Cost of Living benefit increases for disabled veterans

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GLENDALE, Calif. — Veterans who receive disability benefits will be getting more money this year.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs routinely evaluates the amount of disability veterans receive to ensure it keeps up with inflation, but for the past two years, increases have been less than 2%. This year, they’ll be seeing the largest boost in 40 years.

What You Need To Know

  • Veterans who receive benefits will be receiving the largest boost in 40 years

  • The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs routinely evaluates the amount of disability veterans receive to ensure it keeps pace with inflation, but for the past two years, increases have been less than 2%

  • When veteran Terrell Mack thinks back on his service, it’s mostly without fond memories and when he returned to the U.S. he found it difficult to find his footing as a civilian

  • Mack’s life has changed drastically with nearly free veterans housing, 100% disability benefits and the 5.9% cost-of-living wage adjustment increase

When veteran Terrell Mack thinks back on his service, it’s mostly without fond memories. He traded dreams of a journalism career for the Marine Corps right out of high school when his family couldn’t afford college.

“Cause my mom, God rest her soul, she was always too sick to like, guide me, so it’s like, I’m guiding myself,” Mack explained.

Six years and two Middle Eastern deployments later, Mack literally kissed the U.S. soil as he touched down back home. But like many veterans, he quickly found himself unable to find his footing as a civilian.

“Depression, substance abuse, alcoholism and like, to kind of like take away the pain, you work out,” Mack explained.

Homeless and sleeping in his truck until even it was stolen, Mack says he had hit rock bottom.

But then he met a veteran who was working for an outreach program within the Employment Development Department, who took him under her wing. She helped Mack get approved for nearly free veterans housing and 100% disability benefits through Veterans Affairs.

It was everything he needed to get back on his feet. Now he shows that the VA has also increased the Cost of Living Adjustment by 5.9%, the highest percentage in decades.

“With the new increase, that’s how much it was,” Mack explained, as he pointed to his digital paperwork, “but last year I was making less than 40% of that and it was really difficult.”

Through that same outreach program, Mack met Dimetrios Vandiegriff, a local veteran employment rep working from home for EDD who says helping veterans connect to services is the most fulfilling job he’s ever had.

When he received word that veterans with a 100% disability rating would be receiving about $185 more per month, due to the Cost of Living Adjustment, he shared it with all the community partners he works with.

“I was like oh! I was so excited, because it does make a difference,” Vandiegriff said.

The VA said with steep inflation, this increase was absolutely critical for so many disabled veterans who rely on the compensation to make ends meet. Vandiegriff helps guide veterans still struggling to find their way, but even he needs the assistance as he shifts through countless bills.

“For me, working for the state and also getting my disability pension allows me to be fully autonomous,” Vandiegriff explained.

It’s assistance that’s changed Mack’s life.

“It’s a huge blessing to get this because now my family can just stabilize,” he said.