VA
Benefits
and
Services
Briefing for
Tribal Veteran Representatives
VA on the Internet
www.va.gov
http://www.facebook.com/VeteransBenefits
http://twitter.com/VAVetBenefits
Or call us
1-800-827-1000
7:00 a.m. EST to 10:00 p.m. EST


www.ebenefits.va.gov
One-stop shop for benefitsrelated online tools and
information.
– Apply for benefits
– See your benefits status and
payments online
– Download your DD 214
VA

Veterans Benefits Administration
– All VA benefits - Compensation, Education, Home Loan
Guaranty, etc.
– Administered by VA Regional Offices

Veterans Health Administration
– All VA health care services
– Administered by VA Medical Centers, Ambulatory Care &
Community Based Outpatient Clinics, etc.

National Cemetery Administration
– National and State Veterans Cemeteries
– Headstones & Markers
– Presidential Memorial Certificates
Content
•
•
•
•
•
•
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VA – Purpose & Organization
Compensation & Pension
Education
Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment
Home Loan Guaranty
Burial & Survivor Benefits
Other Benefits & Services
Conclusion & Contacts
“To care for him who
shall have borne the
battle and for his widow
and his orphan…”
- Abraham Lincoln -
Compensation
for
Service-Connected
Disabilities
Compensation
A service-connected disability is a
disease or injury incurred or aggravated
while on active duty. The disability does
not have to be combat or wartime related.
Compensation
Disability Examples
• Torn knee ligament
• Amputation
• Heart disease
• Post traumatic stress (including
the result of sexual trauma)
• Skin condition such as psoriasis
Compensation

Disabilities are rated from 0% to 100%.
–Combined overall rating

Compensation payment is tax free.
–Compensation payments range from 10% to
100%.
–Additional allowance for dependents with
30% or higher rating.
***By Regulation, the Department of
Treasury now requires that federal
beneficiaries receive their recurring/monthly
benefits electronically.***
Compensation - Sample Rates
Rating
Vet Only
Vet+S
Vet+S+1C
Vet+S+2C
Vet+S+3C
10%
$127
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
20%
251
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
30%
389
435
469
492
515
40%
560
622
667
697
727
50%
797
874
931
969
1,007
60%
1,009
1,102
1,169
1,215
1,261
70%
1,272
1,380
1,459
1,512
1,565
80%
1,478
1,602
1,692
1,753
1,814
90%
1,661
1,800
1,902
1,971
2,040
100%
2,769
2,924
3,037
3,114
3,191
S – Spouse
C = Child(ren) Rates effective Dec 1, 2011
Compensation



Additional Special Monthly
Compensation added for loss of
limb, organ, etc.
Concurrent retired pay, previously
prohibited, now being phased in
Concurrent VSI, SSB, Severance
Pay, and Separation Pay still
prohibited
Compensation - Related Benefits






VA health care for all rated serviceconnected conditions
Vocational rehabilitation &
employment services
$10,000 life insurance
Federal employment preference
VA loan funding fee waived
Possible State and local benefits
for veterans
Compensation Hot Topics
Individual Unemployability vs.
Permanent and Total 100% disability
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Agent Orange exposure and related
illnesses
Individual Unemployability
vs.
100% permanent and total
disability
Individual Unemployability
Veteran must meet the scheduler requirements as
follows:
- One service connected (SC)disability at
60%
or
- Combined degree of disability at 70% with at least
one SC disability rated at 40%
and
-Be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful
occupation as a result of service-connected
disabilities.
Can a veteran work if rated
Unemployable (IU)?
Yes
Marginal employment shall not be considered
substantially gainful employment.
Marginal employment generally shall be deemed to
exist when a veteran’s earned annual income does
not exceed the amount established by the
U.S Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census,
as the poverty threshold for one person.
100% Permanent and Total
(P&T)
When a veteran is rated P&T, it has been
determined that a single or combination of
service connected disabilities total 100%
and
a determination has also been made that no
future exams would be necessary, due to the
unlikelihood that there would be a future
improvement in said disabilities
Can a veteran rated 100% P&T work?
Yes.
He/she has been rated at 100% disability level
with the unlikelihood of improvement.
We have not rated the veteran unable to secure
and follow substantially gainful employment.
If the veteran is able and wishes to work, he or
she is free to do so without worry or concern of
losing his or her disability.
Ancillary Benefits for Veterans
Rated P&T
•Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance,
(Chapter 35, USC)
•Commissary and Exchange Privileges
•ChampVA
•Student Loan Forgiveness
•State and Local Benefits
PTSD; New Relaxed Criteria
– Relaxation of Evidentiary Standards for
Establishing In-Service Stressors
– “Fear of Hostile Military or Terrorist Activity”
– No longer requires a confirmed specific stressor
unless evidence to support the veteran’s “Fear”
statement is not available.
New PTSD Requirements
VA will now rely on a Veteran’s lay testimony alone to establish
occurrence of a stressor related to fear of hostile military or
terrorist activity, provided
1. A VA psychiatrist or psychologist, or contract equivalent,
confirms that the claimed stressor is adequate to support a diagnosis
of PTSD
2. The claimed stressor is consistent with the places, types, and
circumstances of the Veteran’s service
3. The Veteran’s symptoms are related to the claimed stressor
Service connecting PTSD
When the Fear Criteria Doesn’t Apply
We still need:
 credible evidence that the claimed inservice stressor occurred and can be verified
(combat or non-combat related)
 medical evidence diagnosing the condition
 a link, established by medical evidence,
between current symptoms and an inservice stressor.
The Agent Orange Act of 1991, PL 102-4, established a presumption of
service connection for veterans with service in Vietnam during the
Vietnam era who subsequently develop, to a degree of 10 percent or more;
one of the following:
•Hodgkin's disease
•multiple myeloma
•non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL)
•acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy
•porphyria cutanea tarda
•prostate cancer
•respiratory cancers, such as cancers of the
•lung
•bronchus
•larynx, or
•trachea
•soft-tissue sarcoma
•chloracne or other acneiform disease consistent with chloracne
•type 2 diabetes mellitus, and
•chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
New Presumptive Conditions due to
Herbicide Exposure in Vietnam
The three new presumptive conditions
are:
1. Ischemic heart disease
2. Chronic B-cell leukemias, such as
hairy cell leukemia
3. Parkinson’s disease
Blue Water vs. Brown Water
Navy
Remember!
We do not service connect
exposure to Agent Orange or
other herbicides.
We do service connect illnesses
associated with the exposure
Pension
Pension

Pension is a benefit paid to wartime veterans with limited income, and
who are permanently and totally disabled or age 65 or older.
Who Is Eligible?
 Veterans with discharges that are other than dishonorable.
AND
 served 90 days or more of active duty with at least 1 day during a
period of war,
AND
 countable family income is below a yearly limit set by law, AND
 permanently and totally disabled, OR
 age 65 or older.
Family Income Limits (effective December 1, 2011)
Veteran with no dependents
Your yearly
income must
be less than...
$12,256
Veteran with a spouse or a child
$16,051
If you are a...
Veterans with additional children: add $2,093 to the limit for
each child)
Housebound veteran with no dependents
$14,978
Housebound veteran with one dependent
$18,773
Veteran who needs aid and attendance and has no
dependents
$20,447
Veteran who needs aid and attendance and has one
dependent
$24,239
Note: Some income is not counted toward the yearly limit (for example, welfare
benefits, some wages earned by dependent children, and Supplemental Security
Income.)
How Much Does VA Pay?
VA pays you the difference between your countable family income and the yearly
income limit that describes your situation.
This difference is generally paid in 12 equal monthly payments
rounded down to the nearest dollar.
Example:
$10,000 MAPR – $6000 countable income
= $4000.00 IVAP/12 mos. = $333.00/mo.
Note: Certain expenses (i.e., medical expenses, education expenses, or expenses
related to the last illness or burial of a dependent) paid by you are taken into
consideration when arriving at your countable family income.
Native American Income
Exclusions for Pension
Income paid to an individual Native
American from trust or restricted lands
 Distributions made to an individual Native
American out of tribal trust fund revenues
held in trust by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
(BIA)

= up to $2000.00/yr exclusion
Compensation & Pension
Time Limit
• No time limit to apply for Compensation or
Pension
• For Compensation, benefits will be paid
retroactive to the date of
separation/retirement if VA receives the
application within one year of the
separation/retirement. Otherwise, benefits
are effective no earlier than the date VA
received the application
Compensation & Pension
How to Apply
VA Forms:
21-526, 21-526b, 21-4138
How to Apply (cont.)



Contact VA for the application form by
calling 1-800-827-1000
Visit any VA Regional Office
Or apply on the Internet at
www.ebenefits.va.gov
All Compensation claims are
worked at the veteran’s VA
Regional Office
__________________________
All Pension claims are now
worked at the
VA Pension Maintenance Center
in St. Paul, Minnesota
The Life of a Claim
In Processing Center (IPC)
Pre Determination
Rating Board
Post Determination
Appeals
(reopen or notice of disagreement?)
Vet Center
www.va.gov/rcs/
Readjustment
Counseling Services
“To care for him who shall have borne the battle
and for his widow and his orphan.”
Abraham Lincoln
Vet Centers serve Veterans and their families by providing
a continuum of quality care that adds value for Veterans,
families, and communities…..
We welcome home war Veterans with honor by providing
readjustment counseling in a caring manner.
Vet Centers understand and appreciate Veterans’ war
experiences while assisting them and their family
members toward a successful post-war adjustment in or
near their community.
What is the Vet Center
•A safe and protected place to
talk
•Confidentiality – no stigma
•Flexible hours
•Easily accessible communitybased setting
•Network knowledgeable about
the resources available
•Vet Center staff are >65%
combat Veterans
•Veterans serving Veterans
•All family members are
welcome
•No cost….ever
What we Offer
•Individual Counseling
•Group Counseling
•Military Sexual Trauma
Counseling
•Marital/Family Counseling
•Bereavement Counseling
•Drug and Alcohol Referral
•Liaison with VA and
Community Resources
•Benefits Assistance Referral
•Community Education and
Career Referral
www.vetcenter.va.gov
Eligibility
Veterans, National Guard, and
Reservists who served in a combat
or hostile zone and received a
campaign or expeditionary ribbon
Must be reflected on DD-214
Military Sexual Trauma
Vet Center Outreach
Current conflict Veterans serve as outreach specialists in
all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Mobile Vet Centers
Fifty (50) mobile Vet Centers,
distributed nationally, are utilized to
provide access to returning Veterans
via outreach to demobilization sites,
active military bases, National
Guard, and Reserve locations. The
Vet Center Combat
vehicles also support Vet Center
Call Center
services to rural areas
Veterans or family members can call a
geographically distant from VA
national call-in service, at any time, to talk
services.
to another combat Veteran or spouse
regarding any readjustment issues related
to military service. The person on the other
end of the call will be a Veteran or spouse
who understands and values the military
experience of serving in a combat zone, is
trained as a Vet Center counselor, and has
knowledge of VA and other resources that
may assist the Veteran, spouse, or family
in obtaining needed services.
Education
Benefits
Post-9/11 GI Bill

Eligibility: At least 90 days of aggregate
service on or after September 11, 2001, or
individuals discharged with a serviceconnected disability after 30 days. An
Honorable discharge is required to be eligible
for the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Benefit:
 Up to 36 months of benefits; payable for approved training on or after
August 1, 2009.
 Determined by the length of active duty service (40% up to 100% per
length of active duty service).
 Expires 15 years after last qualifying period of active duty service.
 Usable for any program at an institution of higher learning (IHL)
approved for MGIB-AD.
Tuition and Fees
• Active Duty and Veterans: Full tuition and fees
(based on length of active duty service) for public,
in-state students
– Private and foreign schools cap at $17,500
academic year
– Exception: Active Duty are not eligible to
participate in the Yellow Ribbon program
• Paid directly to the school on student’s behalf
Monthly Housing Allowance
•Must attend more than half-time
•Prorated by rate of pursuit rounded to
nearest tenth
•Equivalent to the Basic Allowance for
Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with
dependents based on school’s zip code
•Distance learners (e.g., online
students) can receive ½ the national
average monthly housing beginning
October 1, 2011
•Active duty Servicemembers are not
eligible
Books and Supplies Stipend
•Pays up to $1,000 per year
•If taking classes at an IHL:
Amount paid determined by
number of credit hours, with full
stipend paid for 24 credit hours
per academic year
•If taking a non-college degree,
apprenticeship, or on-the-job
training program: Pays
$83/month up to $1,000 per year
Yellow Ribbon Program
Institutions voluntarily enter into an
agreement with VA to share tuition and
fee costs that exceed the tuition and
fee cap of $17,500 at non-public
schools and for out-of-state charges
VA matches each additional dollar that
an institution contributes, up to total
cost of tuition and fees.
Training at
private
institutions
Out of state
tuition
Yellow Ribbon Program
•Payable to school when student’s
tuition and fees exceed the cap:
Based on
school
participation
Based on student
qualification
Veterans only
at 100% level
Spouse of
Veteran (transfer
of entitlement)
Dependent
children (transfer
of entitlement)
Transfer of Entitlement
•Serves as a retention program for
Department of Defense (DoD)
•Must be member of Uniformed Services
and
•Agree to serve at least from one to four
additional years per rules established by
DoD/Department of Homeland Security
(DHS)
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant
John David Fry Scholarship
•Children of Servicemembers who died in
the line of duty while on active duty after
September 10, 2001.
•Eligible for up to 36 months under the
Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Montgomery GI Bill—Active Duty
(MGIB—AD)
•Eligibility: Honorable discharge, a high school diploma or
general educational development (GED), and served active
duty after June 30, 1985. Plus, $1,200 military pay
reduction
Benefit:
•Up to 36 months of benefits
•Monetary benefit ranging from $368.25 - $1,473 per
month, based on training time, paid to Veteran
•Expires 10 years after release from active duty
•Includes apprenticeship, on-the-job training, vocational
training, and flight training
Other Benefit Programs
•Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve –
Chapter 1606
•Reserve Educational Assistance Program –
Chapter 1607
•Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational
Assistance – Chapter 35
•Post-Vietnam Era Veterans’ Educational
Assistance Program – Chapter 32
•National Call to Service
For Assistance…
Visit the official VA education
benefits Internet site at:
www.gibill.va.gov
Click the “Ask a Question and Find
Answers” link to view our Frequently
Asked Questions, or ask a question
OR
Call VA at: 1-888-GI BILL-1
(1-888-442-4551)
Vocational Rehabilitation
& Employment (VR&E)
Program Objective
VA’s Vocational Rehabilitation and
Employment program’s primary
function is to help active duty service
members and veterans who have
service-connected disabilities become
suitably employed, maintain
employment, or achieve
independence in daily living.
Rehabilitation Plan

The following service delivery options may be
provided under a Rehabilitation Plan:
– Reemployment
– Rapid access to employment
– Employment through long term services
– Independent living services
– Self-employment
Eligibility to Apply





Service Members are eligible to apply with a 20%
memorandum rating
Veterans are eligible to apply with a final VA disability rating
of at least 10%
Have received, or eventually will receive, an Honorable or
other than dishonorable discharge
Documentation of service-connected disability or disabilities
rated at 20% or more, and have an employment handicap
resulting primarily from such disability.
Veterans rated as 10% disabled with a serious employment
handicap (SEH) may be entitled to VR&E services.
Counseling

A counseling appointment will be set for
Service Members and Veterans found eligible
to accomplish the following:
– Evaluate the applicant’s interests, aptitudes, and
abilities based upon testing and interviews
– Meet with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
to explore the applicant’s vocational goals and
objectives
Eligibility Period

The law provides for a 12-year basic period of
eligibility during which services may be used. The
12-year period begins on the latter of these dates:
– Date of separation from active military duty
Or
– Date VA first informed the Veteran of a serviceconnected disability rating
VetSuccess.gov

VR&E’s comprehensive employment web
site for all Veterans.

Veterans can post resumes, job search and
apply for jobs.

Employers can post jobs and search
resumes.
Home Loan Guaranty
www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans/
VA Home Loan Guaranty
•Lenders make the loan and VA guarantees it
•VA guaranty usually means no down payment
required of Service member or Veteran
•Service member or Veteran must qualify for
loan with sufficient income and satisfactory
credit
•Limitations on closing costs
•The right to prepay without penalty
•Negotiated interest rates
•Individuals having problems making payments
may call 1-877-827-3702 for assistance
VA Home Loan Guaranty
•Buy a home
•Build a home
•Refinance existing loan
•Use only for property located in
the US, its territories or
possessions
•Must occupy the property as
your home
Steps to a VA Home Loan
Guarantee
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Find property to buy.
Apply to a mortgage lender for a loan.
Apply for a Certificate of Eligibility.
Obtain a VA appraisal.
Close the loan and move in.
How to Apply
Service Members or Veterans can obtain COE through eBenefits
www.ebenefits.va.gov
OR
Ask your lender to apply online through the VA Portal –
https://vip.vba.va.gov,
OR
Complete and mail VA Form 26-1880 to:
Atlanta Regional Loan Center Attn: COE, P.O. Box 100034
Atlanta, GA 30031
Eligibility can be restored if VA loan is paid in full and
property is no longer owned by Service Member/Veteran.
More Information?
Visit Loan Guaranty
on the Internet at:
www.homeloans.va.gov
Burial
Benefits
Burial Benefits
• National Cemeteries
• State Veterans Cemeteries
• Headstone or Marker
• Burial Flag
• Presidential Memorial Certificates
• Burial Cost Reimbursement
120+ Cemeteries
Nationwide
Burial Benefits
(continued)
National
Cemetery Burial









Gravesite
Opening and Closing
Headstone/Marker
Burial Flag
Funeral Honors
Presidential Memorial
Certificates
Burial Cost
Reimbursement
Perpetual Care
All at No Cost to the
Family
Burial Benefits - (continued)
Arlington National Cemetery & State
Veterans Cemeteries
• Arlington National Cemetery
 Administered by Department of the Army
 Eligibility more restrictive than VA
 Unrestricted for cremations
 Full casket for retirees
• 60+ State Veterans Cemeteries
 Similar to National Cemeteries
 May require residency
Burial Benefits - (continued)
Eligibility
• Veteran, spouse, and dependent children
• Veteran defined:
 Other than dishonorable discharge
 Active duty service, not including
Reserve active duty for training
 Retirement eligible Reserve and
National Guard members
Burial Benefits - (continued)
Headstone or Marker
• In National/State Veterans
Cemeteries for all eligible
persons
• Provided for private cemetery
burials anywhere in the world
for veterans only
Burial Benefits
Other
• Burial Flag – to drape coffin or urn,
and given to next of kin
• Funeral Honors – Flag folding and
playing of Taps
• Presidential Memorial Certificates –
available to family and other loved
ones
Burial Benefits
Other- (continued)
• Burial Cost Reimbursement
 Service-Connected Death: up to
$2,000
 Non Service-Connected Death (limited
entitlement): Up to $300 toward
burial and funeral expenses, and $300
plot allowance when burial is in a
cemetery not under U.S. government
jurisdiction
Burial Benefits - (continued)
To Do List
To ease the burden on family members,
the veteran should:
• Provide appropriate loved ones with a
copy of his/her discharge document (DD
Form 214, Report of Separation from
Active Military Service), and
• Inform them of his/her burial wishes –
final resting place, etc.
Survivor
Benefits
Dependency & Indemnity
Compensation (DIC)



Monthly tax-free benefit paid to the
surviving spouse of a serviceperson
who died while on active duty, or
veteran who died due to servicerelated condition
Currently, $1,195 monthly
Increased by $296 for each
dependent child
DIC – (continued)
Remarriage
• Surviving spouse who remarries before
attaining age 57 loses DIC entitlement
• Entitlement restored if the remarriage
ends in death, divorce, or annulment
• However, a surviving spouse’s
remarriage after 12/16/03 and on or
after attaining age 57 does not affect
entitlement
Death Pension





If not entitled to DIC
Income-based benefit
For surviving spouse
For dependent children in certain
situations
Veteran must have had at least one
day of war-time service
Education & Training
(DEA)
Spouse, surviving spouse,
and children of a veteran
may be entitled to
Survivors’ & Dependents’
Educational Assistance
(Chapter 35, U.S. Code)
Education & Training
(continued)
Veteran must:
• have died while on active duty, or
• be totally & permanently disabled
because of a service-related
condition(s), or
• have died of any cause while
such service-related disability
existed, or
Education & Training
(continued)
Eligibility Period
• 10 years for spouse or surviving spouse
• 20 years for surviving spouse if veteran
died while on active military duty
• Between ages 18 and 26 for children
Entitlement - Up to 45 months of full-time
(or equivalent) benefits
Home Loan Guaranty
Entitled
• Unremarried surviving spouse of a
service member who died on active
duty
• Unremarried surviving spouse of a
veteran whose death was servicerelated
• Spouse of a service person missing in
action or prisoner of war
Surviving spouse may be entitled to
non-VA benefits and services
• Preference in Federal employment
(the mother of a deceased service member is
also entitled)
• State and local benefits and services
• Military commissary and exchange
privileges
Other
Benefits and
Services
VA Fiduciary Program
• VA will appoint a fiduciary (third party
payee) for any VA beneficiary who is a
minor, or adult who is found to be
unable to manage his/her own
financial affairs (incompetent)
• Incompetency is determined by the
Court, or by VA disability rating
• VA supervises the fiduciary to ensure
that the beneficiary is protected
State Veterans Affairs Offices


Can help complete claim forms,
answer questions, act as a claims
representative, assist with
employment needs…
Possible State benefits include:
property and other tax
exemptions, education programs,
license tags…
Each State Is Different
Veterans Service Organizations
also assist veterans in various ways
including claims representation
Examples:
DAV, AmVets, VFW, PVA, VVA,
The American Legion, American Red
Cross, and many others
To Reach a State Veterans
Affairs Office, or Veterans
Services Organization
• Visit www.va.gov, and click on
“Partners”
• Check local telephone directory
under “Veterans Organizations”
• Call VA at (800) 827-1000
VA on the Internet
eBenefits
www.ebenefits.va.gov
VA Home Page
www.va.gov
Returning Servicemembers
www.oefoif.va.gov
VA on Facebook
www.facebook.com/VeteransAffairs
VA on Twitter
www.twitter.com/DeptVetAffairs
Phone VA
For benefits information
and assistance
call toll-free
1 (800) 827-1000
TDD #711
Questions?
__________________________
Role Play
After reading the scenarios, let’s brain storm about
what types of things you could look for/ask the
veteran.
Are there more benefits that the
veteran/claimant could be entitled to?
Scenario #1
I am an honorably discharged Vietnam Veteran. I served
from 09-01-64 to 08-30-68 in the US. Army. I would like to
file a claim service connection for Type II Diabetes
Mellitus due to Agent Orange Exposure.
I would also like to file a claim for Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD) because of the things I saw and did while
in Vietnam.
I am also interested in any other benefits I might qualify
for. Can you help me?
Things to ask/look for
Diabetes claim:
Service in Republic of Vietnam (RVN)? DD214?
Was the veteran on ground in Vietnam?
Does the veteran have a diagnosis of Type II DM?
Recent treatment/records? With who?
PTSD claim:
Diagnosis?
Stressor Statement with specifics?
Treatment? When? Where?
Any combat medals such as Combat Infantry Badge or Combat
Action Ribbon or Badge?
Other benefits?
Pension? war time veteran? Income?
How would this be different if this were a Navy vet that served
shipboard off the coast of Vietnam?
Scenario #2
My mother recently passed away.
She was a nurse in Vietnam.
Does she qualify for burial
benefits?
Where can she be buried?
Will the VA pay for her burial?
Things to ask/look for
Honorable Discharge?
Was she in receipt of compensation or pension?
Did she pass away from a service connected condition?
Did she pass away in a VA facility or enroute for a scheduled VA appt?
Have her funeral and burial expenses already been paid for? By whom?
Other Benefits?
Was she married at the time of her passing? DIC for widower? Death
Pension for widower? Home Loan Guaranty for widower? DEA?
What if she wanted to be buried in Arlington Natl Cemetery?
What if she lived in MT but wanted to be buried in a Natl Cemetery in AZ?
What if she was cremated?
Scenario #3
\
I am a service connected Korean War Veteran. I would like to apply for
Individual Unemployability because I can no longer work.
I have been looking for jobs but have been unable to find anything
full time that I can do. I have accepted a small part time position as an
auto parts delivery person, but I only work 3 days a week at the most.
Do I qualify?
Things to ask/look for
What percentage is the vet service Is the reason he cant work due to
connected? Does the 60% or
a service connected disability?
70% with a 40% apply here?
* Note: We will look at an
increase to the service connected
conditions he claims keep him
from working.
How much income does he make
What would you do if vet didn’t
meet the schedular requirements? w/ his part time job?
What if he earned too much
money at his part time job? What
would you tell him?
Scenario #4
My spouse passed away last year from
complications related to Diabetes. He/she was in
the Army and was receiving service connected
benefits before he/she died. Do I qualify for any
benefits as his/her spouse?
Things to ask/look for
How old are you? Have you remarried?
What was the veteran service connected for? Is this a service connected
death?
If the vet was not service connected for Type II Diabetes Mellitus but
served on ground in Vietnam, can it be a service connected death?
If VA cannot grant service connected death, does she qualify for Death
Pension?
Ask; Did the vet serve during a period of war? Income/medical
expenses/last illness expenses?
Other benefits:
Burial benefits? Presidential Memorial Certificate?
If VA grants a service connected death and awards DIC:
ChampVA, DEA, Commissary privileges, Home Loan Guaranty, Federal
Employment preference.
Questions?
Contact Information
Jessica Cameron
Minority Outreach Coordinator
Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
PO Box 188
Ft. Harrison, MT 59636
406-495-2053
Jessica.Cameron2@va.gov
Medical Eligibility or other Hospital/Healthcare questions,
please contact:
Ft. Harrison VA Medical Center
406-442-6410
and ask for the Patient Business Office
On behalf of the Department of
Veterans Affairs, I would like to
thank you for allowing me to
speak with you today.