ichiban1.org

I am posting this DAV link for those of you who might want to be in touch with your State's Federal Representatives in the House and Senate...where the issue of an annual COLA Increase for disabled veterans may come up for debate.

I don't know about you, but I have more than a few recurring debts that seem to go up every year...in spite of the fact that the good old US Government seems to think there has been no increase in the cost of living. Just a few that will increase in 2016 are my Auto Insurance (No accidents in over 15 years), Medicare parts A, B, & D, and Medicare Supplemental Insurance. Maybe someone should tell these folks that the government says there has been no increase in the cost of living?!

Visit this DAV Link and use the form to send your Representatives a note on this topic.

http://www.dav.org/can/?vvsrc=%2fCampaigns%2f43238%2fRespond

James Sheppard
1317 Reche Rd
Fallbrook, CA 92028-3639

Dear James:

Thanks for contacting me regarding Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) for military retirees. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

As a result of low inflation, largely attributed to the drop in gas prices, it was determined that there will be no Cost-of-Living-Adjustment (COLA) for military retirees in 2016. This determination was made using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) index, which is calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is not determined by Congress. Since increases became automatic in 1975, this is the third instance of there not being an increase in COLA. I absolutely understand your concern over this determination. However, you may be interested to know that active duty members of the military--with the exception of flag and general officers--will be receiving a 1.3% pay raise. Pay raises are determined by the Employment Cost Index (ECI), which measures private sector growth. Since price inflation and ECI rarely are equal in a year, this is why there are differences in annual adjustments for active duty and retired pay.

As a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, I understand full well the sacrifices and hardships that our military and their families have to endure. For this reason, I believe we need to ensure that our veterans and servicemembers receive the compensation and benefits they have been promised and that they deserve. Please be assured that as we continue to discuss these important issues, I will keep your thoughts firmly in mind.

Again, thank you for contacting me. If you have any further questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Duncan Hunter
Member of Congress