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ARMED FORCES NEWS |
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Statistics presented by defense undersecretary David Chu, alleging that the dollar-for-dollar forfeiture of retired pay by military retirees awarded VA disability compensation poses no income hardship for disabled veterans, failed to give the whole story, according to sources. Chu inferred that household income averages didn’t vary substantially between disabled and non-disabled retirees. However, not included in the 1996 survey he quoted were retirees with 100 percent disabilities and retirees with disability ratings so high that every dollar of their retired pay was forfeited. In short, the most seriously disabled, meaning those most likely to earn less in a civilian career, were simply not counted. Furthermore, the sample taken was so small (only 337 of 19,484) that it could be considered statistically insignificant. |
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