Are We Really Okay with Policymakers Forcing Disabled Veterans to Stay Poor?

San Diego, CA — February 14, 2025 — The Disabled Veterans PAC (DVPAC) warns that current policies and budget proposals can penalize disabled veterans for earning more income, effectively trapping them in poverty, or harming labor workforce productivity on a national scale. Far too many veterans remain unaware of the benefits they’re owed, and those who do often struggle to navigate a complex application process.

Regarding a recent proposal being floated in Congress, as reported in the Military Times, “Veterans are essentially being told, ‘If you work too hard, you might lose your disability benefits,’” said Jason Gilbert, Chairman of DVPAC. “This contradiction is fundamentally un-American. Balancing the budget on veterans’ backs is both cruel and counterproductive.”

Gilbert knows firsthand the consequences of poor outreach. “I personally lost two decades of benefits because no one informed me that I qualified or should even inquire, let alone how to do so,” he said. “It pisses me off when I see a homeless disabled veteran literally sleeping under the same flag he/she once fought for—especially when many veterans might have avoided homelessness if they’d known about their owed benefits. That’s why our outreach work is vital.”

Homelessness and the Benefits Gap
According to Gilbert, the lack of clear communication leaves some veterans on the streets, unaware of the help available. “It breaks our nation’s heart to see homeless veterans who might be housed if they were aware of  their owed entitlements,” he said. “We can’t stand by while they struggle.”

Concerns Over ‘Means Testing’
The Disabled Veterans PAC strongly opposes any proposal to reduce or strip benefits based on income. “A disabled veteran shouldn’t fear earning more because it jeopardizes what they’ve already sacrificed for,” said Gilbert. “Such proposals risk locking people into poverty, and discouraging them from ever advancing, which only serves to damage national labor productivity.”

An Urgent Need for Action
The Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) still struggle to inform veterans of their earned benefits. Private advocacy groups often fill the gap—yet some in Congress want tighter regulations on these organizations.

“These proposals are draconian,” Gilbert said. “They target the very organizations stepping up where the DOD and VA have failed. A well-intentioned Congressional bill, originally designed to protect veterans from overcharges, now includes provisions so extreme that it effectively criminalizes private industry, imposing steep fines and even imprisonment. In fact, businesses in China and other Communist countries would have more freedom than this proposed law would allow here in the United States.”

Sacrifice, Infrastructure, and the American Dream
“Our veterans have already given so much by choosing to serve,” Gilbert emphasized. “Some live with life-altering injuries. We owe them the infrastructure—from the VA to local communities—to help them build their version of the American dream.”

“We’ve MUST do better by our veterans,” he added. “We can’t have policies that inadvertently trap them in poverty. That’s not who we are as a nation.”

The Disabled Veterans PAC’s Three-step Immediate Action Plan

• Awareness: Spread the word so veterans know their rights and options.
• Legislative Vigilance: Oppose any bills that reduce disability benefits or discourage earning.
• Community Support: Demand better communication from the DOD and VA, and advocate for private industry to fill the gaps.

For more information or to learn about ways to help these efforts, visit www.disabledveteranspac.com.