The Law Office of Amrit Sidhu

There are many veterans' benefits to which you, your dependents, or surviving family members may be entitled.  

Benefits that can help with the high cost of living include health care and prescription drugs, adapted housing grants, death pensions for survivors, in-home care & assisted living, and nursing home care.

Other VA benefits can help you improve the quality of your family's life.  These include VA-guaranteed home loans, and education benefits for veterans and dependents.

What all these benefits have in common is that they are earned through military service.  These benefits are NOT handouts or welfare.

Service-Connected Compensation

Disability compensation is a benefit paid to a veteran because of injuries or diseases that happened while on active duty, or were made worse by active military service. It is also paid to certain veterans disabled from VA health care. The benefits are tax-free.

You may be eligible for disability compensation if you have a service-related disability and you were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions.

Important facts about Service-Connected Compensation---

• A service-connected disability does NOT have to be related to a 'combat' would.  Any injury suffered or aggravated while you were in uniform can be considered—possibly even injuries incurred while traveling to or from National Guard duty.
  

• Compensation payments are not affected by your ability to work (even full time), by your receiving other income, by your owning a home or other assets, or by your 'net worth'. 
  

• Your claim does not necessarily die when you do.  Benefits may also be available, at a reduced level, to surviving spouses.
  

• You don't have to be too disabled to work.  Monthly payments are based on the degree of disability, which can range from 10 percent (for tinnitus, for example) to 100 percent.

• Disability can caused be a physical impairment, a mental impairment, or a combination of physical and mental impairments.

Wartime Pensions

Pension is a benefit paid to certain wartime veterans who have limited or no income, and who are age 65 or older, (or, if under 65, who are permanently and totally disabled.)

If your net annual income is below $11,830 for a single vet (or $15,493 with dependents), the VA may provide pension payments to bring your income up to the minimum level.  Veterans who are more seriously disabled may qualify for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits (in addition to the basic pension rate.

You may be eligible if:

• you were discharged from service under conditions other than dishonorable

AND


• you served at least 90 days of active military service 1 day of which was during a war time period.   ( If you entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally you must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty ... but there are exceptions to this rule.)
  AND
  
  
• your countable family income is below a yearly limit set by law.
  AND
  
  
• you are age 65 or older, OR, you are permanently and totally disabled.

If you aren't sure you meet all these criteria, you should go ahead and file an application ... and especially if your countable income is close to the maximum allowable.  Even if you aren't currently eligible, you may reapply if you have changes in income or deductible expenses.

Important facts about Wartime (Non-Service Connected) Pensions---

• Although pensions were designed to mainly help low-income veterans, many vets are surprised about how much you can deduct from income to meet the qualifying threshold -- including costs of assistance with activities of daily living, nursing home care, and Medicare premiums.

• Pensions are not just for veterans who served in war zone or overseas.  Usually, all it takes is to have served honorably for a single day during a period of wartime.  (For a list of wartime periods, visit U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Periods of War page).
  

• You cannot receive a VA non-service connected pension and service-connected compensation at the same time.  However, if you are eligible for both, the VA will automatically pay you whichever benefit provides the greater amount.