Veteran’s Benefits Frequently Asked Questions

Veterans who have disabilities, medical conditions, or injuries incurred or aggravated during active military service may be eligible to receive tax-free monthly disability benefits.  The amount of the benefits will depend on factors such as the number of dependents the veteran has and the disability rating assigned to the veteran (on a scale of 0 to 100).

To be eligible for disability benefits, you must show:

• You have a current physical or mental disability.
• You had an injury or disease in service or experienced an event in service that caused or aggravated an injury or disease.
• There is a link between your current disability and the event, injury, or disease in military service.

The DIC program provides monthly benefits to surviving spouses and dependent children of a veteran who was killed in the line of duty or died as a result of a service-connected disability.

Disability benefits questionnaires (DBQs) are downloadable forms created for Veterans’ use in the evaluation process for disability benefits. DBQs will help speed the processing of Veterans’ disability compensation and pension claims.

The pension program for veterans is a needs-based benefit for wartime Veterans with limited or no income who are age 65 or older or who have a permanent and total non-service-connected disability. The disability does not have to be service-connected but it cannot be the result of your willful misconduct.

The Veteran’s Aid & Attendance program is intended to provide additional monetary assistance, above and beyond that provided by other VA programs such as the VA pension program. The additional assistance is intended to help cover the cost of someone to help you with daily tasks of living, such as dressing, bathing, or cooking.

Veterans and their families enjoy some of the best health care assistance available. To be eligible for health care benefits you must:

• Have served in the active military, naval, or air service and separated under any conditions other than dishonorable.
• If you enlisted after Sept. 7, 1980, or entered active duty after Oct. 16, 1981, you most likely will be required to have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which you were called to active duty. This includes current and former members of the Reserve or National Guard called to active duty by a federal order.

The type of benefits a veteran receives will depend on when he/she entered the service and various other factors; however, the following are among the educational programs offered to veterans:

• Post-9/11 GI Bill®
• Yellow Ribbon Program to help pay tuition costs for private, out-of-state, or graduate school.
• Montgomery GI Bill®
• Reserve Educational Assistance Program
• Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance

Veterans and/or spouses may qualify for a low interest mortgage loan through one of the following programs:

• VA Purchase Loans
• Cash-Out Refinance Loans
• Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans

You can appeal a denial of most veteran benefits. The first step is to file a “Notice of Disagreement” form. Because the appeal process can be difficult to navigate, it is best to consult with an experienced veteran’s benefits attorney as soon as you receive your denial of benefits letter.

As you may well imagine, applying for veteran’s benefits requires you to fill out the appropriate form and submit the appropriate documentation. The best place to start is on the “Applying for Benefits” page on the Veterans Benefits Administration website.