The expenses for the VA were published in the October 3rd 1949 Time magazine (four days before my birth). They had this interesting little statistic to post for their readers: The Veterans Administration last week added up its postwar payments to 15,200,000 World War II veterans, their heirs and dependents. The total: a skyscraping $20,975,947,214. Biggest expenditure—more than $7 billion—went for education under the G.I. bill. Pensions or compensation cost $4,502,364,093; disability and death claims, $3,694,661,437; and the "52-20" program of unemployment benefits, $3,712,397,702. (bold mine) See: VETERANS: How the Money Goes - TIME Of course one must equate that with the "buying power" of a 1949 dollar to the 2010 dollar. $1.00 in 1949 had about the same buying power as $8.96 in 2010.
Here is the FY2009 budget breakdown VA's fiscal year 2009 spending is projected to be approximately $93.4 billion, including $40 billion for health care, $46.9 billion for benefits, and $230 million for the national cemetery system. This is more than a 7 percent increase from the department’s $87.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2009. Bold is mine. There is a whole bunch of other interesting tidbits about the Va, itrs spending, and who receives benefits here Fact Sheet: Facts About the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
If the stats for both sites are correct, and if the inflation ratio I found between 1949 and 2010 are as well; $20,975,947,214 in 1949 would transfer in 2010 dollars to about $187,944,870,370 at the adjusted for inflation rate of 1:8.96. I think that means that the VA is spending slightly less than half as much today as it did in 1949. One would hope that is because the recipient pool is smaller by more than half as well.
That doesn't appear to be the case, Clint. According to the website, there are about 23.4 million veterans receiving benefits today, about 3/4 of whom served during a war or official period of conflict. Incredibly, there are still two children of Civil War vets receiving benefits and 184 children and widows of Spanish American War vets receiving benefits.
I believe that came about when very young females wed Civil War veterans and became their wives, and any children they had were added to the tarrif. That happened when the veterans bill was first passed way back when, and some of these guys had been drummer boys at the age of under 15, and were now in their late 60s. The 'young things' that they married continued to collect their veteran pensions for decades after their demise, as did the children they bore. Not a particularly pleasant or admirable off-shoot of the original veteran's bill to my mind.
Yeah Clint, you are right. I remember reading stories of Civil War widows...who were in their 30's after marrying guys in their 70's and 80's. I agree, not very admirable.
I just thought of something Lou, wasn't the VA part of the War Department until the Reagan Administration when the Department of Veteran's Affairs was created? I don't recall if the old VA's budget was a part of the Defense Department/War Department or what. I think it was. Since the Reagan years it has been a separate government department with its own budget. I could sure be wrong. Just curious.
It seems to have had its own budget. I found this table which suggests that the 1985 budget was almost $27 billion. That is, if I read it correctly. I'm no accountant, so I could be wrong. http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publications/usbudget/page/11397/2570/download/11397.pdf
Here's the link that give VA budgets going back to 1965. Some interesting data. FRASER » Publications » Budget of the United States Government » Veterans Administration