VA Doubles Disability Aid for Iraq War Veteran
Department Responds to Appeals of PTSD Patient
By Anne Hull and Dana PriestWashington Post Staff Writers Saturday, October 20, 2007; Page A03
The Department of Veterans Affairs this week doubled the disability benefits of a West Virginia soldier who has been fighting for more compensation since he returned from Iraq in 2004, and assured him that he will receive immediate access to more mental health services to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder.
VA's swift action to help Army Spec. Troy Turner followed an article in The Washington Post on Sunday that detailed the financial hardship faced by Turner after his PTSD worsened and he was unable to hold a job. Reliant upon a monthly disability check from VA, the Turner family slid into poverty, a grim reality for many returning veterans with invisible injuries such as PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
In addition to granting Turner a coveted spot in a residential treatment program at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center, the department is increasing his disability rating from 70 percent to 100 percent, according to a VA spokeswoman, raising his monthly check from $1,352 to $2,781. The new rating also means that Turner's wife, Michelle, and his two children are eligible for medical insurance and educational benefits.
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