Links:
VA's Home Page To care for him who shall
have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan. A. Lincoln
Veteran's Administration Began...
The Veterans Administration was established in 1930 by Congress's authorization to
"consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans." The
Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home
for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers became bureaus within the Veterans Administration.
Brigadier General Frank T. Hines was named as the first Administrator of Veterans Affairs.
3 TIPS for dealing with the VA.
- Be patient. The VA deals with thousands of new applications every day . There were
an estimated 26 million veterans living in the US in 1993.
- Be through. Make multiple copies of ALL of your papers and every piece of correspondence
between you and the VA. File the copies in more than one place, a fire could mean
starting over.
- Be persistent. A no does not always mean NO. Re-file. There is some
fact in the belief that the first no just means, "go away."
Disability Compensation
The US Government provides monthly disability compensation benefits if you are disabled
because of an injury or disease incurred in or aggravated during your military service.
Certain conditions which develop after your release from active duty can also be
compensated. Benefits are based upon the severity of your claimed disability(ies). If you
are 30 percent or more service-connected disabled, you are entitled to additional
allowances for your dependents.
These incomes may reduce or eliminate your VA disability compensation.
- Military Retired Pay
- Disability Severance Pay
- Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI)
- Selected Reserve and National Guard
Eligibility
Your entitlement also requires a release from the military under conditions other than
dishonorable discharge.
There is no time limit to apply for VA disability compensation. If your claim is filed
within one year of your release from active duty entitlement can established retroactively
to the date of separation. If you apply after the one-year period, the effective date of
eligibility for benefits will be based upon the date of your claim.
VA Form 21-526, Veteran's Application for Compensation or Pension.
Submit supporting documents with your application:
- Service Medical Records - If you have your service medical records, send copies of them
with your application to speed processing. Otherwise, the VA will contact the service
department to obtain them.
- Other Medical Records - If you have other medical records showing any and all treatment
by private doctors and hospitals.
- Dependency Documents - Send copies of birth and marriage certificates and copies of
divorce/death record terminating all of your prior marriages and those of your spouse.
- Military Discharge/DD Form 214 - Send a copy of your DD-214 with your claim to speed
processing. Otherwise, the VA will attempt to obtain verification from the service
department.
Some other benefits for disabled veterans.
- Priority Inpatient and Outpatient Medical Care
- Prosthetics, Sensory and Rehabilitative Aids
- Clothing Allowance
- Automobile Grant
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Disabled Veterans Life Insurance
- Preference for Employment in the Federal Government
- Job Finding Assistance
- Specially Adapted Housing Grant
- Burial Benefits
- Dependents Educational Assistance Program
- Medical Care for Dependents and Survivors (CHAMPVA)
Contact your local VA Regional Office for additional assistance by dialing the VA's
toll-free number 1-800-827-1000.
Some State and local governments offer veterans benefits also. Contact your local
government for referrals to these providers.
Vietnam Veterans of Ventura County, Inc.
P.O. Box
3218
Ventura
California 93006-3218
A Non-profit Corporation of California