{"id":74430,"date":"2023-12-18T15:57:44","date_gmt":"2023-12-18T15:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/12\/18\/disability-payouts-help-some-vets-earn-more-than-healthy-peers\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T12:27:43","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T12:27:43","slug":"disability-payouts-help-some-vets-earn-more-than-healthy-peers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/veterans\/2023\/12\/18\/disability-payouts-help-some-vets-earn-more-than-healthy-peers\/","title":{"rendered":"Disability payouts help some vets earn more than healthy peers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veterans with low disability ratings often earn more annually than their non-disabled peers, but those with more significant service injuries lag significantly behind other veterans in personal income, according to a new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings come as the Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a> continues to see its annual disability compensation costs rise each year. In fiscal 2022, those payouts totaled $125 billion, almost 45% of all department spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Veterans with disability ratings can span a range of ailments, including physical wounds, illnesses linked to military toxic exposure<\/a>, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. In 2022, about 30% of all veterans in America had some compensable service-connected disability<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CBO researchers<\/a> found that contrary to stereotypes, a veteran collecting disability payouts is more likely to be younger than the average veteran, be married, and to have a college degree. About one in five veterans with any disability rating are not in the American workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\t