Bush signs Dec. 1 COLA increase for vets

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Bush signs Dec. 1 COLA increase for vets
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Sep 26, 2008 6:03:47 EDT

While lawmakers continue to work on two omnibus veterans’ bills dealing with benefits and health care, at least one thing is now certain — disabled veterans and survivors receiving dependency and indemnity compensation will receive a Dec. 1 benefits increase that matches the hike in Social Security benefits.

President Bush signed the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2008 on Thursday in what could be the final time that an act of Congress is required to provide a COLA for veterans.

It is not yet clear how big the increase will be because the bill, now Public Law 110-324, says only that the veterans’ increase must match the increase in Social Security. The precise amount won’t be known until mid-October, but it will be around 6 percent, which would make it the biggest jump since 1982.

The increase will take effect on Dec. 1 but first appear in January checks.

A provision of the pending Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 ends the long practice of lawmakers having to approve a bill each year to make an increase in veterans’ disability compensation, pension and dependency and indemnity compensation.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/military_veterans_cola_092508w/%2e