Also posted by VFW 12-11-15
VFW Wants “Widow’s Tax” Eliminated
It is a longtime VFW goal to eliminate the dollar-for-dollar offset that denies some 63,000 surviving military spouses from concurrently receiving Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) payments from the Defense Department, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Similar to life insurance, SBP is purchased by military retirees in order to provide up to 55 percent of their retirement pay to surviving spouses. DIC is a modest indemnity compensation benefit of $1,254 per month that the VA pays to surviving spouses whose loved ones died from a service-connected wound, illness or injury. Despite the two payments being paid for two different reasons from two different federal departments, all monthly SBP retirement payments are first offset by the $1,254 DIC payment. In testimony this week before the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, the VFW called it the ultimate government insult to financially penalize surviving spouses just because their loved ones died on active-duty or from a service-connected wound, illness or injury after they retired.
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Boats
O Almighty Lord God, who neither slumberest nor sleepest; Protect and assist, we beseech thee, all those who at home or abroad, by land, by sea, or in the air, are serving this country, that they, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore in all perils; and being filled with wisdom and girded with strength, may do their duty to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
"IN GOD WE TRUST"
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