Veterans with Disabilities
Disability Compensation
Disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides a monthly cash benefit to veterans who have incurred an injury or disease contracted in, or aggravated by, active military service. The veteran must have been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable from the period of service in which the injury was incurred. The amount of the compensation is determined by the level of disability. Additional amounts may be given in certain instances, such as for very severe disabilities or loss of limb(s), when the veteran has a spouse, child or dependent parent, or when the veteran has a spouse with a severe disability. For more information, see VA Disability Compensation.
Additional Programs
The following are additional programs that provide compensation or other financial assistance.
Clothing Allowance: Provides compensation for an annual clothing allowance for veterans who are entitled to receive compensation for a service-connected disability and who use prosthetic or orthopedic devices. The allowance also is available to any veteran whose service-connected skin condition requires prescribed medication that irreparably damages the veteran's outer garments. For more information, contact your nearest VA Regional Office. See also the application form: Application for Annual Clothing Allowance (PDF file)
Direct deposit: The VA urges veterans and family members who receive VA payments as paper checks to sign up for direct deposit. Direct deposit helps prevent theft of checks from mail boxes, delays in receiving checks through the postal system and eliminates having to go to the bank to deposit the check. To enroll, call the VA at 800-333-1795, enroll online at www.GoDirect.org, contact a VA regional benefits office or contact your financial institution.
National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008: The National Guard and Reservists Debt Relief Act of 2008 was signed into law on October 20, 2008. The Act helps members of the National Guard or Reserves who encounter financial problems while on active duty in the military service or performing a homeland defense activity by making debt relief under Chapter 7 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code more readily available. The Act's protection extends during the period of active duty and for 540 days after release from active duty, and the active duty must have occurred after September 11, 2001.
Service Disabled Veterans' Insurance (S-DVI): Provides life insurance for veterans who have received a service-connected disability rating from the VA. The basic S-DVI program insures eligible veterans for up to $10,000 of coverage. Veterans who have basic S-DVI coverage and are totally disabled before age 65 are eligible to have their premiums waived. If a premium waiver is granted, a totally disabled veteran may apply for additional coverage up to $20,000 under the Supplemental S-DVI program. Premiums for Supplemental S-DVI coverage, however, cannot be waived. The cost varies depending upon age, type of plan, and the amount of coverage. For more information: Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance
Special Extra Earnings for Military Service (Social Security Administration): Under certain circumstances, special extra earnings for your military service from 1957 through 2001 can be credited to your record for Social Security purposes. These extra earnings credits may help you qualify for Social Security or increase the amount of your Social Security benefit. Special extra earnings credits are granted for periods of active duty or active duty for training. Special extra earnings credits are not granted for inactive duty training. For more information: Special Extra Earnings for Military Service
Some links in this section are to documents created in Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF). To view and print PDF documents, you need to have Adobe® Reader®, a free software program, installed on your computer. Download Adobe® Reader®
This page contains links to other resources that may be of assistance to people with disabilities. OLRS does not guarantee that the information provided within the destination link is accurate or right for the particular needs of the person. Once you follow a link away from the OLRS Web site, refer to that site's privacy policy and disclaimer statements.
Related Topics:
