Your Questions, Our Expertise

There are a variety of benefits that you might be able to qualify for through the VA and other providers. For most programs, you must have been on active service, and you must not have been dishonorably discharged. There are other programs available with more stringent eligibility guidelines as well.

• Service-Connected Disability Compensation – This program offers veterans a monthly cash benefit. You must meet the basic eligibility requirements and have suffered an illness or injury during your service that resulted in a disability or made an existing disability worse.
• Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payment (CRDP) – This program allows certain retired military members to collect both retirement and disability payments at the same time.
• Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSP) – This provides compensation to military retirees if they suffered combat-related injuries or illnesses.
• VA Pension – This program offers a monthly cash benefit to help disabled veterans. It’s a needs-based program with income and asset eligibility requirements.
• There are other benefits that veterans may be entitled to from the Veterans Benefits Administration, such as education benefits, home loan guarantees, career counseling, discounts, VA burial allowance, and others.

Additionally, Disabled Veterans Might Also Qualify For Two Types Of Social Security Benefits:

• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) – This benefit is funded through payroll taxes from employment. Most VA disability benefits are not income-based, so if you are currently receiving VA benefits, you might also be able to claim SSDI at the same time.
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) – This is a needs-based government program. If you are a disabled veteran and are getting benefits from the needs-based VA pension program, you might be able to claim SSI benefits at the same time.
• It seems like a mountain of information to go through. How do you know which programs are right for you and if you meet the eligibility requirements? A seasoned military benefits attorney with Veterans Benefits Law Group, PLLC can help you sort through the confusion and put you on the right path.

The VA has a rating schedule that breaks down veterans’ disabilities into categories. This complex system uses things like diagnosis and codes to assign your disability a rating on the severity and what impact it has on your life.

The less severe the disability, the lower the rating. Ratings are measured in 10 percent increments from zero percent to 100 percent.

How does this rating impact you and your claim? Your monthly disability benefit will vary depending on your rating. The higher your rating, the higher the amount of your benefit.

The VA has a chart that outlines the amount of compensation you may expect to receive, depending on your rating and whether you have dependents. The formula for determining a disability rating is extremely complicated and can get more complex, depending on the nature of your injury or if you have multiple injuries. If you disagree with your rating, you may file an appeal.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, you may be eligible for VA disability benefits or compensation if you meet both of these requirements:

• You have a current illness or injury (known as a condition) that affects your mind or body, and
• You served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training

Additionally, at least one of these must also be true:

• You got sick or injured while serving in the military—and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an in-service disability claim), or
• You had an illness or injury before you joined the military—and serving made it worse (called a pre-service disability claim), or
• You have a disability related to your active-duty service that didn’t appear until after you ended your service (called a post-service disability claim)

Presumptive Conditions

For some conditions, VA automatically assumes that your service caused your condition– “presumptive conditions.” If you have a presumptive condition, you don’t need to prove that your service caused the condition. You only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption.

When you apply for VA healthcare, you will be assigned to 1 of 8 “priority groups.” These groups are generally based on the urgency of your condition, and help those who need care right away obtain healthcare.Your priority group also affects how much you will pay (if anything) towards your care. 

Determining your priority group will take into consideration the following factors:

• Your military service history, and
• Your disability rating, and
• Your income level, and
• Whether or not you qualify for Medicaid, and
• Other benefits you may be receiving (like VA pension benefits)

For more detailed information on priority groups 1-8, visit VA.gov.