populations with Disability Veterans
and Returning Veterans

• Veterans with disabilities are people with
  disabilities too operating in two worlds
• The VA system and its policies
• Programs and policies for all people with
  disabilities

6
SSA Beneficiaries by VA Compensation or Pension

• 401,000 SC-veterans lt65 rated 70-100
• 1,474,000 SC-veterans lt 65 rated lt70
• 154,000 NSC-veterans lt 65
• SSA 2007 Ann. Stat. Supp

7
Veterans on Social Security

• Compensation SSDI
• Compensation SSDI-eligible
• SSDI
• SSDI-eligible
• VA Pension SSDI
• Childhood Disability Beneficiary

8
Veterans and Social Security

• Claims processing delays
• 54 of 100 SC-vets on SSDI
• VA Pension Cash Cliff interference with SSA work
  incentives

9
Veterans in the Labor Force

• 2,647,000 veterans with SC-disability --
  1,371,000 not in the labor force (52)
• 665,000 veterans with SC-disability 60 --
  484,000 not in the labor force (73)
• USBLS 2007

10
Veterans in the Labor Force

• Gulf War Era veterans 711,000 with
  SC-disability 130,000 not in the labor force
  (18)
• 136,000 with SC-disability rating 60 61,000
  not in labove force (45)
• USBLS 2007

11
Veterans not in the Labor Force

• s of veterans with severest disabilities not in
  labor force
• all SC-veterans rated 60 73
• Gulf War SC-veterans rated 60 45
• Non-service-connected veterans not tracked

12
What do veterans w/ disabilities have that other
PWD dont?

• Service-connected vets
• Disability compensation and health care
  unaffected by earnings
• Non-means-tested home and vehicle modification
  grants
• Non-SC vets
• Health care some cost sharing
• More modest home and vehicle modification grants

13
Three questions

• What changes in SSA disability process should be
  made to assure all veterans with disabilities get
  the supports theyve earned?
• Like the VA pension cash cliff and Social
  Security work incentives, what other federal
  return to work disability policies hinder or
  ignore veterans with disabilities?
• Do VA benefits for veterans with severe
  disabilities both SC non-SC have any impact
  on their workforce participation compared to
  similar populations of non-veterans with
  disabilities?