Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) Increase for 2019

Cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) Increase for 2019

On October 9, 2018, President Trump signed Public Law 115-258, which provides a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase of 2.8 percent, effective December 1, 2018, for Veterans disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) for survivors and certain other benefits.
VA compensation and DIC benefits are retrospectively paid on the first of each month, for the previous month. This means that the 2.8 COLA increase effective December 1, 2018, will not be included until the January 1, 2019 payment.  This increase matches the COLA provided to Social Security recipients.
This COLA benefits injured and ill Veterans, their families and survivors by helping to maintain the value of VA benefits against inflation. Without annual COLAs, many disabled Veterans, who sacrificed their own health and family life for the good of our nation, may not be able to maintain the quality of life they deserve.
We thank Representative Mike Bost (IL), Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs for introducing HR 4958, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2018 and Congress for final passage of the bill on September 25, 2018.
Likewise, we appreciate your support for service-disabled Veterans and your grassroots efforts in the DAV Commander's Action Network, which helped get this critical legislation enacted.  Please share this information on all of your social media sites. Thank you for all you do for America's Veterans and their families.