Are we expecting issues with our stipend pay for the VR&E program? I haven’t recieved my stipend yet (usually get it in or before the first). Anyone else?

Can anybody tell me if there’s any good life insurance policies for half $1 million that is not veterans life insurance or VA life insurance because I did not retire from the military and I prefer not to pay $400 a month just for a life insurance policy . I have chronic health conditions and I am over 50 but under 55.

With splintered iron inside wasted shrine,

Forever schemed against forlorn at home.

Like hatred mounted from iron in brine,

In sadness not unlike the silent dome.

Now I'm afraid of fireflies at lake,

Await the wounds to bloom from flutter flight.

While I walk alone for silence's sake,

And hide from ruby mud of rain-less night.

Unblind and blind much shallow graves we heaped,

With tears for some and many swallowed shouts.

While seeing too much light and light less eyed,

And stole some laugh from cheerless nights of doubt.

Unbroken, broken parts are mine alone,

Like shattered glass to make mosaic whole

In case you didn't get the news or have not noticed yet, the Veterans Benefits wiki has moved off of Reddit and now has its own dedicated website:

https://www.veteransbenefitskb.com/

In total, the website is made up of over 180 pages.

For the most part, pages have the same extensions they did previously (/[pagename])

• So https://www.reddit.com/r/VeteransBenefits/wiki/vaclaim is now:
• https://www.veteransbenefitskb.com/vaclaim

I do want to again thank u/damnshell and u/Livid-Tailor3999 for their efforts to help validate some of the pages on the website. As well u/Dangerous-Golf3831 and u/Abire on feedback during development.

FAQ:

• Are you leaving us? You are not so fortunate!
• Why? Reddit's wiki is simply... simple and I have pushed things to the absolute limit and then some. A dedicated website gives me more control and power to implement things that are not possible or practical in the wiki environment here.
• Is the Benefits sub closing? - No.
• How can I help? If you have a suggestion to improve things, let me know! Found some strange bug? Let me know! The website previously got enough money to cover running expenses for the next 2 years, so we are not accepting further donations at this time.
• What things need to be done still? Improving navigation, still have a back log of new articles to write and stuff to expand on.

(This post did get an exemption for rule 5)

In November of last year I had a mammogram done at one of the local hospitals. They have sent me a bill and keep calling me. I told them the VA was the payer and they needed to get in touch with them. I don’t know how to get in touch with community care as I have never called them before. Or at least I don’t recall ever having to call them. What should I do in this situation?

Having a mental crisis, my grandma died Thursday and we’ve been struggling financially and my dumbass blew through our rent money.

I clearly have no business handling my money. I’m going to be lucky if my wife doesn’t divorce me. How do I get declared mentally unfit for money?

All this sucks you can read my last posts. Damn its like everything is against me as the blue collar who actually is begging to just work minimum wage so I can just go on and focus on the next move, be it more college or whatever. I have a whole bunch of bills I applied for janitor jobs, fast food, and like damn I get nothing man. No wonder it's 22 a day. If I end up homeless I'm just giving up. I put everything into saying I wanna better myself and this is all I get. Trash talked. Treated like crap. I had a thing today for a minimum wage job and they just like didn't even care. How can society hate me this much man

I have noticed that Veterans seem to have very polarized career outcomes after the military. Many Veterans I talk to say the military helped them form an extensive network of high-tier connections which they leveraged to get high-up civilian careers. This group seems to have used the military as a springboard to boost their career outcomes far above what they would have achieved otherwise.

For the second group of Veterans, military service seems to have had zero effect on their civilian careers. Maybe the role they had in the military helps direct them to a trade, but unlike the first group their "connections" don't seem to help them get a good job? In fact, many in this group seem to be worse-off career-wise because they lost 4-years that they could have been earning money and gaining experience.

Wanted to ask because I found this very strange... How can all of these guys go into the service and mingle with the same people, but come out with completely different connections and career outcomes?

Hey everyone,

Without trying to be long winded, after 8.5 years from 17- 26 I do not have a single clue what to do. I got out, got the degree, got a good rating. Life just feels like it's kicking me in the ovanads (joke). Employers don't call back, school feels like a waste of time to go back. Between an existential crisis and feeling like nothing is going my way I don't know how to keep up everyday. I get up go to the gym, be productive, spend time with my spouse. It all feels like my hamster wheel is stuck. If you have any advice or genuine ideas I'm all ears.

Let me get a double double, no spuds and a coke zero.

I've been out of the marines for over a year now and have been struggling with making friends, which used to not be an issue, but now that I'm back in school at 29 everyone around me is super young and hard to relate to. What are some things y'all did to have a good social life again? Going from having 20 brothers to no one has been rough.

Im a current federal employee with 23 years of service. I have 3 years of military time I would like to buy and went through the process but was recently told by my agency that I may not be able to because I’m medically retired. I have a VA rating of 70% and I have plenty of peers that are at 100% who were able to buy their military time back no problem.

Admittedly, our HR is not the strongest so Im curious if there is a mistake. Could someone weigh in please? I would really appreciate it.

VA Housing Assistance

Has anyone here had experience with housing assistance? How long does it usually take? What is the process and what are the requirements?

My little family is currently renting a back house on my parents' property. We had a misunderstanding, and we were asked to move out right away. Now we are at risk of homelessness and are having a hard time finding a place on short notice. We have no other family besides them.

We are also living on one income, as my wife is a stay-at-home mom caring for our two children. We are afraid we can't afford our own home.

I was told to contact the VA for help, but I'm still waiting to hear back from them.

One of my friends suggested telling them that we are living in the car so the VA can prioritize us, but we don't want to lie. We want to be honest about our situation.

We are just afraid that we won’t get prioritized because we are not technically homeless yet and are not living in the car.

Please avoid judging my situation. Everyone is going through something different, and we are all in different circumstances.

TIA

Additional Note: We also have a little savings for rainy days, but we will most likely use it to stay in a hotel or motel until we find a permanent residence. Will my savings affect the VA's decision?"

I'm not smart enough for school. I can't keep a job. The VA here doesn't do anything but delay. I'm lost.

38, Army, 11B, 3 combat tours, honorable discharge. 0% disability. No hope. What would you do?

Good evening everyone. I have already read some posts on this subreddit about people utilizing the VR&E program for their electrician apprenticeship program, but there were some specific questions that I have. Some background information on me. I am a 90% disabled veteran hon. discharged since November 2022.

1. I know that VR&E can't be utilized for VEEP only for the actual apprenticeship program. Would I just try to tell my VR&E counselor what my plan was, and we would work out a way so that I can receive CH 31 benefits?

2. How early should I apply for VR&E? Is VR&E strict about having a plan set as soon as you apply, or do they work with you? I don't want to apply too soon or too late.

Sorry if I am sounding uninformed. I didn't realize that VR&E was something that I could utilize for this, but now that I do, I want to put myself in the best position possible to utilize these benefits if I am able.

Thank you all.

I’m 100% p&t, and I’m looking to get my registration fees waived for my car. I already have a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs stating I am 100% p&t. Although I’ve read that you will only qualify if you have mobility issues, and that’s not my case.. here’s the picture for reference.. is this enough? Including the other documents ie. reg 256 v

There's a lot of uncertainty floating around this past week. Im only one person, but--I am right where I want to be. As a federal employee, I am proud to serve the VA mission.

So I lost my promotion to the hiring freeze. It is what it is. If I'm blessed, that will be the worst thing to happen to me in 2025.

I have no interest in a "paid vacation." I will be here tomorrow; I will still be here on October 1st. I made a commitment to serve the VA mission, and if you call my clinic you'll speak to me--a real live person!--who is here to connect you with the care you deserve.

Please don't believe the hype. There are so many of us who love what we do, and would not give it up so easily. We are here for you!

I cannot let this go by without telling the transgender military and veterans that there are a lot of us out here that are with you. I've not served myself, but my heart goes out to all of the trans individuals that have given their time and expertise to this country, only to be removed and discredited.

Please know that we are out here, we see you, we hear you, we love you. What is happening now has nothing to do with our true American principles. The man and his people that are perpetuating these haneous actions will be stood up to and will be taken down. It may take some time, but we, as the United people we are intended to be, will do everything in our power to set this, and all the other terrible actions taken recently, right. I know many that are willing to lay down their lives to regain the freedoms of all Americans. This tyranny won't stand.

Please take care of yourselves and reach out for help when needed. Trans Lifeline, 1-877-565-8860. This hotline will not contact the police.

Love, true Americans.

SSB was pay to ",get out" not for disability...as soon as we got out...we fulfilled our end of the contract...period.. repeat ....SSB was pay to get out.....

They have been very clear, don’t let this spiral!!!

I know everyone has a had varying degrees of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the VA. But if you know a VA employee, shoot them a text. Or if you’re there for a visit. A simple act of kindness or support would go a long way right now. We are all feeling extremely defeated at the moment.

Love, A fellow Vet, who is also a VA employee.

Hey all,

I’m struggling with finding my way forward. Here’s my situation:

After leaving the military, I worked as a self-employed photojournalist. It was meaningful at first, but I ended up severely re-traumatizing myself through the work. That set me back for several years where I was letting life live me. Thankfully, I eventually got into therapy, and while I still have my struggles, I’ve come a long way.

I’m incredibly grateful for my CRSC and VA disability (100% P&T). Those benefits provide financial stability, and I know how lucky I am to have that. But the truth is, I need more than just money—I need a purpose. I need a reason to wake up every day and feel like I’m contributing to something bigger than myself. I watch my wife go to work in the mornings, and feel worthless.

I’ve been looking for work that feels meaningful and aligns with my values, but I’m starting to question if I’m being unrealistic. It feels like years out of the workforce, mental health struggles, and my own high expectations are creating a mountain I can’t climb.

Have any of you been in a similar spot? Were you able to find a job that gave you purpose, or did you have to compromise? I’d love to hear any advice or insights from those who’ve been there.

TL;DR: Former self-employed photojournalist and 100% disabled vet. Grateful for financial stability but struggling to find meaningful work. Am I unrealistic for wanting a job that fulfills me, or is there a way forward?

So according to the VA website you would be eligible for community care if they can't make an apointment for you for primary care or mental health in 20 days. The closet I can get an apartment is over two months. Here's my problem, all the website says is contact your provider team. I have just been moved clinics and they have yet to assign me a primary care doctor. So my question is am I just screwed until the over two months go by until I can actually see a doctor? Or is there some other way I can get community care. Just based on the long wait time? Please don't say patient advocate I've asked they don't know anything or are just incompetent (at least in my area anyways). Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

So I'm preparing to transition out of the military soon, and I was trying to purchase a house in the town that me and my family are going to move to when I get out. The problem is I don't have a job lined up yet, although I still have about a year to figure it out. I don't want to have to move into an apartment in the mean time or pay out for a hotel while buying a house, so my question is; is it practical to purchase a home with the VA loan using my military salary and move my family down ahead of time? And how would lenders view this especially seeing that I'm getting out soon and moving to a new city.

Hello everyone,

I’m a veteran currently serving in the reserves after spending eight years on active duty. Two years ago, I transitioned out, started a government job, and had a child. While my job is okay, I’ve always wanted to go to law school, and now that I’m close to finishing my bachelor’s degree, I’m seriously considering it.

The thought of law school excites me, but it also feels overwhelming—especially when it comes to finances, both during school and afterward. While I know the housing allowance is available, it wouldn’t be enough to cover my expenses, particularly since I live in a very expensive area and relocating isn’t an option for my family.

I’ve looked into the possibility of attending part-time, but with a job that requires extensive reading and writing, a long commute, and my reserve duties, that doesn’t seem feasible. I’ve heard vocational rehab (VR&E) mentioned but don’t fully understand the financial benefits it provides. I also still have my full GI Bill and am 70% disabled, so I’d love to learn about any other options that might help make law school more realistic for me.

If anyone has experience navigating law school full-time while supporting a family or knows of resources that could help, I’d really appreciate any advice or encouragement!

As of today my VR&E subsistence is late of course when I call the VA they won't give me any answers and refer me to contact my counselor which I did email. We all know I won't get an answer until later. Has anyone had this problem if so what did you do?

I didn't purchase my basic training photos at the time which I regret I tried finding these pictures online but I couldn't is there any way I could contact someone at Fort Leonard Wood and I could just purchase it off them or is there any other way to find it the websites I found seem very scammy it was only a few years ago 2022 thank you in advance for your help

Where to start I filed for Social Security Disability Aug 2023. I was having a hard time seeing specialty doctors, so I reached out to the VA they set me up with a VA social workier. She asked me a few questions and said I should apply for VA Disability. I filed for VA disability Dec 2023. Social Security denied my claim, denied my appeal, and I filed for a hearing. By Aug 2024 VA gave me an 80% approval rating. I immediately filed for Unemployability through the VA within a day after getting my 80% rating which I am still waiting on. In the meantime, I had my Social Security Hearing 2 weeks ago where the judge ruled in my favor. When I get the paperwork/letter of approval from Social Security should I submit it to the VA in hopes for some type of persuasion? I believe they're close to ruling as well. Thanks for you responses in advance.

My VRE finally went through to my school and since I was approved with the VA I noticed I also got a Pell grant and a ESOG I’m not sure if I’m spelling it right since I’m getting covered by the VA what’s going to happen with that money and by dumb chance can I personally get it so I can cover my travel to college since it’s a bit of distance from home?

Thank you guys for your time

I just got a denial for service connection of sleep apnea secondary to Atrial Fibrulation/Atrial Flutter. I have service connection for the A-fib/A-flutter. In March of 2023 I had a sleep study done by the VA which diagnosed me with obstructive sleep apnea, and I have letters from my primary care doctor, my Electro-physiologist, and my cardiologist. Stating that the sleep apnea was more likely than not caused by Atrial fibrillation. Is there anything more I need to gather before seeking higher level review?

Hey everyone, I’m looking for some advice on whether my employer may have violated any employment laws, particularly VEVRAA (affirmative action for disabled veterans) or ADA (disability discrimination).

I work for a company that has federal contracts USASpending.gov . A Software QA Engineer Lead position opened up twice, and I applied both times. Here’s what happened:

First application: I applied for the job and was not given the same panel evaluation process that other candidates received. The job posting required certain degrees and experience, which the person they hired did not have. That person ended up getting the job and leaving 10 months later.

Second application: I applied again in November, and instead of an evaluation, I got some BS excuse that it was an "admin error" because my boss went on vacation a week before Christmas though I had applied on November 4th to be exact. However, they still managed to "evaluate" someone else in mid-January and hired them the next week, a candidate who did not meet the job's stated qualifications. I had also brought up my application in a 1-on-1 meeting with my boss, so they were aware I had applied.

My background:

• I have a Bachelor’s in Computer Engineering and am working on my Master’s in Computer Science.
• I am a 100% disabled veteran and took intermittent FMLA leave in 2023 (before my first application).
• I meet all the qualifications for the job.

My concerns:

• Disability discrimination (ADA)? Companies cannot refuse to hire a qualified person because of a disability.
• VEVRAA violation? Since my company has federal contracts, aren’t they supposed to take affirmative action to hire/promote disabled veterans?
• Retaliation for FMLA? They knew I was a protected veteran and that I had taken FMLA due to my disability. Could this have played a role in being passed over?
• Unequal promotions? Others who started at the company around the same time as me, with less experience, have been promoted to lead and even manager positions. Yet, I have been overlooked twice despite meeting the qualifications.

This really messes with my mental health and I start going down a rabbit hole thinking I'm not good enough or worthy enough.

I’d really appreciate any insight from HR professionals, legal experts, or veterans who have been in similar situations. Do I have a case here, and what should my next steps be?

Thanks for your help!