Qualifying for Service-Connected and Non-service-Connected Veteran Benefits

View PDF | Print View
by: albert.tobega
Total views: 30
Word Count: 563

For those that serve their country, the Department of Veteran Affairs provides a wide range of disability benefits. But not all VA benefits are created equal-- the benefits you receive for your disability claim will vary from person to person. The Department of Veteran Affairs has 8 "priority groups" which they use to decide which types of benefits a veteran will receive; "1" is the highest and "8" (which as of 2003 is no longer assigned to new veterans) is the lowest. Your priority group depends entirely on your disability and how it first occurred (service-connected or non-service-connected), your financial situation, and your current level of disability.
Since whether or not a disability is service-connected or non-service-connected can have a great effect on the benefits you will receive, it’s important to have a good understanding of the specific requirements for each of these two types of benefits.
Non-service-Connected Benefits Requirements
Veterans who suffer from complete and permanent disability are eligible for non-service-connected benefits. Qualifiying for non-service-connected benefits can also be dependant on a few other issues:
• Income- Eligibility is based on a veteran having both a limited income and a net worth that does not provide sufficient maintenance. For more information please see 38 U.S.C.S. §§1521-22.
• Service - To be eligible for non-service-connected pensions, you must have 90 days of active duty and at least one day in a "period of war." However, for a veteran who entered military service after 1980, the service requirement is simply to have completed a full period of active duty. Specifically, a veteran who was enrolled for the fist time after (or on) Sept. 8, 1980 will need to have completed a minimum service period, which should amount to either twenty-four continuous months of active duty or the entire period that individual was called for to active duty. In addition, the active service of the eligible veteran needs to include 90 total days during a period of war or one day of service during a period of war which ended in discharge due to a service-connected disability.
• Discharge- To qualify for VA benefits, you must have been discharged from military duty under non-dishonorable circumstances.
Service-Connected Benefits Requirements
Unlike with non-service-connected benefits, veterans who receive service-connected benefits do not need to be fully disabled, have served during wartime, or meet an income or net worth requirement. Instead, you need to be able to prove the source and current status of your disability with:
• Evidence of current disability- Because benefits for a service-connected disability are awarded only to those with a current disability, an applicant for these benefits must provide recent medical records diagnosing the current state of their disability.
• Evidence of the occurrence of disability or injury- The next thing applicants for service-connected benefits must provide is proof that the disability occurred during or was aggravated by military service. Veterans should keep in mind, though, that the VA uses the term "in-service" broadly, also including injuries that occurred during leave.
• Evidence of connection between past injury and current disability- Veterans applying for service-connected disability benefits must prove that their current disability is indeed connected to the injury which occurred during military service.

About the Author

For the real stuff on hill and ponton, go to www.hillandponton.com.

---

HTML Code For Copy & Paste

The following code can be copied and pasted into your web page to ensure all links are properly maintained.

<h1>Qualifying for Service-Connected and Non-service-Connected Veteran Benefits</h1> <p> For those that serve their country, the Department of Veteran Affairs provides a wide range of disability benefits. But not all VA benefits are created equal-- the benefits you receive for your disability claim will vary from person to person. The Department of Veteran Affairs has 8 "priority groups" which they use to decide which types of benefits a veteran will receive; "1" is the highest and "8" (which as of 2003 is no longer assigned to new veterans) is the lowest. Your priority group depends entirely on your disability and how it first occurred (service-connected or non-service-connected), your financial situation, and your current level of disability. <br />Since whether or not a disability is service-connected or non-service-connected can have a great effect on the benefits you will receive, it’s important to have a good understanding of the specific requirements for each of these two types of benefits. <br />Non-service-Connected Benefits Requirements <br />Veterans who suffer from complete and permanent disability are eligible for non-service-connected benefits. Qualifiying for non-service-connected benefits can also be dependant on a few other issues: <br />• Income- Eligibility is based on a veteran having both a limited income and a net worth that does not provide sufficient maintenance. For more information please see 38 U.S.C.S. §§1521-22. <br />• Service - To be eligible for non-service-connected pensions, you must have 90 days of active duty and at least one day in a "period of war." However, for a veteran who entered military service after 1980, the service requirement is simply to have completed a full period of active duty. Specifically, a veteran who was enrolled for the fist time after (or on) Sept. 8, 1980 will need to have completed a minimum service period, which should amount to either twenty-four continuous months of active duty or the entire period that individual was called for to active duty. In addition, the active service of the eligible veteran needs to include 90 total days during a period of war or one day of service during a period of war which ended in discharge due to a service-connected disability. <br />• Discharge- To qualify for VA benefits, you must have been discharged from military duty under non-dishonorable circumstances. <br />Service-Connected Benefits Requirements <br />Unlike with non-service-connected benefits, veterans who receive service-connected benefits do not need to be fully disabled, have served during wartime, or meet an income or net worth requirement. Instead, you need to be able to prove the source and current status of your disability with: <br />• Evidence of current disability- Because benefits for a service-connected disability are awarded only to those with a current disability, an applicant for these benefits must provide recent medical records diagnosing the current state of their disability. <br />• Evidence of the occurrence of disability or injury- The next thing applicants for service-connected benefits must provide is proof that the disability occurred during or was aggravated by military service. Veterans should keep in mind, though, that the VA uses the term "in-service" broadly, also including injuries that occurred during leave. <br />• Evidence of connection between past injury and current disability- Veterans applying for service-connected disability benefits must prove that their current disability is indeed connected to the injury which occurred during military service. <h2>About the Author</h2> For the real stuff on <a href="http://www.hillandponton.com" Title="Social security attorney orlando, Social security attorney florida">hill and ponton</a>, go to www.hillandponton.com. </p>

---

Rating: Not yet rated

--Choose-- 0 1 2 3 4 5

Comments

No comments posted.

Add Comment

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.