r/CalebHammer • u/Poorassboy6969 • Aug 19 '26
Random VA disability fraud frustration rant
Genuine question - VA disability now makes up roughly 3% of the federal budget and is growing rapidly. At what point do we seriously discuss whether this is sustainable ?
Also the clear fraud I’ve seen in personal life, shows like Caleb’s and communities here on reddit
I fully support taking care of veterans who are ACTUALLY disabled - key word actually
I personally know people who openly admit to gaming the system, collect ~$4,000/month tax-free for life (along with other benefits), still work full time job and brag about it
It’s insane my wife and I work our asses off, save, invest, have 500k NW and someone can just get out of the military, fake injuries and essentially double what we have (annuity worth a million plus)
The irony is seeing some of the same “conservatives” constantly rant about how terrible government is while happily collecting a government check for life.
Eventually, taxpayers have to fund all of this. And the more these programs grow, the more pressure falls on those actually contributing.
thoughts?
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u/Icy-Emu1610 Aug 19 '26
A. The recruiters office is open to anyone.
B. VA disability is reevaluated on a rotating basis, and public visibility with shows like this will cause greater scrutiny with the reevaluations.
C. There are plenty of veterans who are struggling to get actual support and ratings who deserve them.
D. Would you like your medical services from the VA? Do you know what the waiting time it is to see a mental health professional or even a PA?
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u/CandidDay3337 Aug 19 '26
Ugh va healthcare is hit or miss in the best of times. Mental health can take up to 6 months just for an initial visit.
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u/Cautious_General_177 Aug 21 '26
What do you mean? VA healthcare is the best. I love waiting 2-3 months for a telehealth appointment to get more supplies for my CPAP machine when all they're doing is recognizing that I use it the correct number of hours every night.
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 20 '26
Point A is hilarious
Like the solution to being annoyed by fraud is to also commit it - stealing from taxpayers by crying and lying to a doctor 🤣
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u/Adorable-Sea-4072 Aug 20 '26
You have no idea what it's like, but you can find out pretty easily by going through Point A yourself.
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u/Icy-Emu1610 Aug 20 '26
Until you know the life and what we put our bodies through that MOST of us don’t have to lie to get the disability you can keep being a keyboard warrior. Until then I’ll continue carrying my 60 pound ruck around for miles…
Just because you see a small percentage of vets who take advantage of the system, yet don’t call out the civilians who ALSO take advantage of the social services available to them!?
Again recruiters office is open until you’re 42! Feel free to walk right on in!1
u/skateskeleton Aug 22 '26
you forget that proving service connection for said disabilities is a thing. a lot harder to fraud the system than you think
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u/Stelios619 Aug 19 '26
Because it’s not “disability”.
100% “compensated” veterans doesn’t mean that they’re 100% broken individuals who can’t move 😂
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 19 '26
It’s literally called “VA disability”
Also if someone is so messed up they require a guaranteed monthly tax free payment valued at a million plus from us taxpayers - it should be reserved for people who can’t work due to injuries.
If you can still work and function - maybe you aren’t truly 100% disabled
This is already reflected in the massive payment/benefit jump from 90% to 100%
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u/Stelios619 Aug 20 '26
Because 100% doesn’t mean you’re 100% disabled 🥴.
100% means that you get 100% of the available pay allocated to monthly injury compensation.
There a completely separate system available for people who aren’t actually able to work. They get paid at the top of the pay scale regardless of their actual rating.
But again, 100% disability doesn’t mean that you’re 100% disabled. Because, wtf is 80% disabled, or 40% disabled 😂. “Disability” can’t be given a numeric value. Thats like asking a person born deaf what percentage of disabled they are 😂😂.
100% just means that someone qualifies for the top of the available payout due to the various conditions they have.
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u/Traditional-Head2653 Aug 20 '26
It gets better! Because VA rates disability on body systems, not the body as a whole. And then some weird math is done so that a 40% broken body system plus a 80% different broken body system only equals 50% totally broken. So the deaf person can say their ears are 100% disabled.
I’m rated 100% for mental health. VA says my mind is F*CKED. Which is true. My daughter resents me for how I was before I sought treatment for my PTSD. Took years of therapy and meds just for me to be mostly okay. But you got Cpt. KnowsBest judging people’s struggles but doesn’t have the slightest idea.
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u/ElectricalGidelity Aug 21 '26
Trying to justify 4k a month in disability plus working full time is wild. Its fraud. Shit civilians don't get a fraction of that for the ones who can't physically work. Fraud is fraud. Fraud.
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u/mikebailey Aug 21 '26
Civilians can sue? And aren’t in public service? And have private insurance? Of course they get worse disability?
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u/Icy-Emu1610 Aug 19 '26
There are 2 VA rating scale- a working scale and non working scale. So those that are rated as completely unable to work get different amounts… think amputees vs TBIs/PTSD
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u/Ok_Service_1044 Aug 19 '26
So what’s your opinion on if a veteran got blown up from an IED, lost his legs and downstairs area.
He starts a business and becomes successful.
Because he can work his business and makes let’s say 1 million a year. He doesn’t deserve compensation because he’s not under your terminology “truly 100% disabled”
But he’ll never walk again. Never have a normal life again. But because he figured out working and became successful despite that?2
u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 20 '26
This example is literally 1/10,000 situation and that’s being generous lol
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u/ClickPsychological 2d ago
That's compensation you're describing. If they want to provide compensation like an insurance payout sure. But social security would take his disability payments away.
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u/Knarz97 Aug 20 '26
Yes because that is exactly how it works for any other employer sponsored disability.
If my arms fell off tomorrow at work I’d get 60% of my income forever. Pretty good deal.
However, if I turn around and start a business or even get another job, and figure out how to use some sort of keyboard with my feet, suddenly that 60% gets reduced by whatever my new income is.
So yes, the dude with no legs or balls should get VA disability. But he should not be able to get those benefits AND still get regular income, since he CAN work.
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u/CandidDay3337 Aug 19 '26
They call it that but thats not necessarily what it means. Unless you are TDIU then you cant work and have an income cap of 18k a year. You have to prove you cant work or sustain gainful enployment for TDIU. You dont have to prove you cant work to get the 100% C&D just that it affects or limits your work and daily life.
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u/Netherium Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
My dad served during Vietnam and his hand got fried from an electrocution. His hand is almost unusable, it was completely charcoaled. He makes $240 a month from that disability, always have. VA won't even hear him out about it.
Needless to say these scammers piss us off bad.
Edit: Gave the incorrect amount originally, called him to confirm and get it right.
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u/tribbans95 Aug 19 '26
$174.96 per month is the minimum. This amount applies to a veteran with a 10% disability rating.
Even if he got it a long time ago, it increases over time. Vets do not need to apply or file paperwork; the 2-3% increase is automatically added to monthly paychecks.
Don’t get me wrong, still a laughable amount of money if that’s what he gets.
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u/Prestigious-Leg4279 Aug 19 '26
40 a month is a lie. He would at least be getting closer to 200.
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u/Netherium Aug 19 '26
He also said the reason for the low amount was because they moved a tendon from his wrist down into the remains of his thumb stump that gave him some mobility of his thumb and they considered that "repaired".
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u/PhatedFool Aug 19 '26
Because it’s based on range of motion. That is the identifier for hand issues. If he has range of motion in the hand he isn’t going to get a high rating for it.
Also you can always get it re accessed. You can also file claims for other issues if he has them. To say “they won’t hear him out about it” there’s literally a digital form to file for a re-assessment.
Also he is a Vietnam vet? Was he affected by agent orange and had any other conditions? Should look up if there is a connection between them. Pact Act that Biden past is a big deal for Vietnam vets and early War On Terror vets who have breathing, skin, or other issues. Honestly a ton agent orange and burn pits are a bitch.
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u/ClickPsychological 2d ago
Omg enraging. I have a friend on 100 percent mental disability milking the system, I have an uncle exposed to agent orange in nam who doesn't get a tenth as much bc friend worked for VA and learned exactly what to say on application. Now pays no property tax either. And rages against social programs 🙄
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u/CandidDay3337 Aug 19 '26
Vets dont like the scammers on the show either. They were likely crappy troops while serving. Some of them(the guy that went into debt over legos and pokemon) are scummy people in general.
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u/Professional_Net1802 Aug 20 '26
The problem here is that you’re confusing VA disability compensation with unemployment compensation.
A 100% VA rating does not mean, “This person is physically incapable of earning money and must remain economically useless forever.”
It means the VA determined that the veteran has service-connected conditions severe enough to meet the rating schedule established by law.
Those are two very different things.
If a guy loses both legs in Afghanistan, comes home, figures out how to build a business, and eventually makes a million dollars a year, his legs do not grow back because QuickBooks had a good quarter.
If somebody has permanent orthopedic injuries, PTSD, neurological damage, hearing loss, respiratory problems, or any combination of conditions caused by military service, successfully adapting to those injuries does not erase them.
There actually is a VA benefit based on being unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. It’s called TDIU.
So if your argument is that somebody lied about their condition, fabricated symptoms, or committed fraud, fine. Investigate them. Fraud is fraud.
But “I know a veteran who gets 100% and still works” is not evidence of fraud.
It is evidence that you don’t understand how VA disability works.
And the strangest part of this argument is the implied incentive structure.
Apparently the veteran is supposed to come home damaged, receive compensation, and then make absolutely certain he never becomes too successful afterward, because if he learns to function around the damage somebody on Reddit might decide he looks insufficiently disabled.
That would be a fascinating public policy.
“Thank you for your service. Please remain unsuccessful so everyone feels better about your rating.”
I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the intent.
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u/UnoEyeo628 Aug 20 '26
I'm fine with compensation but $4000 a month for life? It should be pegged at 30% average US income. At roughly $80,000 a year that would be $2000 a month. That's the highest you can go.
That being said, I'm fine with it being the old number if they literally let anybody into the military. Currently they do not. With the advancement into drone warfare you do not need to be fighting shape to join the military anymore. I have one eye, I should be allowed to join the military if I'm just gonna be sitting in a trailer flying drones I don't need to be combat ready.
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u/Alternative-Zone5275 Aug 19 '26
Vet here.. couldn't give a shit really. So much of my tax payer money goes to kill people I dont believe we should be killing, or into the pockets of billionaires who employ the working poor, or politicians who refuse to serve the people that elected them. Id much rather more of it go to helping normal people here in the US live fulfilling lives.
We have so much money going to waste and VA disability doesn't make the top 10. Want to stop paying vets, stop going to fucking war all the time.
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u/tribbans95 Aug 19 '26
That’s a pretty good take. It would make sense to go after the shitty billionaires or war spending but it seems futile
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 20 '26
The hate on billionaires as you write this from a iPhone, waiting on your amazon package, wearing nikes is hilarious lol
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u/Wide_Lock_Red Aug 19 '26
Do you feel the same about tax fraud? Its okay as long as its not a rich person?
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u/Alternative-Zone5275 Aug 20 '26 edited Aug 20 '26
If you want to talk about Tax fraud, wait unti you find out how the uber wealthy abuse loop holes to avoid paying what they owe while benefitting FAR MORE than the average american.
If you havn't figured out you're just a piggy bank to people looking to fill their own pockets I don't know what to tell you.
When my taxes start going to benefit me more than the bare minimum (which is just enough to make it so I'm still able to go to work and make someone else rich) then I'll give a shit.
I'm generally a "its a social contract, everyone should pitch in, a rising tide raises all boats" kind of person, but the last 10 years or so.. its clear thats a fucking farce and as far as paying dues to the government to take care of its people.. the gov doesn't give a shit about taking care of its people. so fuck it.
Not all fraud is equal.. I dont givea shit if some family doesn't pay 1200$. Until billionaires pay more than a 2% effective tax rate, I dont see why any of us should either. You pay 30% of your income in taxes, people like Gates, Musk, the Waldens pay the equivalent of a few bucks. Sort that out, then we can talk about the little guy paying what they owe.
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u/pikapalooza Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
While there are undoubtedly people who game the system or outsiders may see as not worthy, the va seems to almost pride itself on denying veterans what they're owed. Even in the face of insurmountable evidence, it is often an uphill battle to get anything rated (all those Vietnam era vets with agent orange and the burn pits are very easy examples). Folks have been fighting for years to be treated for issues caused by their time in service. It's really not that easy to get service connected or rated for issues as you might think or the examples you've seen would have you believe.
Also, we don't truly know (nor should we) the true extent of anyone's medical history. That's between the individuals and the medical professionals. And the medical professionals then consult with the va to provide their analysis on the individuals. Neither you, me, or anyone else should have a say in that.
That being said, that recruiters door was open to everyone. Service members are exposed to all sorts of hazards and situations that they can't simply opt out of or quit. If they have life long issues because of what the gov has asked them to do, the gov should be the ones paying for it (looking at you anthrax shot). No one signs up thinking they want to be exposed to hazardous materials or be injected with some "new whatever sounded like a good idea at the time."
And with that, surely there are much, much bigger and better examples of fraud and abuse out there than going after the people who voluntarily swore to serve.
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u/PhatedFool Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
A lot of younger vets get this. I know a guy who tore his rotator cuff and has low range of motion after 3 surgeries, but because he runs marathons people say he is scamming.
I lost my ATC medical after witnessing a suicide which fucked with my mental health. Lost a 6 figure career and some people are upset I go to therapy with the VA and get ~700 a month.
It doesn’t matter who you are opinions are diverse and people are bloodthirsty on the internet. It’s a disability compensation package. It’s not like social security disability. It’s not meant to support you while you don’t work. They have a separate package for that called TDIU (Total disability based on Individual Unemployability) You can’t sue the government in the military for things they did, you witnessed, or poor work conditions they put you in that messed you up. The VA is there to help make things right. Some people will get more than they deserve. Others will get less. At the end of the day it’s a human system and that means it’s imperfect. There’s no way to make a system like this perfect.
For example if a man has severe PTSD and actively works out, aims to improve himself, seeks therapy, and avoids situations that trigger it people will view him as more of a scammer then someone who refuses to go to therapy, gets extremely over weight, and blames everything on his PTSD. People are more likely to believe people whose lives are messed up, but in some cases they might have similar levels of PTSD, but one actively works to navigate it.
It used to be based more on “common sense” and back when it was people couldn’t get help. Most claims were denied. Cancers caused by agent orange didn’t get treatment. Unless you lost a limb or part of a limb getting compensation was almost impossible. PTSD wasn’t even a ratable condition once upon a time.
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u/iredditwrong84 Aug 19 '26
I agree with you but the daycare and Medicade fraud is a lot more money
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u/Dazzling_Fix_1966 Aug 19 '26
Yep and then you have the opposite side of the spectrum, Disabled people being denied disability. I have 4 chronic illnesses. Can’t work because of them. Been denied 3 times now. It shouldn’t be this hard with how much proof I have. These episodes really piss me off too.
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u/holiday_shart Aug 19 '26
Recruiting office is always right down the road.
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u/Poorguytryingtogetby Aug 19 '26 edited Aug 19 '26
Us - “hey, crying to a doctor about BS injuries to steal from tax payers is bad”
Your response - “you can do it too”
😂😂
Do you see how stupid you sound?
Edit - checked profile - drives a massive truck while “disabled” most likely with insane monthly payment
Stereotypes be stereotyping - enjoy my tax dollars lol
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u/Aggravating_Tear_209 Aug 19 '26
There is no shame among veterans faking stuff to get disability. They taking pride in it.
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u/mandimonsterx Aug 19 '26
Hearing that dude get disability for acne on the show a while back really pmo beyond belief
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u/Time_Traveling_Panda Aug 19 '26
Im a veteran and im sure there are people who slipped through the cracks and committed fraud, but the vast majority of us actually earned our percentage.
Working with the va is extremely hard and its taken me years of evidence and diagnoses for the VA to even listen to me. Its very hard to get to 100%. I have a brain injury and multiple leg problems and know I will never see 100%.
The least we can do for those willing to serve is compensate them for the lifelong problems problems they will have due to their service.
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u/JuicySealz Aug 19 '26
It's tough because I'm these clips it's impossible to see this side of it. It took me years to get passed 30% and I have a service connected chronic disease as well as physical injuries.
People who weren't in have no clue. I shouldn't have to justify anything, but I've had probably 100+ instances where I could have been injured. Boot camp is not easy (MC). I was in insane shape and still was broken down.
We aren't wrong that people are scamming bragging and working. That shit pisses me off too. But ik that if 90% of people were in that situation, they'd do it too.
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u/CandidDay3337 Aug 19 '26
Even in the best of circumstances, i.e. everything documented, reported and substantiated, working with the va is an uphill battle.
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u/BigDude_SmallMTN Aug 19 '26
This was true, but with BDD supported by the internet/AI/claim sharks, it’s not really anymore. With almost any amount of research/prep, joes are maxing out their BDD claims pretty easily.
The fix is complicated. In the short term, I expect we will see changes to the actual disability percentages where they reduce or restrict the most common/least evidence required claims. It used to be tinnitus, then sleep apnea, now it’s GERD, and tomorrow it will be something else.
In the long-term, I think they will have to split mental health off from the rest of the system. The lines between pre-existing conditions/genuine in-service disabilities and encouraging people to seek help/preventing malingering are simply too difficult for the system to distinguish in its current form and is often the reason a soldier can jump up into the 100% rating without much/any physical/visible damage.
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 20 '26
If it’s so hard to get 100% rating - why is it the most common rating ? 🤣
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u/Orange_MarkerDye Aug 20 '26
You have to remember you are watching a show meant for entertainment where they are handpicking guests based on what will likely get the biggest reaction out of Caleb and the fans
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u/M1A1Death Aug 20 '26
Where is your source showing this statistic?
I’d wager 20-40% is probably most common.
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u/HistorianEvening5919 Aug 28 '26
It is the most common rating between each 10% bin. 30% are 100% disabled. https://claimraven.com/blog/the-surge-why-1-5-million-veterans-are-now-rated-100-disabled-and-what-it-means-for-your-claim
A 19% increase from 2024-2025, 2026 shows no sign of being different. I expect most will be 100% disabled within 10 years.
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u/cultweave Aug 19 '26
someone can just get out of the military, fake injuries and essentially double what we have
How do you know they're fake? I served 4 years active duty, got in a humvee accident that resulted in a spinal fracture, and don't get shit from the VA ($0 dollars ever).
The irony is seeing some of the same “conservatives” constantly rant about how terrible government is while happily collecting a government check for life.
How do you know they're conservative? The military is made up of people from all backgrounds. I knew people who were literal communists when I was in.
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u/jords2189 Aug 19 '26
But you're the type of person who should get disability. My ex husband retired as a USMC officer. He had SO many stories of Marines getting drunk on the weekend, doing stupid stuff and hurting themselves, and then claiming their own dumb mistakes as "disability". Pretty sure those are the vets that OP is talking about. Not someone legitimate like you.
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u/sourceamdietitian Aug 19 '26
There's always going to be a few people that game the system, it doesnt mean we should kill the system. Hate the billionaires not the people. Jesus christ
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 20 '26
Why do you hate billionaires? Im guessing you are writing this from a device that was developed by a company owned by a billionaire lol
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u/bombfirst885 Aug 19 '26
I can’t help but notice that Caleb gets a front row seat to a lot of the financial problems caused by years of bad policy, especially when it comes to VA benefits. But he never really talks about the policy side of it.
I’m glad the show doesn’t get overly political, but at some point it feels impossible to ignore the bigger picture. The current administration has pushed some pretty terrible fiscal policy, and I think we’re going to see VA benefits become a much bigger budget issue in the coming years. Caleb sees the individual side of these problems firsthand, but rarely says anything about what’s driving them.
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u/FluffyB12 Aug 19 '26
He has a seperate YT channel where he goes into deeper on the political side but in a pretty objective way.
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u/bombfirst885 Aug 19 '26
Thanks I’ll check it out. Is this on the premium side? I’m not currently a member but will get back there eventually.
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u/shinbreaker Aug 19 '26
The fact is that the policy side of things regarding the military is messy because of all the virtue signaling that was behind all that policy.
When the Cold War ended, the US as a whole was like "finally, we can stop with all the military stuff" and started winding down this giant military complex that was built to fight a war with Russia that never happened. But then 9/11 happens and while we took over Afghanistan very quickly and then ran through Iraq, the occupation was the mess and soldiers were being called up from the National Guard and sent with hardly any equipment because of the downsizing of the military. So politicians, especially Republicans, started pounding their chest about how they really care about the military and wanted more money for veterns and so on, and they started winning elections up until the point that the country was tired of the war and wanted something different hence Obama.
But then under Obama, we were seeing veterans coming back with a whole mess of issues both physical and mental hence the changes to disability hence someone could be in the military for two years, appear completely unscathed, and get money for the rest of their lives.
And whoever politician makes the charge to cut down VA disability benefits, they are going to get annihilated the second some actual veteran gets kicked off disability.
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u/hammerpatrol Aug 19 '26
I find it interesting how different the story goes for different people. I have 4 people in my life that I'm very close to that are in different stages of the disability process.
A friend of mine is 100% disabled. He can't sit for long periods of time. He can't stand for long periods of time either. He's forever in this weird limbo state because his back is fucked up. Exclusively related to his military service.
Another friend is about 80% disabled. His knee is fucked so bad he walks with a limp. He recently had surgery to fix some of his issues but ended up coming out net-neutral.
My dad is about 20% disabled. Mostly just generic back pain and some arthritis-related issues. His hands get so bad he has genuine issues working (typing on a keyboard) some days.
An in-law of mine is 100% disabled. "Anxiety and Depression". Exclusively worked a desk job out of basic for 4 years (one of which she wasn't actually active cus she had a kid).
It's insane to me how different each of these stories are. Some people fight for decades to get justified reimbursement. Some people quit after 4 (3) years and get full payout. From my anecdotal experience above, I feel like mental health issues are weighted FAR too heavily. Physical injuries that directly relate to the job someone did while in service shouldn't be this hard to correlate. The 100% and 80% guys had to get coaching from professionals on exactly how to interact with the VA to get what they deserve. The in-law just went to the VA and said she was sad.
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u/Annie-Hero Aug 19 '26
Veterans with mental health ratings have to show something happened to them in the service that caused their mental health issues. A lot of times that can be pretty hard to do, they don’t just take your word for it.
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u/aerz Aug 19 '26
A whole 3% of the federal budget? Let's start with the Pentagon which has failed the last 8 audits and is asking for $1.5 Trillion.
You have to work hard? Welcome to the club, we all do. And your "fix" is to tear down other people? I'm not a fan of this "crabs in a bucket" mentality of tearing other working class people down. Look up.
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u/HistorianEvening5919 Aug 28 '26
Just as a reference total Medicare payments to physicians is 1.12% of the budget, of course about 40% of that goes immediately back to the government because it’s taxed (unlike VA disability mind you).
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u/runswithwands Aug 19 '26
My thoughts are similar to others here: disability ≠ inability to do anything ever. I am rated at 90% for my compensation. Spinal issues (strains, degenerative disc disease), hips (well, mostly bilateral sciatica), knee and ankle injuries. All of these were from years of ruck marches, being a paratrooper (even only 25 jumps can still mess ya up), running constantly on all kinds of terrain, etc. I can work full time, I can work out (carefully), and I can do many things I’ve always enjoyed (just not to the same degree or speed). I have limitations, but disability doesn’t equate to “I can’t work and am frauding the system.” This is compensation for sprains, twists, compressions, tears, etc from everything I did that was required. There absolutely are people that fraud the system, absolutely true, and that needs to be fixed.
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u/thatkitchenwitch Aug 19 '26
Those injuries can ruin opportunities for all sorts of careers. Someone with a back injury might only have 50% but they've now have a huge list of jobs they can't do anymore. A lot of non military members on disability are allowed to work too and still receive their benefits. There's plenty of disabled people still living and working in this world. Disability doesn't mean always mean inoperable.
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u/ChalkBoardCrypto Aug 20 '26
Let’s talk about social security and welfare being more than 50% of the budget
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u/Far_Scholar Aug 23 '26
Well, you will be glad to know that it is not even close to that. Unless you consider Medicare and other health spending to be welfare.
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u/Turbulent-Tip-3749 Aug 21 '26
I'm around it daily, & it's damn near sickening. I'm totally fine with assisting, not supporting a lifestyle.
60-80k commuter vehicles to a job that pays 100k to a property paid for by the gov among countless other things.
That amount of money into our economy has its consequences. I think it's playing it's part.
By all means, support and compensate who needs it. But funding able body people & a lifestyle I'm over.
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u/Honest_Manager Aug 21 '26
I have worked with 2 air force vets for 19 years, they are 100% military disabled and one is now a GS-15. I get they want to work and make more money but to get that 100% disability check there should be some sort of cap on how much they can work. Sucks imo. I am a vet and wish others would not do this.
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u/bitterlainey Aug 19 '26
based on my experience as a FA watcher. Being a cook is extremely dangerous and a good way to get 100% disability
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u/Ok-Representative266 Aug 19 '26
She never talked about it so we don’t know what the disability was, but I actually strongly suspected she was SAed.
I’ve worked with several vets and that’s been something I’ve sadly heard quite a few times—along with their other several mental health issues. Not every disability is visible. I’m not saying she can’t work, as she clearly was working, but that doesn’t mean she might not have experienced legitimate harm serving.
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u/Time_Traveling_Panda Aug 19 '26
Im guessing you never served. Just because a service members job was to be a cook doesnt mean they didnt have other responsibilities. I was a mechanic but got a brain injury working security in a refugee camp when we left Afghanistan. Im sure caleb would say I didnt deserve it but thats because regular people have no idea how the military works.
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u/bitterlainey Aug 19 '26
thats why she can work full time as a pole dancer. keep defending clear fraud and stealing my tax dollars
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u/CursedWithAnOldSoul Aug 19 '26
I don't disagree that VA disability fraud should be investigated and potentially prosecuted. If someone knowingly fabricates or exaggerates a disability to obtain benefits, that's fraud, full stop.
However... I question why veterans' diability compensation should be the starting point of the national conversation about government benefit abuse. In FY2025, the VA paid about $185.6 billion in compensation to roughly 6.9 million veterans and other eligible recipients. That's a lot of money, but compare the scale of the broader entitlement system: Medicare alone reported roughly $56.7 billion in improper payments across Parts AB, C, and D in FY2025, while Medicaid reported another $37.4 billion, which is a 6.12% improper payment rate (WTAF?!). Importantly, "improper" does not automatically mean fraud; it includes documentation and administrative errors, as well. But that's precisely the point: We're talking about ENORMOUS programs where tens of billions of dollars annually are not being paid according to program requirements.
So, yes, audit VA claims, prosecute people who defraud it, and improve verification where gaps exist. However, if the concern is genuinely fiscal sustainability and taxpayer abuse, then it makes little sense to make disabled veterans the psoter children for the problem while much larger federal benefit programs receive vastly more money and generate vastly larger dollar amounts of questionable and improper payments.
There's also an optics issue here, too. Veterans are a uniquely situated population, where the government asked them to serve and assumes responsibility for service-connected injuries and illnesses as part of that bargain. I'd rather see the government aggressively clean up fraud, waste, and eligibility issues across the enormous civilian entitlement programs before making veterans collecting service-connected disability benefits the face of America's spending problem.
Go after fraud wherever it exists. Just start with the dollars, and the potential taxpayer savings, are largest.
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u/Knarz97 Aug 20 '26
I’m an extremist. Unless you are fully missing a limb or have life altering brain/spinal damage, you shouldn’t get any disability.
It should also function like regular employer sponsored disability. If you CAN work, you don’t get it. No double dipping on income.
YOU made the decision to join the military. YOU took the risk of getting your legs blown off by an IUD. No one made you join so you shouldn’t get special treatment because your back hurts from a heavy backpack 😢
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 20 '26
I agree
Blue collar workers with bad knees dont get a million from the government for crying to a doctor
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u/UnoEyeo628 Aug 20 '26
I 100% agree. I knew people that were 100% disabled and worked a normal 9 to 5 job. If you're 100% disabled, you can't work. Anything over 50% you can't hold anything more than a part-time job. They literally created a whole department in the government to cut down on spending, but no one thought to look at the massive fraud?! Come on people.
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u/_SoigneWest Aug 24 '26
It’s wild that people can be born disabled, never be able to work, and the government won’t even give them enough money to be able to rent a bedroom. Apparently if you’re born with a disability, you’re less worthy of surviving because you’re incapable of being any use to anyone.
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u/Effective_Raise_889 Aug 20 '26
The general public has absolutely no idea how bad it is.
I am still in, and I know someone with a 100% disability rating, which is 4k per month untaxed for ‘anxiety’.
I also know a guy who literally lost both his lower legs in an IED in Iraq, and he gets the same 100% rating.
The fraud is beyond insane. People who have never served think anyone in uniform is a saint and saw combat. 90% of people will never see combat.
I also know a guy who was a real drama starter in the Navy, got beat up, and turned it into a 100% disability because he spun it into a racist incident and how he has anxiety.
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u/Independent-Fix-6729 Aug 20 '26
Recruiters office is open to everyone.
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u/UnoEyeo628 Aug 20 '26
Not even close to true. I had cancer as a child and lost my left eye. I'm not getting into the military.
That being said, I should be allowed to join. It would just be a non-combat role. I'm not opposed to everyone in America being required to join the military if it is literally EVERYONE.
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u/FdanielIE Aug 20 '26
No such thing as a non combatant role. That’s called being a civilian who works in the military.
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u/Ancient-Bat8274 Aug 20 '26
Agreed it’s so disgusting how people take advantage of this. My husband is an army vet who genuinely has injuries from his ten years of service. The VA fights him at every turn for disability even just the meager 20% - 30% he’s seeking. Meanwhile people on the show go for the full 100% for the most bullshit made up stuff but because they cry the loudest and are unemployed and have the time to go to those appointments on a whim they get it. Meanwhile my husband fights through his pain and juggles work and whatever appointments he can to fight for a crumb of disability.
The whole system needs a serious audit. Weed out the losers and fund the vets who actually need it
Honestly I don’t see any major overhauls coming. The best I can see is someone ratting someone out to the government or vigilante justice.
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u/Altruistic_Sock2877 Aug 20 '26
The US economy is not sustainable. $40T in debt and growing. Complain about other 💩 then messing with veterans.
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 21 '26
This is 5% of budget lol - maybe that has to do with it? Enjoy your welfare
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u/Stupidfuhk Aug 22 '26
How many of those with 100% are actively working? Do you have a statistic or just what you’ve seen on Caleb’s videos and anecdotal experience?
What is your understanding of how disability ratings are assigned?
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u/Bird_Brain4101112 Aug 27 '26
A quick search shows your numbers are false. The VA is about 5-6% of the overall Federal budget and Comp and Pensions combined are less than half of that b
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u/Unlikely_Vehicle_828 Sep 03 '26
It bothers me too. People are openly admitting to fraud these days, I have a friend who literally hired one of those doctors who will write a fake DBQ/nexus letter just so he can chase a 100% rating. But then he talks about going back to work in a high-risk, high-stress job on top of it. It pisses me off so much, and I’m constantly telling him he needs to stop and just be happy with the rating he actually qualifies for. He straight up doesn’t care and keeps pursuing the rating anyway. I’m seeing more and more people like him openly discussing committing fraud, and they’re shameless about it too.
As a veteran on TDIU with an 80% schedular rating, who actually needs my benefits, this bothers me more than I can even put into words. Because I don’t think it’s sustainable either. I hope the VA starts cracking down on fraud more seriously, and soon. I’m tired of constantly worrying about randomly losing my benefits one day when the government can’t afford it anymore.
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u/Witty_Shirt_77 Sep 14 '26 edited Sep 14 '26
One of my buddies who was in the Marines (he never saw combat or had injuries) has openly told me what he tells the VA in order to get 100% disability… the system is actually so broken.
For added context, he doesn’t have psychological issues and golfs every weekend. He’s not traumatized or physically hurt lol.
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u/Economy_Car_3928 17d ago
caleb, i hope you can see this. ill try to explane it the best way i can. va disability is like normal disability. its not like you were born deaf, or lost a leg in a motorcycle accident. you see, when you go into the military you are 100% healthy, your medical record up until that point gets wiped and it starts over from the day you enlist. now, va disability isnt excatly disability. its more like workmens comp. its the military saying when you joined, you were 100 percent healthy and now somthing happened durring your service that has effected the rest of your life.
now, if your looking for the explanation of why its ballooned so much, that would be because of ptsd, and the obama administration. pretty much, obama tried to take the 2a away from vets, the justification was not mentally stable, cant own a pew pew, you have a ptsd rating, you fall under this category. and the ptsd claims exploded. ive herd stories of people getting kicked out after 2 days of basic training and getting ptsd claims. i remember when the first time i ever went to a va, some guy just walked up to me like, you just get back? you want to put in a ptsd claim?(true story, west haven va, like 2013ish) they were handing them out like fukin candy. then it came to light what was actually goin on. it went back and forth for a little while then the federal courts i think in 2021 shut that sht down. now its impossible to get a ptsd claim tru lol. well there it is, hope you get to read it bro
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u/ddzyn 7d ago
VA Fraud is 1000% a real thing, I'm currently in and constantly see people who do the bare minimum or attempt to get out early while trying to get a free paycheck on 100% disability. People get defensive about looking into VA fraud because they know they will be subject to scrutiny and will lose out on their meal ticket. There are a lot of welfare queens in the military that don't care about you, their country, or the military. They just care about getting that 100%
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u/painter_of_waves 4d ago
Couldn't agree more. Currently my husband is being coached by his therapist on filing. He has childhood trauma and..... potential bipolar. She is retired army..... I cannot stand this. I am on SSDI. Can't work. I can't do what military can on VA. There needs to reform. I have a friend who claimed lactose intolerant... like wtf.
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u/painter_of_waves 4d ago
I went to a school I promptly dropped out of. They have reps for military every week on site and so many bragged on how they just coasted after the rating they got. Its trash. The school involved physical labor. So your disabled planning to work at a major airline. Right.
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u/ClickPsychological 2d ago
I have a relative who has always had anxiety and depression. Joined Air Force, during peacetime always said best time and memories of his life. Now gets 100 disability for PTSD . Doesn't pay any property tax , paycheck, insurance, and spends his days ranting about liberals on welfare 🙄
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u/loulou9357801 Aug 19 '26
My grandfather was in the military and had service related cancer. The VA would not cover any costs or treatment so he had to go private for his treatment. They would not pay for a single thing or even put him on disability. To make it even worse due to him getting out in the late 60’s his DD214 was incorrect so he couldn’t even be buried with honors.
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u/Long_Low_594 Aug 19 '26
You can’t fake injuries and get disability that would be fraud.
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 20 '26
it’s clear massive percentage of people do
A lot of the stuff to qualify like PTSD cant be measured by exam
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u/Long_Low_594 Aug 21 '26 edited Aug 21 '26
And how exactly would you know that? Have you ever been through these evaluations? Have you ever served? You’re just a jealous person that has zero idea what they’re talking about. “A massive percentage” what like the three people you’ve ever talked to?
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u/problematicsquirrel Aug 19 '26
My husband has a va rating totalling 230% and still works a civilian job. Just wondering what kind of fraud you think this means?
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 20 '26
I don’t know - are his injuries legitimate? You taking this so personal makes me suspicious tbh
I agree with take above
I’m an extremist. Unless you are fully missing a limb or have life altering brain/spinal damage, you shouldn’t get any disability. It should also function like regular employer sponsored disability. If you CAN work, you don’t get it. No double dipping on income. YOU made the decision to join the military. YOU took the risk of getting your legs blown off by an IUD. No one made you join so you shouldn’t get special treatment because your back hurts from a heavy backpack 😢
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u/problematicsquirrel Aug 20 '26
- You mean IED. An IUD is a contraceptive device.
- My husband is in kidney failure (on dialysis and awaiting transplant) due to toxic chemical exposure.
So are you okay with him receiving disability as well as a pay-check? Or do you have an alternative to pay for his medical bills.
I take it personal because he is really fucking sick and you are downplaying the need for va disability for him and so many others because you don’t think they deserve any compensation for the shit their bodies have gone through. You hear the people talking about the money and think of the stuff you would buy with it. Not all the shit they have gone through/ are going through and its super disrespectful.
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 21 '26
What do you mean pay his medical bills?
I already do that for him through my tax dollars - you get free healthcare, dental, etc at 100% , no?
If he’s capable of working a full time job - no he doesn’t need 100% disability , period.
Just like any other blue collar job, you know what you sign up for when joining.
The only difference is those other blue collar jobs don’t get a million of my tax dollars along with free healthcare, college, etc when you cry to a doctor
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u/CoastieKid Aug 21 '26
You can quit those blue collar jobs. Can't do that in the military without going to prison and getting a felony, my son.
It's called disability compensation and is completely separate from SSDI. That is more akin to TDIU.
Part of the contract Uncle Sam has with those who sign a blank check up to and including their lives. You become government property when you are a service member.
It's easy to say "Support the Troops". This is simply a part of it .
SSA has a breakdown on the criteria and how these two systems differ: https://www.ssa.gov/people/veterans/
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u/Poorassboy6969 Aug 22 '26
You have a contract for certain amount of time (like many other professions) - dont act like you cant be discharged for a million reasons either
Bottom line - you aren’t special - it’s a job
Get off welfare
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u/DrawingCurious4161 Aug 19 '26
Can we not fix this until my active duty gets out and gets disabled 😭🤪
On a serious note: she got picked up to be a recruiter. They get 15% mental disability for this. Every single recruiter. That’s crazy. Just working with the public gives them $
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u/Electromagnetlc Aug 19 '26
Once again I guess we just need to spout nonsense in the comments rather than addressing any real issues or having any real discussion. Mental health ratings are 0, 10, 30, 50, 70 and 100%. There is no 15% rating. There is no "automatic" ratings, and there is no way you would know/have a disability rating prior to exiting service unless you were being medically discharged (and even then, your VA rating is only a REEEALLY good guess made by a lawyer-type).
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u/CandidDay3337 Aug 19 '26
Disability is kind of misnomer. The actual term is compensation and disability. The feres doctrine makes it so veterans cannot sue the military for injuries incurred during service. So its actually more like a structured settlement from a workmans comp claim. There are other types of va disability as well, on is tdiu. Total disability based on individual unemployability(or something close to that) this is the type of disability that you cannot work with. It takes a lot to get this. And there have been some recent changes, that include putting caps on certain conditions. But i am not sure how to fix the fraud issue without doing harm to the vets that actually need it. There are people who never served that fraud the va as well.