Assistance

Service-Connected Disability Compensation

Service-Connected Disability Compensation, also known as disability compensation, is available to veterans who are disabled by an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated during active military service.

Disability compensation offers a monthly, tax-free payment to veterans who were injured while serving in the military, or who got sick due to their military service, and to veterans whose service made an existing condition worse. You may qualify for disability benefits for physical conditions, i.e., a chronic illness or injury, and mental health conditions, i.e., PTSD, that developed during or after service.

You may be eligible to receive additional compensation if you have a service-connected rating of 30 percent or higher and have dependents, if you have missing limbs or if your spouse is living with a severe disability.

Veterans Non-Service Connected Pension

The Veterans Non-Service Connected pension is a needs-based, tax-free benefits program for wartime veterans who are 65 and older OR who have a permanent and total non-service-connected disability, and who have limited income and net worth. This program is designed to assist qualified veterans with non-reimbursed medical expenses such as assisted living facility costs and/or in-home care costs.

To be eligible for this pension, veterans must have been discharged from service under other than dishonorable conditions. They also must have served 90 days of active duty with at least one day during wartime, and their countable income must be below the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR). The pension program provides monthly payments to wartime veterans based on need.

The amount of the pension benefit is based on the difference between the veteran’s countable income and the MAPR. Countable income includes earnings, disability and retirement payments, interest and dividends, and net income from farming or business. Some expenses, such as unreimbursed medical expenses, may reduce the veteran’s countable income.

Health Care

The Health Care program is offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide medical benefits to eligible veterans. With this program, you are covered for regular checkups with your primary care provider, as well as appointments with specialists, i.e., cardiologists, gynecologists and mental health providers. You also can access veteran’s health care services including home health and geriatric/elder care, and you can get medical equipment, prosthetics and prescriptions.

To be eligible for Health Care benefits, you must have served in the active military, naval or air service, and you must have been discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. You may also be eligible if you were discharged from the military due to a disability that was caused or made worse by your active duty service.