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I've been going through a rough time since getting out of the military. I was medically retired at 60% disability. After moving back to my home state with my wife I started college using the GI bill to pay for school. My state offers Illinois veterans grant which pays for college in full as well, so you get to pocket the GI bill, it's written that way to help in my state. I have tried getting and holding a job, but with school full time and many places not hiring(Iv'e been told that many places here avoid hiring vets because in the past they have caused problems) so my income is based off my disability and my GI bill. My wife has gotten irritated and downright unrulely over the fact I don't currently work, despite going to college full time. She equals it to a "lazy welfare guy" To me that hurts a lot because i feel like I earned my GI bill and other benefits. It really has put a strain on me. Is receiving military benefits and military disability after serving considered to be equal to a welfare recipient?

Going to school full time is (or can be) work.

Depends on how you define welfare I suppose. If you use a standard, non-political definition like "financial or other assistance to an individual or family from a city, state, or national government" then yes, it is. When people bring baggage about it with them into it, it gets a bit more complex.

Might want to look into marriage counseling.

No military benefits are not a form of welfare. Times are tough bro, as a veteran myself I feel your pain. But those benefits you got came with the contract you signed. If she is mad about "welfare", tell her about corporate welfare and how walmart cost tax payers billions of dollars to subsidize food stamps, medicare, housing etc.. for its employees because walmart pays them dirt.

Hang in there bro.

 Gitsmasher wrote:
No military benefits are not a form of welfare.

I would be curious to find out where the funds for VA, GI Bill, et al come from if they aren't coming from city/state/federal taxes.

If you're going to school full-time you can't be a "lazy welfare guy". Those just sit at home doing nothing and collecting money.
You're at the very least doing something constructive with your time. Plus, as I understand it, those military benefits are compensation for time spent in the military. Again, not welfare, but rather a kind of secondary benefit to having worked for the military.

I just retired out. You "earned" those benefits did you not? You sacrifice way to much to accomplish the Mission did you not. You performed tasks not done done in the private sector did you not?

We all have the stigma of "PTSD" nutjob. Yep its F'ing a pisser but hey who doesn't that have deployed.

I know your not trying to go to school full time and work FULL TIME.

I know your trying to get a foot in the door by applying PART TIME.

I know USAjobs has Departments offering work for FULL TIME students. Kiss your weekends goodbye

I know I am not a Marriage Counselor so um...well you know.....seek help in that area from a professional.

Just do not "Embrace The Suck", become "Harden", and/or lose your "Professionalism" You know what I mean.

I ask one question though Send it to me in tells. Its a Gut Check Swallow your PRIDE and let me know. One top issue on those getting out. Being You/wife/family is use to deployment funds. Is it financial in nature.

 Ahtman wrote:

 Gitsmasher wrote:
No military benefits are not a form of welfare.Times are tough bro, as a veteran myself I feel your pain. But those benefits you got came with the contract you signed.

I would be curious to find out where the funds for VA, GI Bill, et al come from if they aren't coming from city/state/federal taxes.

Please dont take things out of context. Also read the whole statement before commenting.

 Jihadin wrote:
You "earned" those benefits did you not?

Unemployment is also earned, you pay into with your checks. Same is true of Social Security.

 conker249 wrote:
I've been going through a rough time since getting out of the military. I was medically retired at 60% disability. After moving back to my home state with my wife I started college using the GI bill to pay for school. My state offers Illinois veterans grant which pays for college in full as well, so you get to pocket the GI bill, it's written that way to help in my state. I have tried getting and holding a job, but with school full time and many places not hiring(Iv'e been told that many places here avoid hiring vets because in the past they have caused problems) so my income is based off my disability and my GI bill. My wife has gotten irritated and downright unrulely over the fact I don't currently work, despite going to college full time. She equals it to a "lazy welfare guy" To me that hurts a lot because i feel like I earned my GI bill and other benefits. It really has put a strain on me. Is receiving military benefits and military disability after serving considered to be equal to a welfare recipient?

You're going to school full time and getting money coming in from the GI Bill. As long as you aren't playing Call of Duty all night and leaving your clothes all over the place, I don't see an issue.

You are helping/doing chores around the house, right? Laundry, dishes, cooking, etc?

It really doesn't matter what we think. What matters is what your wife thinks. So you need to find out where she is coming from, and where she thinks that you as a family need to go.

 Gitsmasher wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:

 Gitsmasher wrote:
No military benefits are not a form of welfare.Times are tough bro, as a veteran myself I feel your pain. But those benefits you got came with the contract you signed.

I would be curious to find out where the funds for VA, GI Bill, et al come from if they aren't coming from city/state/federal taxes.

Please dont take things out of context. Also read the whole statement before commenting.

I did, you still don't explain how they aren't welfare. Being part of a contract doesn't make something not suddenly a welfare system. Your contract is guaranteeing your welfare in your post-military life. This is a good thing and our troops deserve it*, but that doesn't mean it isn't a form of welfare.


*We could do better at it as well.

Yeah I try to not be a bum, Housework is split between us. no kids. She grew up with" the man always has a job" like her dad would have, and with me not having a job, it doesn't fill that role I guess. We survive month to month based off my income, not hers, she makes $70 a week on average. I guess my logic is my benefits are something I earned. her logic is she sees i do not hold a job, and she does, even if it brings in very little.

 Ahtman wrote:

 Gitsmasher wrote:

 Ahtman wrote:

 Gitsmasher wrote:
No military benefits are not a form of welfare.Times are tough bro, as a veteran myself I feel your pain. But those benefits you got came with the contract you signed.

I would be curious to find out where the funds for VA, GI Bill, et al come from if they aren't coming from city/state/federal taxes.

Please dont take things out of context. Also read the whole statement before commenting.

I did, you still don't explain how they aren't welfare. Being part of a contract doesn't make something not suddenly a welfare system. Your contract is guaranteeing your welfare in your post-military life. This is a good thing and our troops deserve it*, but that doesn't mean it isn't a form of welfare.


*We could do better at it as well.

I see your point of view, but I based my definition of welfare on the of something for nothing philosophy. And no normally a contract agreement does not render most things welfare. As a contract is a legally binding document between two parties in agreement for services rendered, both bring something to the table and both contribute. In the military if you dont hold up your end you can have pay taken, get kicked out, be thrown in jail, or executed(not likely). And if the govt doesnt hold up its end you can appeal through one of the many veteran organizations.

Unemployment is also earned, you pay into with your checks. Same is true of Social Security.

Unemployment last I think 6-12 months. Unrelated to VA Disability

VA Disability is life time. Injuries received in Line of Duty

9/11 GI Bill is offer to those committing to service. One puts in like $100 a month for a year.
Yet in the 9/11 basically pays for four years. Part of the package one adds into Contract

We cannot double dip into Social Security for disabilities. Civilian federal employees can They can recieve disability pay from Government and SS

We get free HealthCare from VA but only for injuries listed in our disability

We can get free meds but only meds we received while dealing with injuries of PTSD and/orTBI

Unemployment is a separete Monster

 Jihadin wrote:

Unemployment is also earned, you pay into with your checks. Same is true of Social Security.

Unemployment last I think 6-12 months. Unrelated to VA Disability

VA Disability is life time. Injuries received in Line of Duty

9/11 GI Bill is offer to those committing to service. One puts in like $100 a month for a year.
Yet in the 9/11 basically pays for four years. Part of the package one adds into Contract

We cannot double dip into Social Security for disabilities. Civilian federal employees can They can recieve disability pay from Government and SS

We get free HealthCare from VA but only for injuries listed in our disability

We can get free meds but only meds we received while dealing with injuries of PTSD and/orTBI

Unemployment is a separete Monster

This and I want to add.

Unemployment and SS are mandatory where as military service is not.

So apples and oranges.

I would consider it basically equivalent to welfare.

But before you all crucify me, I do not consider welfare inherently a bad or disreputable thing, and wouldn't look down on anyone who was on it. I have friends who've been living off the GI bill while they go to school. I consider them no different than me, and it a lot of ways, much wiser.

I am sorry to hear that your wife is not being very pleasant about the situation though. I second the recommendation for counseling before it gets worse.

Welfare Benefits though one has to constantly apply for, update, and/or reverifying (SP)

VA One has to complete the process for disability pay that pretty much last one year. Payed on the first of the month.
We also collect "retirement" after 20 or more years

Same source of funding (tax payers) but under different guide lines..

Marriage counciling would be your best bet.


On a side note ahtman's correct, although understandibly welare has a certain negative connotation to it.

I was afraid that counseling would be the general consensus. Thank you all for your inputs.

The real issue is not whether you or your wife is "right" (is or is not school/GI bill welfare?), but how you two are going to work through this until you are finished school and back in the workforce.

Good luck.

Ideology is a tough nut to crack, pragmatism is the only solution I've encountered but it's difficult to achieve that without outside help.

Hell no!

You earned those benefits. Its compensation for having served.

And not all welfare is bad either, especially if having worked your whole life then finding yourself out of work/underemployed you have to rely on assistance that you paid into to get by.

Sorry about your wife giving you grief, you should be talking to her: doesnt matter what we say, matters what she thinks tbh.

It is welfare/benefits.

That doesn't make it bad, many people just have utterly wrong-headed ideas on what welfare is.

Of course I would say that being a welfare/benefits recipient in socialist Britain!

Conker I want to nip this in the bud. Come to your own conclusion with WHAT YOU KNOW. Disregard the debate in this thread and pretty much stay out of this thread. I do not know your history, mental state, and/or status in martial. I do not need the feeling that someone who was influence from this thread did or is going to do something STUPID.

You have a lot on your plate in life now to try to deal with. You/I/WE do not want to influence you in your thought process to better comprehend this issue and make a decision that could be negative. You are prior military as a lot of us are. Stick with the military mindset and disregard those who are not well informed on both sides of this issue.

Take advantage of all the perks the Federal Government and State offers you You earned it, you deserve it, and you are entitled to. You are a Vet You are in a exclusive club.

If you, dare I say it, in a depression mode. You need to snap out of it. Roll the dice and inquire about National Guard or Reserves. If not then apply to Home Depot part time Just get a foot in the door part time. Inactivity of "work" is getting to you maybe.

If you stay in depress mode then I in my infinite power as a former NCO will foot launch your newly acquired lard butt into orbit.

 Jihadin wrote:
Conker I want to nip this in the bud. Come to your own conclusion with WHAT YOU KNOW. Disregard the debate in this thread and pretty much stay out of this thread. I do not know your history, mental state, and/or status in martial. I do not need the feeling that someone who was influence from this thread did or is going to do something STUPID.

You have a lot on your plate in life now to try to deal with. You/I/WE do not want to influence you in your thought process to better comprehend this issue and make a decision that could be negative. You are prior military as a lot of us are. Stick with the military mindset and disregard those who are not well informed on both sides of this issue.

Take advantage of all the perks the Federal Government and State offers you You earned it, you deserve it, and you are entitled to. You are a Vet You are in a exclusive club.

If you, dare I say it, in a depression mode. You need to snap out of it. Roll the dice and inquire about National Guard or Reserves. If not then apply to Home Depot part time Just get a foot in the door part time. Inactivity of "work" is getting to you maybe.

If you stay in depress mode then I in my infinite power as a former NCO will foot launch your newly acquired lard butt into orbit.

^ This.

Yes, it is a form of social welfare.
No, that isn't bad a thing.

I'm all for the guaranteeing anyone the right to a basic income and dignity.It's a good thing. Surely even the most pig-headed of boot-strap types could agree at the very least, the people the government got hurt doing their dirty work are entitled to a little no-gripes assistance. Yeesh.

I'm appalled enough when this kind of bile comes out of TV talking heads with no investment in the kind of people they're talking about. You're telling me this total lack of empathy and basic respect is coming from your wife, a wife living off this assistance she holds in such great contempt? While doing next to no work of her own? What????

It's like next you're going to tell us she ran over your dog "Just to teach you a lesson".

I also consider it welfare, but do not consider welfare to have a negative connotation.


Social Security, Unemployment, WIC, EBT - these are all the things we as a whole pay into to not have a gakky society, and we do so freely with the understanding that yes, some people will need these benefits. Making a moral judgment on them is just ridiculous in my book.

I am yet one more dakka user that consider it welfare, and that find it disturbing some people would consider welfare as inherently bad or shameful. It is welfare and it is a good rule. It being welfare does not make you a parasite living off other peoples taxes. That is just such a wrong idea. You fought for those taxpayers, and got injured doing it, it is only normal they give you something back.

It is welfare to my eye, but welfare is NOT a bad thing it is a sign of humanity and reason

and whether it is or not does not actually seem to be the root cause of your problems, rather it's your wife's belief that if you are not working you are not contributing to the family

You and your wife are going to have to try and work this out either by ourselves or with some form of external guidance or counselling

that could be with help from family and friends, a church (if you and or her are believers) or professional marriage guidance....

Here in the UK you might also be able to come in from a medical side via your doctor but I dpn't understand enough about how that works out in the states

The only reason "are military benefits welfare" is even a loaded question is because we have demonized government assistance and pretended that help from the government = handout you didn't earn. It is entirely possible to look at the military and consider the benefits a form of "welfare" without demeaning the benefits or looking down on them.

All government assistance programs are something that is earned, some as a society and some individually, and military benefits are an extension of that. You get benefits that you earned through taxes or service. You do your part to help others, and others do their part to help you. We all pay taxes to help each other, and we get money for food if we are in need. You provided a service to your country, and now your country provides a service to you.

Military benefits are a form of government assistance that you earned, just like all other government assistance programs. The only reason that should bother anybody is if they are looking down on government assistance because they don't understand how it works.

"From each according to his ability, to each according to his need," there is a reason why that statement fits both socialism and the basic idea of earned benefits by serving in the military.

Edit:

While the philosophical question of "welfare/earned benefits/contractual compensation" is very interesting, you also need to realize that there is a high likelihood that it is not really the source of your problem. There is a deeper issue between you and your wife than "are you a welfare queen", and you need to work on that before wondering what strangers on the internet think about you going back to school.

Talk to her, look at your own contribution to the household (if not monetary then physically), and make sure you give to her the same way you are giving to your education and gave to your country. She's your battle-buddy now, and you need to communicate with her to find out what is really happening.