Nov 27, 2012
WASHINGTON — This afternoon President Obama signed into law the cost-of-living allowance adjustment bill for disabled veterans and surviving spouses, offering increased compensation for nearly 4 million disabled veterans and their family members.
The bill, H.R. 4114, increases compensation for veterans' beneficiaries at the same percentage as increased compensation for Social Security and military retiree pay. The 1.7-percent increase is tied to the consumer price index, or CPI, and is scheduled to go into effect on Dec. 1.
The House first passed its COLA increase bill, introduced by Rep. Jon Runyan, R-N.J., last summer. The Senate passed its version of the bill, introduced by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., before Thanksgiving.
The VFW advocates every year for an increase in COLA for veterans tied to Social Security. However, the VFW consistently calls on Congress to approve a permanent solution that would permanently link veterans' COLA increases to increases in Social Security benefits.
Your VFW supported a bill in the 112th Congress, also introduced by Runyan, that would fix this technicality, but the bill stalled in committee. VFW plans to work with House leaders to fix it when the 113th Congress convenes in January.