Can I get disability compensation from VA?
You may be able to get disability compensation if you have a current illness or injury (known as a condition) that affects your body or mind and you meet at least one of the requirements listed below.

Both must be true. You:
◾Served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, and
◾Have a disability rating for your service-connected condition

At least one of these must be true. You:
◾Got sick or injured while serving in the military—and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an in-service disability  claim), or
◾Had an illness or injury before you joined the military—and serving made it worse (called a preservice disability claim), or
◾Have a disability related to your active-duty service that didn’t appear until after you ended your service (called a post service disability claim)

Presumed disabilities
If you have a disability that’s been diagnosed by a doctor and that we consider to be related to your military service because of a specific aspect of that service, you may be able to get disability benefits based on this presumed disability. This usually applies to:
◾A chronic (long-lasting) illness that appears within one year after discharge, or
◾An illness caused by contact with contaminants (toxic chemicals) or other hazardous materials, or
◾An illness caused by your time spent as a prisoner of war (POW)

Am I eligible for Veterans Pension benefits from VA?
If you meet the VA pension eligibility requirements listed below, you may be eligible for the Veterans Pension program.

Both of these must be true:
◾Didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, and be wartime veteran.
◾Annual family income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress. Net worth includes all personal property own (except your house, your car, and most home furnishings), minus any debt you owe. Including spouse net worth.
Find out about Veterans Pension rates

At least one of these must be true about your service. You:
◾Started on active duty before September 8, 1980, and you served at least 90 days on active duty with at least 1 day during wartime, or
◾Started on active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980, and served at least 24 months or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions) with at least 1 day during wartime, or
◾Were an officer and started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and you hadn’t previously served on active duty for at least    24 months

At least one of these must be true. You:
◾Are at least 65 years old, or
◾Have a permanent and total disability, or
◾Are a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or
◾Are getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income

 

 

WARTIME PERIODS

◾Mexican Border period (May 9, 1916, to April 5, 1917, for Veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders, or in adjacent waters)
◾World War I (April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918)
◾World War II (December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946)
◾Korean conflict (June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955)
◾Vietnam War era (November 1, 1955, to May 7, 1975, for Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period. August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975, for Veterans who served outside the Republic of Vietnam.)
◾Gulf War (August 2, 1990, through a future date to be set by law or presidential proclamation)

Am I eligible for VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits as a Veteran or survivor?
VA Aid and Attendance eligibility
If you get a VA pension and you meet at least one of the requirements listed below, you may be eligible for this benefit.

At least one of these must be true. You:
◾You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing, or
◾You have to stay in bed—or spend a large portion of the day in bed—because of illness, or
◾You are a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability, or
◾Your eyesight is limited (even with glasses or contact lenses you have only 5/200 or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less)

Housebound benefits eligibility
If you get a VA pension and you spend most of your time in your home because of a permanent disability (a disability that doesn’t go away), you may be eligible for this benefit.

 

WARTIME PERIODS

◾Mexican Border period (May 9, 1916, to April 5, 1917, for Veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders, or in adjacent waters)
◾World War I (April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918)
◾World War II (December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946)
◾Korean conflict (June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955)
◾Vietnam War era (November 1, 1955, to May 7, 1975, for Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period. August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975, for Veterans who served outside the Republic of Vietnam.)
◾Gulf War (August 2, 1990, through a future date to be set by law or presidential proclamation)

Note: You cannot get Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound benefits at the same time.

Review VA Vocational Rehab and Employment (VR&E) eligibility requirements for Veterans and active-duty service members. If you have a disability that was caused—or made worse—by your active-duty service and that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, you may be able to get employment support or services to help you live as independently as possible.

If I’m a Veteran, am I eligible for Vocational Rehab and Employment?
You may be eligible for VR&E benefits and services if you’re a Veteran, and you meet all of the requirements listed below.

All of these must be true. You:
◾Didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, and
◾Have a service-connected disability rating of at least 10% from VA, and
◾ Apply for VR&E services

Basic period of eligibility:
Your basic period of eligibility ends 12 years from the date you received notice of your:
◾Date of separation from active military service, or
◾First VA service-connected disability rating

Please note: The basic period of eligibility may be extended if a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) finds that you have a serious employment handicap (SEH). Having an employment handicap means your service-connected disability limits your ability to prepare for, obtain, and maintain suitable employment (a job that doesn’t make your disability worse, is stable, and matches your abilities, aptitudes, and interests).

Eligibility for Burial in a VA National Cemetery
Servicemembers, Veterans, and family members may qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery and for other burial honors, like a headstone, marker, medallion, burial flag, and Presidential Memorial Certificate. Some family members may also qualify for money to pay for burial costs. Find out if you can get these benefits.

Who can be buried in a VA national cemetery and receive other burial benefits?
Veterans, Servicemembers, spouses, and dependents may qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery, as well as other benefits, if they meet one of the requirements listed below.

One of these must be true. The person qualifying for burial benefits is:
◾A Veteran who didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, or
◾A Servicemember who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training, or
◾The spouse or dependent child of a Veteran, even if the Veteran died first, or
◾In some cases, the adult dependent child of a Veteran (if they aren’t married)


What should I do if I received an other than honorable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge?
If you’ve received one of these discharge statuses, you may not be eligible for VA benefits.

 

Is there a time limit for filing?
You must file a claim for a non-service-connected burial allowance within 2 years after the Veteran’s burial or cremation. If a Veteran’s discharge was changed after death from dishonorable to another status, you must file for an allowance claim within 2 years after the discharge update.

There’s no time limit to file for a service-connected burial, plot, or interment allowance.

Can I get allowances to help pay for a Veteran’s burial and funeral costs?
You may be able to get burial allowances if you’re paying for the burial and funeral costs, and if any of the below relationships or professional roles describes your connection to the Veteran.

One of these must describe your relationship or role. You’re:
◾The Veteran’s surviving spouse (Note: we recognize same-sex marriages), or
◾A surviving child of the Veteran, or
◾A parent of the Veteran, or
◾The executor or administrator of the Veteran’s estate (someone who officially represents the Veteran)

To get this benefit, the Veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge, and one of the below circumstances must be true.

One of these must be true of the Veteran. They:
◾Died as a result of a service-connected disability (a disability related to service), or
◾Had been getting a VA pension or compensation when they died, or
◾Had chosen to get military retired pay instead of compensation, or
◾Died while getting VA care, either at a VA facility or at a facility contracted by VA, or
◾Died while traveling to approved VA care, or
◾Died with a reopened claim for VA compensation or a pension that would have qualified them to get benefits, or
◾Died on or after October 9, 1996, while a patient at a VA-approved state nursing home

Note: We’ll also provide an allowance for the cost of transporting a Veteran’s remains for burial in a national cemetery.

VA Preference Form

Candidates Eligible for Veterans Preference