Compensation and Pension Benefits
A
- Agent Orange
- Agent Orange was a defoliant used during the
Vietnam War. Some known effects are listed in 38 CFR §3.309(e).
For more detailed information and
new changes see:
Agent Orange Home Page See also
Spina Bifida below.
- AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome)
- AIDS can qualify as a service connected
disability. Improved Pension may also be paid if AIDS is the disability
preventing the veteran from working.
For more information see the Veterans
Health Administration web site on
Public Health Strategic Healthcare Group
- Aid & Attendance
Allowance
- An additional benefit paid to veterans, their
spouses, surviving spouses and parents. This allowance is paid in all
Compensation, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and Pension Programs. It is paid based on the need of aid and
attendance by another person or by specific disability. Special Monthly
Compensation (L) can at times be designated an aid & attendance
benefit.
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR
§§3.350
(Special Monthly Compensation),
3.351
(Special monthly Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), death compensation, pension and spouse's compensation
ratings),
3.552
(Determining need for aid & attendance, housebound). See also
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) below. Rates, see
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC),
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) - Surviving Spouse or
Parents, Improved Pension -
Disability or Death.
- Appeals
- If you do not like a VA decision, most can be
appealed. Start by contacting
your nearest
office.
Appeals are first made to the office that
made the decision. A hearing officer or decision review officer usually handles
these cases. If the case is still in dispute it is then sent to the Board of
Veterans Appeals (BVA). If it
is not resolved there, it can be appealed outside the Department of Veterans
Affairs to the Court of Appeals for Veteran Claims
(CAVC).
VA does not handle CAVC appeals.
You must contact CAVC
within 120 days from your BVA decision.
- Application
- OnLine Application's are
available for Compensation, Pension and Vocational Rehabilitation &
Employment benefits. Your application may need supporting evidence and/or
documents. (If any of the evidence is not immediately available, send in the
application anyway. The date VA receives your application is important to you,
if VA grants your claim. VA benefits payments usually will begin from that date
regardless of when the claim is approved.)
See also
Forms or contact
your nearest
office.
- Automobile Allowance & Adaptive
Equipment
- One automobile allowance is payable to
certain very disabled veterans. Some reimbursement is possible for adaptive
equipment. Check with your
nearest office before making any purchases.
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR §3.808
- Rates, see Special Benefit Allowances Rate Table
B
- Birth Defects
- There is a monetary allowance under 38 U.S.C. chapter 18 for an individual with
disability from covered birth defects whose biological mother is or
was a Vietnam veteran.
-
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR
§3.815 and
TITLE 38, PART II, CHAPTER 18, SUBCHAPTER II, ยง1812
- Burial
- The Burial Benefit Program covers, burial,
plot, internment, cremation, flags, representation at a funeral, transportation
and headstone. Specific criteria govern each category.
See the National Cemetery Administration's
site. See also our Fact Sheets
for more information.
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR
§§3.1600
(Table of Contents & Burial),
3.1601
(Claims & Evidence),
3.1602
(Special Conditions),
3.1603
(Unclaimed),
3.1604
(Non VA),
3.1605
(VHA), 3.1606
(Transportation),
3.1607
(Flags),
3.1608
(Nonallowable),
3.1610
(Nat'l Cem),
3.1611
(Representation) &
3.1612
(Marker). Rates, see Burial, Headstone &
Plot Rate Table
C
- Cemetery
- See the National Cemetery Administration's site or
Burial above.
- CHAMPVA
- A health insurance is available from the
Veterans Health Administration. See their
CHAMPVA website for
more information.
- Children
- Children of veterans receive benefits based
on two eligibility factors: (1) whether the benefit program allows for payment
for or to children and (2) whether the veteran's relationship to the child can
be proven.
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR
§§3.57
(Child), 3.58
(Child Adopted out of Family),
3.204
(Evidence Requirements),
3.210
(Relationship). See the specific Benefit Programs for more information:
Compensation, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Pension, and Spina Bifida and
Children of Vietnam Veterans. Rates,
see the Compensation,
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC),
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Improved Disability or Death Pension, and
Spina Bifida Rate Tables.
- Clothing Allowance
- Prosthetic appliances and medications have an
effect on clothing. If qualified, a veteran can receive a one time or yearly
allowance for reimbursement.
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR §3.810. Rates
see Special Benefit Allowances Rate
Table.
- Compensation
- This benefit program evaluates disability
resulting from all types of diseases and injuries encountered as a result of
military service. The degrees of disability that are determined by VA
represent, as far as can practicably be determined, the average loss in wages
resulting from such diseases and injuries and their complications in civil
occupations. Generally, the degrees of disability specified are also designed
to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbations or
illnesses.
See the
Fact Sheets for more
information. Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR §3.4.
- Congressional Medal of Honor
- See: Medal of Honor
D
- DD Form 214
- See Military Discharge
below.
- Dependency and Indemnity
Compensation (DIC)
- This benefit program pays a monthly payment
to a surviving spouse, child, or parent of a veteran because of a
service-connected death of a veteran.
See the
Fact Sheets for more
information. Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR §§3.5,
3.22
(Benefits at Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rates in certain cases when death is not service
connected). Restoration of
Entitlement
- Diabetes Mellitus (Type II)
- As a presumptive condition for in-country
Vietnam veterans see: Agent Orange Home
Pagefor more detailed information.
- Disability Compensation
- See Compensation
above.
- Disability Examinations Worksheets
- See Examinations
below.
- Disability Severance Pay
- By law, payment of VA compensation and
military disability severance pay for the same medical condition or disability
is prohibited. VA compensation will be withheld on a monthly basis until the
total amount of military severance pay has been recovered.
See Concurrent Benefit and Elections, 38
CFR §3.700.
- Drill Pay
- See Selected Reserve and
National Guard.
E
- Education
- VA has many educational assistance
programs.
See the
Fact Sheets for more
information. Or visit theGI Bill web
site.
- Examinations
- Physical examinations, when made by the VA,
are done under criteria worked out by both the Veterans Health Administration
and Veterans Benefits Administration.
See Disability
Examination Worksheets (55 disability examination worksheets).
F
- Filipino Veterans
- New Philippine Scouts or Commonwealth Army
(USAFFE) and Recognized Guerillas
See the
Fact Sheets for more
information.
- Flag
- A United States Flag is available at the
death of a veteran.
See the
Fact Sheets for more
information.
- Foreign Services Program
- See the Foreign Services Homepage
- Former Prisoner of War
(POW)
- Former POWs often underwent experiences that
severely affected their lives. VA works with this group of veterans to ensure
that their needs are met.
Former POW &
their Survivors Home Page See the
Fact Sheets for more
information. Also see 38 CFR §§3.307
(Presumptive service connection for prisoner-of-war related diseases) and
3.309(c)
(Disease subject to presumptive service connection)
- Forms
- VA forms have been organized for your use.
Some are available via the web.
An
application for benefits is
now on-line. See also Forms or contact
your nearest
office.
G
- Gulf War
- The "Gulf War" began on August 2, 1990. Since
an end of the conflict has not been declared by Congress, everyone who has been
on active duty since it began may qualify as wartime veterans, regardless of
duty assignment, when seeking VA benefits.
See
Gulf War Veterans'
Health. Also see GulfLink,
Defense Technology Information Center. For undiagnosed illness, see 38 CFR
§3.317.
H
- Headstone
- See the National Cemetery Administration's site or
Burial above.
- Health Care
- For health care and health care issues see
the Veterans Health
Administration's website.
Also see our
Fact Sheets for more
information.
- Health Care Programs for Elderly
Veterans
- The Veterans Health Administration offers
many health care programs for elderly veterans. See the
VHA web site on this
issue.
- Health Insurance
- See CHAMPVA above.
- Home Loan
- For home loan information see the
Loan Guaranty Service's website.
Also see our
Fact Sheets for more
information.
- Homeless
- Veterans can be homeless too. We have special
programs to help.
See the
Fact Sheets for more
information. Also see VA
Homeless Program and 3-9-00 Testimony before the
Committee on Veterans Affairs
- Housebound
- An additional benefit paid to veterans, their
surviving spouses and parents. This allowance is paid in all Compensation, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
and Pension Programs. It is paid based on specific disabilities and conditions.
It is a lesser additional benefit than Aid &
Attendance. Special Monthly Compensation (S) can at times be designated a
housebound benefit.
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR
§§3.351
(Special monthly Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), death compensation, pension and spouse's compensation
ratings),
3.352
(Determining need for aid & attendance, housebound). Rates, see
Special Monthly Compensation (SMC),
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) - Surviving Spouse or
Parents, Improved Pension -
Disability or Death.
I |
J | K | L
- Insurance
- For insurance information see the
Insurance Service's website.
See
also RH Insurance on the Fact Sheet
page. See also CHAMPVA above.
M
- Medal of Honor
- The Medal of Honor award is paid by
Compensation & Pension Service.
Eligibility Criteria, see 38 CFR §
3.802. Rates
see Special Benefit Allowances Rate
Table. U.S. Army Center of Military History
Medal of Honor CitationsWhen clicking the link below, you are now leaving the Department of Veterans Affairs Website
VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked website. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society
- Medals
- See:
Military
Awards and Decorations
- Medical Records (Other than Service
Medical Records)
- Those applicants who have medical records to
substantiate any and all treatment by private doctors and hospitals are
encouraged to submit them with their application to expedite processing.
- Merchant Marine
- Members of the Merchant Marine are considered
veterans.
Eligibility Criteria, see 38 CFR §
3.7. See:
Benefits for Merchant Marines
Website for U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Maritime
Service, Army Transport Service, Military Sea Transport Service, and Military
Sealift Command.
- Military Discharge/DD
Form 214 - (Copy 4 - Member Copy)
- Those applicants who have a copy of their
DD-214 are encouraged to provide a copy with their claim to expedite
processing. Otherwise, VA will attempt to obtain verification from the service
department.
Copies of missing DD Forms 214 may be
obtained from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO through
the NARA web site.
- Evidence requirements, see 38 CFR §3.203.
- Military Retired Pay
- By law, the payment of VA compensation
benefits is affected by the receipt of military retired pay. If you receive
military retirement, you may initiate a waiver of your retired pay to receive
the full amount of VA compensation. Until the waiver takes effect, your
compensation will be adjusted or withheld depending on the amount of military
retired pay you are entitled to. The advantage of waiving military retired pay
for VA compensation is that while VA benefits are reportable for Federal tax
purposes, they are not taxable. Check with the
IRS web site for more tax
information.
See Retirement Pay, 38 CFR §3.750.
- Military Services
- See our Military Services page for more
information.
N
- National Guard-Reservist Benefits
- See Fact Sheet
O
- Outreach
- See our Military Services page for more
information.
See also the Veterans Health Administration's
website.
P
- Parent
- Parents who are dependent on a veteran with a
service-connected disability, or whose child died in-service or from a
service-connected disability, may be entitled as dependents on the veterans
compensation award or to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) if they are in financial need. Parents may be
biological, step, adopted, or in loco parentis.
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR
§§3.5
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), 3.59
(Parent), or
3.209
(Birth). Rates, see Compensation and
Parents Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Rate Tables.
- Pension
- Pension is available to veterans, surviving
spouses and children, if the veteran has qualifying service and there is
financial need. Veterans must also have a qualifying disability which need not
be service-connected.
Three pension programs are currently
being paid. Only one program is still accepting applications - Improved
Disability or Death Pension. Old Law and Section 306 Disability or
Death Pensions recipients are protected at the rate they were receiving
when their program was superceded by Improved Pension on January 1, 1979.
See Fact Sheets for more information.
- Eligibility criteria for Improved Pension,
see 38 CFR §§3.3
Pension, 3.23
Improved Pension Rates,
3.342
Permanent and total disability ratings for pension purposes.
Rate Tables,
see Improved Disability or
Death Pension, Protected Pensions.
- Philippines, Veterans from the
- See Filipino Veterans
- Plot
- See the National Cemetery Administration's site or
Burial above.
- Preference for Employment in the Federal
Government
- See
Veterans' Preference
Advisor web site.
- Prisoner of War (POW)
- See: Former Prisoner of War
(POW)
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- PTSD can be a service connected disability.
PTSD also qualifies as a disability for entitlement to Improved Pension. For
health care information see the Veterans Health Administration website on
PTSD.
Q
- Qualifying Service
- Service is considered qualifying when it
meets the requirements set down for each benefit. (See the eligibility criteria
in Burial, Compensation,
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Pension, or Spina
Bifida.) Service may have length, character of discharge, wartime or other
requirements.
Eligibility requirements, as above and
see also 38 §§CFR
3.1
(Definitions),
3.2
(Periods of War),
3.6
(Duty Periods),
3.7
(Individuals and groups considered to have performed active military,naval,
or air service),
3.12
(Character of Discharge),
3.12a
(Minimum active-duty service requirement),
3.13
(Discharge to change status),
3.14
(Validity of enlistments), and
3.15
(Computation of Service).
R
- Regulations
- Our Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) are
written based on the United States Code (U.S.C.). The Department of Veterans
Affairs is governed by Title 38 in both Codes. Title 38 U.S.C. is precedential,
superceding any Title 38 CFR section should either appear to contradict the
other. Title 38 CFR can be searched at our
WARMS1 website or through
the GPO2
website. Title 38
U.S.C. has its own website.
Footnotes: 1Web
Automated Reference Materials System; 2Government Printing
Office
- Reservist-National Guard Benefits
- See Fact Sheet
- Restoration of Entitlement
- Restoration of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Entitlement
- Retired Serviceperson's
Family Protection Plan (RSFPP)(10 U.S.C. §1431)
- Payments received under this plan do not bar
concurrent payment of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), death compensation or pension and are excluded as
income in such cases (38 CFR
§3.261
(a)(14)). Contact the respective military payment center.
- (RSFPP) Retired Serviceperson's Family
Protection Plan
- See Retired Serviceperson's
Family Protection Plan (RSFPP)
S
- SBP (Survivor Benefit Plan)
- See Survivor Benefit Program
(SBP)
- SBP-MIW (Survivor Benefit Plan - Minimum
Income Annuity)
- See Survivor Benefit Program
(SBP)
- Selected Reserve and
National Guard
- By law, if you are an active member of the
Selected Reserve or National Guard, your VA compensation will be withheld at
the rate of one day of pay for each drill period served. Also, VA compensation
is not payable while serving full-time on active duty.
See Concurrent Benefit and Elections, 38
CFR §3.700.
- Service Connection
- Service connection for a disability or death
is established through many ways. The four most common are:
- Disability or death was incurred in military service. 38 CFR
§§3.303,
3.304
- Aggravation of a before service disability during service. 38 CFR
§3.306
- Presumption that the disease or disability was incurred in
military service. 38 CFR §§3.307,
3.308,
3.309
- Because of a service-connected disability, a secondary condition
has occurred. 38 CFR §3.310
- Service connection of a disease or disability
is necessary before disability compensation can be paid.
- Service Medical Records
- Those applicants who have their service
medical records are encouraged to submit them with their application to
expedite processing. Otherwise, VA will contact the service department to
obtain them.
- Sexual Trauma
- See Women's Issues below.
This information is stored under "women", but it applies to both sexes.
Also
see Compensation Benefits for Sexual Trauma
Fact Sheet
- Social Security Administration
- Social Security Administration (SSA) and VA
often serve the same people at the same time. To prevent mispayment
(under payment as well as overpayment), the VA works closely with
SSA.
We also share medical information but only with the
person's permission. SSA benefits (retirement or disability) are counted as
income for VA purposes (IVAP). But SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits
are not. It is mandatory that anyone placing a claim with VA provides their
Social Security number (if they have one) (38 CFR §3.216).
Links to Social Security Administrations
web sites are listed below:
- Social Security Number - Mandatory
Disclosure
- See 38 CFR §3.216
and 38 U.S.C. §5101.
- Specially Adapted Housing/Special Home
Adaptions
- A veteran may be entitled to a Specially
Adapted Housing or Special Home Adaptions based on a service-connected
disability.
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR
§§3.809
Specially Adapted Housing,
3.809a
(Special Home Adaptions). See also the Loan Guaranty Service's website.
- Special Compensation for Severely Disabled
Uniformed Services Retirees
- Special compensation for severely disabled
uniformed services retirees is authorized by Section 658, PL 106-65. This
benefit will be administered by the Department of Defense (DoD).
This benefit is not paid by VA.
More information, see Compensation &
Pension Service's Fast Letter 99-124.
- Special Monthly
Compensation (SMC)
- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is a rate
paid in addition to (i.e., SMC (K)) or in place of 0% to 100% combined degree
compensation. To qualify, a veteran must be disabled beyond a combined degree
percentage or due to special circumstances (i.e., aid and attendance, loss of
use of one hand, etc.). SMCs are referred to by the letters (K) through (R.2).
These alphabetic designations follow the paragraph numbering system in
38
U.S.C. §1114 (also see references to that in 38 CFR §3.350
below).
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR §3.350
(Special Monthly Compensation) Rates, see Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)
- Special Monthly Pension (SMP)
- Special Monthly Pension (SMP) is either the
aid and attendance or housebound
allowance.
Rates, see Improved
Disability or Death Pension.
- Special Separation Benefit (SSB)
- VA compensation will be withheld in full
until the amount of the SSB has been recovered.
See Concurrent Benefit and Elections, 38
CFR §3.700
- Spina Bifida
- The Veterans Benefits Act of 1997
granted benefits for children of Vietnam veterans who were suffering from spina
bifida (38 U.S.C. §1805).
Eligibility criteria, see 38 CFR §3.814. See
also the Veterans Health Administration web site for
Spina Bifida and our
new Agent
Orange Home Page.
- Spouse/Surviving Spouse
- The veteran or parent may receive benefits
for a dependent spouse. The surviving spouse of a veteran may be entitled to
benefits.
Eligibility criteria for Spouse, see 38
CFR §§3.1(j)
(Marriage),
3.50
(Spouse and surviving spouse),
3.204
(Evidence of dependents and age),
3.205
(Marriage),
3.206
(Divorce),
3.207
(Void or annulled marriage),
3.211
(Death), and
3.213
(Change of status affecting entitlement) Eligibility criteria for Surviving
Spouse, see all of the above and 38 CFR §§3.52
(Marriages deemed valid),
3.53
(Continous cohabitation),
3.54
(Marriage dates),
3.55
(Terminated marital relationships),
3.60
(Definition of "living with"),
3.214
(Court Decisions; unremarried widows), and
3.215
(Termination of marital relationship or conduct). See the specific Benefit
Programs for more information: Compensation,
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and Pension. See also
Survivors and Eligible
Dependents VA Benefits Rates, see the Compensation, Special Monthly Compensation (SMC),
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and Improved Disability or Death Pension Rate Tables. Restoration of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Entitlement
- Survivor and Eligible
Dependents VA Benefits
- Please see
Survivors and Eligible
Dependents VA Benefits
- Survivor Benefit Plan
(SBP)
- Since September 21, 1972, the Survivor
Benefit Plan has been available for retired service personnel and commissioned
officers of the Public Health Service. Eligible persons designate all or a part
of retired pay as a basis for survivor's annuity. Eligible surviving spouses of
military retirees who did not participate in the plan and who died prior to
September 21, 1973 are eligible for SBP-MIW (Survivor Benefit Plan - Minimum
Income Annuity). To be eligible the surviving spouse must not be remarried,
must be eligible for VA death pension, and must have income for VA purposes,
excluding any SBP annuity, of less than the MIW-SBP annuity limitation.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): SBP survivor's annuity to a
surviving spouse is subject to reduction or discontinuance if the spouse
becomes eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Concurrent payment of SBP and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) to children or
parents is not prohibited. Contact the respective military payment center.
Pension: Any payments under MIW-SBP is
income for VA purposes. See 38 CFR
§3.261
(a)(14) and
§3.271.
T |
U
- Transition Assistance Program
- See Seamless Transition.
- Transportation
- See the National Cemetery Administration's site or
Burial above.
V
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- When a veteran is found to be disabled we
offer vocational rehabilitation as one of the additional benefits.
See the
Vocational Rehabilitation
& Employment Service's website for more information.
- Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI)
- Your annual VSI payment will be reduced by
an amount equal to the amount of VA compensation paid for the same period.
See Concurrent Benefit and Elections, 38
CFR §3.700.
W |
XYZ
- Wartime
- See Qualifying Service
above.
- Women's Issues
- See our Women Veterans Issues Homepage
- See VA's web site
Programs & Initiatives for
Women Veterans
Return to Top
To inquire concerning the status of your compensation,
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), pension, burial, clothing allowance, automobile, specially
adapted housing, or spina bifida claim or to ask any general Compensation &
Pension (C&P) benefit question, you may call our toll-free number:
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Reviewed/Updated Date: August 20, 2008 |
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