Compensation Rate Increase for Veterans with Disabilities, Survivors Proposed

by Alan Wooten

Federal legislation has been proposed, led in part by a North Carolina congressman, to increase the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and military survivors under the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, known by the acronym COLA Act, could go into effect as soon as Dec. 1, with adjustment parallel to the annual COLA adjustment to Social Security benefits, as determined by the Social Security Administration.

“The brave men and women who served our nation shouldn’t have to suffer because of increased cost-of-living and inflation,” Thom Tillis said in a release. “This commonsense legislation ensures that certain financial benefits from the VA, including disability compensation, are boosted to reflect the true cost of living so no veteran has to worry about making ends meet.”

Disability compensation, clothing allowances and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children are VA benefits that would increase.

Tillis partnered with Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., in bringing the legislation forward.

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Alan Wooten has been a publisher, general manager and editor. His work has won national or state awards in every decade since the 1980s. He’s a proud graduate of Elon University and Farmville Central High in North Carolina. Wooten is managing editor for The Center Square.