Disability pensions

[Hank Trent]

According to the July 14, 1862 pension act, I know that Union soldiers could receive pensions for full or partial disability due to wartime service. My question is, under that act, was the amount of disability ever reviewed or changed, or was it fixed permanently (until the next act came along to change the rules)? For example, say a discharged soldier is examined and approved for half disability in early 1863. Months later, he can function either better or worse than expected. Was there an annual review? Could he request a review if he felt he'd worsened and deserved a higher pension? Could anything or anyone trigger a review if he was doing better than expected and working full time while still collecting a pension?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Hoosier Yank]

Re: Disability pensions

Funny you should ask…

I am a Veterans Service Representative at the Indianapolis VA Regional Office. Yes, a vet could come in and ask for an increase. They needed to prove that the disability had increased in severity (just like today).

Instead of a percentage system we use today to evaluate disabilities the Pension Bureau used a fraction system 1/8, 2/8, etc… to “rate” a disability.

I would guess even back then, as it is today a few rotten apples try to play up their disability to make it look more severe than it is. We’ve busted a few on fraud over the years. Recently I busted a vet who claimed no family income for the last 9 years. I ran a few checks and found his wife had income thus creating a huge overpayment and his pension benefit being suspended. I suppose an angry neighbor could write to the Bureau of Pensions and say, Billy Yank isn’t all that disabled. Hell, he has being working carrying hod for the last three years now!

Every year we archive/retire old claim folders to the National Archives before they are sent my buddy in the file room lets me play with the Civil War pension records before they are sent off. We still have disabled/helpless children (very few) of Civil War veteran’s collection monies to this day. Most of these children are about 90+ years old.