Answers to Your Biggest VA Benefits Questions

Many American veterans are unaware of the fact that they might be eligible to receive benefits. Some veterans feel that they do not have any reason to receive benefits and others upon being discharged would rather leave that life behind. Plus, the laborious, seemingly endless application process can seem too daunting even to give it a try. If you are a veteran and you have a disability or injury this is something you should look into, you have earned these benefits.
Q: How do you know if you could be receiving benefits? Who, exactly, is qualified to receive them?
A: There are three key factors in determining if you might be eligible to obtain VA service connected disability benefits. The first is that you must have done service with either the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force, or the US Coast Guard. Secondly, you must currently suffer from a disability which began during your years of service, or began before hand and was worsened by doing service. There is a wide range of these sorts of disabilities, to some types of cancer, to breathing problems, to other disabilities that originated from or were affected by your service. Lastly, you need to show evidence that your current disability is connected to your military service.
A good illustration of this kind of injury is if you injured your knee while hiking with your some friends while on leave from active duty. Because of the injury you now need a knee replacement or surgery, even if its years later. This can be service connected because while you were in the service you had an accident, incident, or illness. And in addition to the surgery, the incident has caused other problems that you need taken care of.
Q: Why should I obtain VA service connected disability benefits, how will it help me?
A: If you are successful in being service connected for your disability you could receive a monthly benefit and you become eligible for medical care at your local VA facility. The benefit amount you will receive each month will be dependent on what percentage of your current disability is determined to be service connected.
Q: If I am eligible for service connected benefits, and have 10% hearing loss and 30% PTSD, why are my disabilities considered only 30% connected to my military service?
A: Veteran Affairs uses a rating schedule that uses the severity of your disability to tell them what percentage service connected disability to award you. They also use a rating chart to total your percentage of service connection, they do not use mathematical terms. These service connection percentages can be tricky to understand and if you feel that you should be receiving more benefits or a higher percentage then you should look into your disability and the severity or contact a professional that could assist you.
Q: My cousin has obtained a 65% service connection for the exact same disability I have. Why?
A: This happens because Veteran Affairs determines all service connection percentages individually, based on the severity of a veterans disability. Again, there is a rating schedule that determines the amount of benefit and the percentage of service connection that each person receives.
Q: Can I still work and receive VA service connected disability benefits?
A: You can. VA service connected disability benefits are not like Social Security Disability benefits in this respect. If you are granted service connection for a disability that is not keeping you from working then you can still work and receive benefits. The VA does not reduce your VA service connected disability benefits just because you are working and receiving an earned income.
Q: Can I receive Social Security Disability benefits and VA service connected disability benefits? A: You can. Social Security Disability does look at earned income but VA service connected disability benefits are not earned income so these benefits do not interfere with one another.
Q: My spouse, who was in the service and getting benefits from the VA for a service connected disability, has passed away. Can I receive their benefits?
A: There are benefits for surviving spouses and dependent children. However, every case is different, and you need to be sure to speak to a professional before moving forward.
Q: How do I file a claim?
A: Veteran Affairs has laws to follow called "Veteran Friendly Laws." It is the responsibility of Veteran Affairs to help you apply and file a disability claim, as well as take you through the benefits application process. There are many independent organizations to help, and every U.S. state has a Regional Office where you will receive assistance free of charge. To locate your local Veteran Affairs Regional Office and any local Veteran Service Organizations, visit the Veteran Affairs website at www.va.gov.
Q: Can I hire an attorney?
A: The VA does have laws that tell attorneys when they can represent a client for a fee and when they can not. Some attorneys will represent you on a Pro Bono basis, meaning they wont charge you, and others will have you sign a Contract with a fee stipulation. If you are considering contracting a lawyer to help with your claim, it is important to contact one locally for more information about your particular case.
Q: I already get benefits for a service connected ability. Is there any other benefit I can receive?
A: The answer to this question will depend on your situation. If you have a service connected disability and it has gotten worse, you can request for an increase in your rating which would result in higher benefits if a higher rating is granted. Veteran Affairs also provides expanded benefits to those veterans who cannot work due to their service connected disability. If this is your situation, there is a second application that you need to fill out in order to apply. If you feel you are unemployable and should be receiving higher benefits you should contact a VSO or an Attorney to answer your questions and possibly assist you in obtaining these benefits. The VA also has benefits for those individuals that are unable to care for themselves on a regular basis or those that are unable to leave their home most of the time. This type of extra benefit is called homebound compensation. If you need assistance in caring for yourself but are having trouble paying for the care you should look into this option.
Every veterans case is different and obtaining the benefits set aside for you by the VA can be quite confusing to some people. The VAs website has a lot of information on what kind of benefits there are beyond disability benefits and what you can do to receive these benefits. If you are a veteran and you were injured in any way or your disabilities that you had before going into the service were aggravated in any way please look into your options. After all, you served your country in the past, and may very well be entitled to receive benefits for it today.