Numerous programs are operated these days to provide several financial, medical, and more facilities to veterans. This initiative is taken & operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). To be an eligible veteran for availing these facilities, veterans sometimes have to meet different financial need or time of service.
Typically, old veterans can avail three essential benefit programs. These are :
a) Pensions - VA always provide help to the veterans and their families to face the financial challenges. Basically , they provide additional income source by means of Pension programs.
VA provides two types of Pension benefit programs:
1)Veterans Pension: This benefit can be measured in monetary terms & fully exempt from tax. It is provided for the low-income Veterans who are at war.
Apart from the minimum requirements for the program, the Veteran must be:
- Age 65 or older,
OR - Affected by disability permanently or fully,
OR - Having Social Security Disability Insurance,
OR - Gaining additional Security Income
2) Survivors Pension: This benefit is only provided for war-widows, spouses, children who must be unmarried & living in low-income after the death of their family head during the war.
There is no age limit for the UN-remarried spouse to be eligible, but the child of the deceased Veteran should be:
- Under age of 18,
OR - Under age of 23 (studying in a VA-approved school)
OR - Under age of 18 & permanently not capable of supporting himself or the family because of disability.
b) Disability compensation - There is certain level of eligibility criteria that should be met while considering any VA disability benefit. A person must met these:
- was an active service holder and discharged under specific medical conditions
Specific benefits programs will have additional eligibility requirements that must be met.
Active military service will include:
- In the United States Air Force, Infantry, Coast Guard, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force or Coast Guard
- service activated by the federal government in the Air, Army, Reserve or National Guard
- All the cadets at the U.S. Military, Air Force, Coast Guard academy. The midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy.
c) Free or low-cost medical care provided by VA hospitals/medical facilities - The VA provides low-cost medical care in nursing homes. Veterans are eligible who:
- Requires nursing home care due to service-related disability
- has 70% rating in a combined disability or more
- has minimum 60% rating in disability along with :
- unemployment
- Rated permanently disabled.
Other veterans who needed of nursing care, will be served according to availability.
Types of Nursing Care
Community Centers - Some of the VA medical facilities have community Centers. These are called - Community Living Centers (Nursing Home Care Units / VA Nursing Homes). These centers are maintained either from the VA Medical Center or from a separate location.
Contract Nursing Home – Veterans can also avail some public or private nursing homes. However, it is for those veterans who has less than 70% rating in disability or in case of a service-connected disability.
State Veterans Homes - State Veterans Nursing Homes are operated by the state & approved by the VA.
Educational benefits for disable veteran's spouse & children :
Fully & permanently disabled veteran's wife & children are eligible for eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance. Spouses generally can have this facility for 10 years from the date of the disability rating issued. Apart from that, in special cases the limitation can be increased up to 20 years. This is applicable when the veteran was discharged & also rated within 3 years as permanently and totally disabled. The time frame of 20-year starts from the date when the veteran receives his rating.
Dependents' Educational Assistance program is for those children who are between 18 to 26 years of age. For special instances, educational eligibility can be available under this program before the mentioned criteria. Even after their marriage, the children of the disable veteran will be still remain eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance. Children engaging in active army services are not eligible to get such benefits while on active duty. Once they discharged (except under dishonorable conditions) such benefits are available. The period of eligibility usually ends at the child's 31st birthday.
There are several other benefit you will be getting apart from VA loan. Women members of the United States Military contains women of all ages, ranks, and levels of authority in different branch of service. As a woman , they play a equally important part in military service. So, if you are one of them, you may qualify for many benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.