be $250 for those with 70 percent and 80 percent disability ratings of at least 60 percent to keep an extra $125 a month in retired pay. The additional monthly payments would be $250 for those with a 70 percent and 80 percent disability ratings; 4500 for those with a 90 percent ratings; and $750 a month for those who are 100 percent disabled.
   Payments would increase each year until the offset entirely disappeared in 2007. The exact amount of the current offset depends on the disability rating and the amount of retired pay received, but 100-percent disabled retirees can forfeit up to about $2,100 a month if single and up to about $2,300 a month if married".
   Please call my office for more information.

   The Federal  spending plan was approved March 14^th  and a total of 6.1 Billion will begin phasing in concurrent receipt of full retired and disability pay. This fulfills a promise made by lawmakers last year to scrap a 110 year old government policy of reducing military retired pay dollar for dollar by any amount received in veterans' disability compensation.
   There are 450,000 affected veteran retirees which means this will not compensate them all at the start or even soon, but the 6.1 billion will reduce this concurrent receipt oversight.
   The plan will begin to in

crease retirees pay about October 1^st 2002 and should fully restore retired pay by 2007 according to Rep. Jim Nussie, chairman of the House Budget Committee. The first will be military retirees who have disabilities rated at 60 percent or more and is to be phased in over the next five years.
   Now see if you can follow this; according to the Disabled American Veterans this is how it will work:
   For 2003, the budget earmarks $581 million to begin eliminating the offset, enough to allow retirees with disability ratings of at least 60 percent to keep an extra $125 a month in retired pay. The additional monthly payments would