Help me figure out if I should keep VA Disability Pay or Drill pay while on reserves

[ljubomir38]

I'm 100% P&T that's $3621 a month. I am considering rejoining the Air Force Reserves as an E5 w/ 7 years time in service.

That's is $456 per drill weekend(4 days of active pay) vs $482 ( 4 days of VA disability pay).

Am I better off "Keeping" the VA Disability or Military Pay for those 4 days?

Also if I keep either or am I being charged the difference owed all at once or as a monthly prorated deduction?

 

[christenequitment]

@ljubomir38 At your pay grade I don’t think it’s financially a good move to join. I’m a 100% PT officer in the reserves and I do not make out well financially after accounting for taxes and the other costs of serving (non-reimbursed travel, uniform items, gear).

Now if you want to serve out of pure desire don’t “drill for points”. You’ll get the points anyway. Take the VA money and Reserve money and at the end of the year the VA will put you on a payment plan to pay back X number of days.

 

[abbalovesyou]

@ljubomir38 You can join reserve with VA disability?

 

[annieh4]

@abbalovesyou Yeah how the fuck is this guy joining the Reserves after getting 100% P&T? Fucking scammers man. Meaning while I have major back pain due to degenerative disk disease and all I can get it 20 and I cant pick up shit anymore.

 

[ljubomir38]

@annieh4 That would be an example of "not deployable" that I was referring to.

 

[ljubomir38]

@resjudicata I was Intel so I don’t see why not

 

[chrodav]

@ljubomir38 Sounds like you should be mad at yourself

 

[ljubomir38]

@chrodav He def is

 

[cathyo]

@annieh4 I have DDD in the reserves, I got 40% for it. Submit your claim again and go through a 3rd party such as your local VSO.

 

[ljubomir38]

@abbalovesyou there is plenty of both reserve and AD with disability. I know many with 100% P&T serving in both components in Army and AF. It depends on a lot of factors( are you deployable being damn near #1) as well as what your mos is. this is both allowable and legal.

 

[ljubomir38]

@abbalovesyou Yes you can.

 

[ljubomir38]

@abbalovesyou Several post asking my my question exist. It’s a thing.

 

[jghorton]

@ljubomir38 Keep the VA pay and get the drill pay points as drill pay is taxed.

 

[almunday]

@ljubomir38 If you’re over 30% the reserves aren’t supposed to take you

 

[ljubomir38]

@almunday False that was an old rule that was remove several years ago.

 

[almunday]

@ljubomir38 It was a rule as of my transition assistance program less than 6 months ago

 

[ljubomir38]

@almunday No it is not. That is why there are rules in place specifically discussing how you cannot receive drill and va disability pay at the same time , implying it is completely allowed and happens so often they have a form for it and a a process. Look it up on military.com or any other reputable source its a non issue to join ( with certain caveats) I already know that part, I am just clarifying the tax implications nothing more.

 

[almunday]

@ljubomir38 Damn they really fucked over multiple classes
Of people. They told us all to get the reserve contract first then do disability because you could disqualify yourself. Even our VA claim rep said that

 

[ljubomir38]

@almunday My friend from old unit is at 60% right now went from army to air force reserve. he did the claim after army contract but before joining af reserves , now maybe he got a waiver or something but dont think so as his issue was tinnitus and ptsd not physical so on paper he is deployable ( fitness scores are great) and he went from intel to cyber mos both high demand so sure that played a part

 

[almunday]

@ljubomir38 Glad they make us take these classes when you’re getting out and fill it with wrong information. They even made it sound like it was sneaky and you had to have your
Timing right or you could get in trouble