Protect Veterans' Disability Benefits From Being Cut To Fund Other Programs

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3,518 signatures toward our 30,000 goal

Congress is moving forward with the Take Care of America's Veterans Act (TCAVA) — broad legislation designed to expand support for those who served. Most of it has widespread backing. But buried inside is a single provision, Section 108, that has drawn fierce opposition from veterans organizations across the political spectrum. It would fund new veterans programs by cutting disability benefits for roughly 1.5 million future veterans.^6,7

What Section 108 Does

The provision changes the formula used to calculate concurrent receipt — the ability of some veterans to collect both VA disability compensation and military retirement pay or Social Security. The result is a reduction in monthly disability payments for a large category of future beneficiaries. The cumulative cut would total $57 billion over time.⁶ That is not an accounting adjustment. It is money taken from veterans who were promised those benefits when they raised their hands to serve.

Supporters of the provision argue the savings offset the cost of other programs in the same bill. But that rationale is exactly what alarms advocacy groups. Once disability compensation becomes a funding mechanism, nothing prevents Congress from returning to that well every time it wants to expand veteran services without finding new money.³

Veterans Groups Are United in Opposition

The pushback is broad and bipartisan. A coalition of 15 major military and veterans organizations warned Congress that Section 108 would place a massive financial burden on future veterans.⁷ The provision could permanently alter how VA disability benefits are structured — transforming earned compensation into a budget line item to be trimmed as needed.³ Disabled American Veterans called it a condemnation-worthy proposal that breaks faith with those who served.⁶

Public opinion reflects the same rejection. A DAV survey found overwhelming opposition to using disability cuts to fund other veterans programs — among veterans and civilians alike.¹ A separate analysis put opposition to Section 108 specifically at 71%.² Veterans groups have made clear they support much of the rest of TCAVA, but view Section 108 as a dealbreaker that undermines the entire effort.⁵

The Senate Has Already Pushed Back

This fight has already reached the Senate floor. Senators blocked an earlier version of the bill over concerns about the disability offset mechanism, signaling that Section 108 remains the central obstacle to the legislation's passage.⁴ The path forward exists — but it runs through removing this provision, not around it.

The Core Problem

Disability compensation exists because veterans were injured in service to this country. It is not a discretionary fund to be raided when Congress needs revenue. The math is not complicated: you do not help veterans by taking money from other veterans.

Sign the petition now to demand that Congress strip Section 108 from TCAVA and permanently prohibit the use of veterans' disability compensation reductions to finance any future veterans programs.