By Larry Dandridge
This article and next week’s article will attempt to answer the most frequent question I get from veterans about veterans’ benefits,
What are veterans’ disability compensation benefits and how do I apply for the compensation benefits?
Before I go into the nuts and bolts of Veterans’ Disability Compensation, a little explanation of the four major types of VA compensation may be helpful. According to the VBA’s COMPENSATION webpage, found at https://bit.ly/3Zo8mEB, there are four types of VA compensation that a veteran or their spouse, child, or parent may be eligible for. Those include:
1. Veterans’ Disability Compensation;
2. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC);
3. Special Monthly Compensation (SMC); and
4. Claims (and Compensation) Based on Special Circumstances.
General information
VA disability compensation provides monthly benefits to veterans in recognition of the effects of disabilities, diseases, or injuries incurred or aggravated during active military service. The program also provides monthly payments to surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents in recognition of the economic loss caused by a veteran’s death during military service or, after discharge from military service, as a result of a service-connected disability.
1. Veterans’ Disability Compensation is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to veterans with disabilities that are the result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. The benefit amount is graduated according to the degree of the veteran’s disability on a scale from 10 percent to 100 percent (in increments of 10 percent).
Compensation may also be paid for disabilities that are considered related or secondary to disabilities occurring in service and for disabilities presumed to be related to circumstances of military service, even though they may arise after service.
An example of a secondary service-connected disability could be something like migraine headaches caused by a service-connected traumatic Brain Injury. Another example might be arthritis that is caused by a service-connected knee injury while the veteran was on active duty.
Generally, the degrees of disability specified are also designed to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbations (acute increase in the severity of a problem, illness, or bad situation) or illnesses. Learn more about Disability Compensation at https://www.va.gov/disability/.
2. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monetary benefit payable to a surviving spouse, child, or parent of servicemembers who died while on active-duty, active-duty for training, or inactive duty training, or to survivors of veterans who died from their service-connected disabilities. Parents DIC is an income-based benefit for parents who were financially dependent on a servicemember or veteran who died from a service-related cause. Learn more about DIC and PARENTS DIC at https://bit.ly/3rcIrzS.
3. Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is an additional tax-free benefit that can be paid to veterans, their spouses, surviving spouses, and parents. For veterans, SMC is a higher rate of compensation paid due to special circumstances such as the need for aid and attendance by another person or by specific disability, such as loss of use of one hand or leg. For spouses and surviving spouses, this benefit is commonly referred to as aid and attendance (A&I) and is paid based on the need for aid and attendance by another person. See https://bit.ly/3sKJ5Wd for more information on A&I.
There are nine categories of special claims including Auto Allowance and Adaptive Equipment, Birth Defects Linked to Agent Orange, Replacing Damaged Clothing, Convalescence, Dental care, Time Spent in a Hospital, Being Unable to Work (Individual Unemployability), Title 38 U.S.C. 1151 Disabilities (Hurt while getting VA care or help), and Immediate Help for Temporary Disability Needs. Read about Special Claims at https://bit.ly/3XdVJda.
The VA webpage https://bit.ly/3ZnUuu0 covers Current VA Disability Compensation Rates for Veterans Disability Compensation, SMC, Special Benefit Allowance, and Birth Defects Compensation. The site also provides information on VA Dependency and Indemnity (DIC) rates, Parents’ DIC rates, Veterans’ Pension rates, and Survivors’ Pension rates.
4. Claims (and Compensation) Based on Special Circumstances. Veterans may be eligible for other types of disability compensation once a disability has been determined to be service connected. Special VA disability compensation programs include individual unemployability, automobile allowance, clothing allowance, pre-stabilization, hospitalization, convalescence, dental, and birth defects.
Learn more about Special Claims at https://bit.ly/3XdVJda.
The Nuts and Bolts of Veterans’ Disability Compensation
VA disability compensation offers a monthly tax-free payment to veterans who got sick or injured while serving in the military and to veterans whose service made an existing condition worse. Veterans (and qualified dependents) may qualify for VA disability benefits for physical conditions (like a chronic illness or injury) and mental health conditions (like PTSD, Anxiety Disorder, etc.) that developed before, during, or after service.
Are you eligible for Disability Compensation?
According to the VA’s Eligibility for VA Disability Benefits page https://bit.ly/3GxrxTG, veterans may be eligible for VA Disability Benefits or Compensation if they meet both of these requirements.
Requirement 1: They have a current illness or injury (condition) that affects your mind or body, and
Requirement 2: They served on active duty, active-duty training, or inactive duty training and they meet at least one of the following conditions:
Condition 1: They got sick or injured while serving in the military and can link this condition to their illness or injury (thru an in-service disability claim), or
Condition 2: They had an illness or injury before they joined the military and serving made it worse (thru a preservice disability claim), or
Condition 3: They have a disability related to their active-duty service that did not appear until after they ended their service (thru a post-service disability claim).
At this point military members, veterans, and their family members may want to review the following articles from The Island News to prepare for next week’s concluding article on veterans’ disability compensation benefits and how to apply for compensation.
– Why military members should keep good records of injuries, (HAZMAT Contaminations), and illnesses? https://bit.ly/3Bd1BuF.
– What is Veterans Administration Individual Unemployability and how do I file for it? https://bit.ly/3VZDPKc.
– Are you eligible for veterans’ benefits based on presumptive conditions? https://bit.ly/3ipN0G7.
– All four articles on the new PACT ACT. Published on 7, 14, 21, and 28 September 2022, found in The Island News archives at www.yourislandnews.com.
Continued next week.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing free-lance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
