By Larry Dandridge
If my past two articles did not encourage you to file for service-connected disability, I am certain that this week’s article on which VA benefits come with a 50% service-connected disability rating will convince you to file for all service-connected health conditions you may have.
Watch the VA SITREP
If you do not have time to read this article, make sure you watch the VA YouTube video, titled “VA Benefits With 50% Service-Connected Disability” (VA Disability, theSITREP), by veteran Paul Corbett at https://bit.ly/3NhV2w3.
50% Service-connected disability benefits
The benefits package for a veteran who is receiving 50% service-connected disability is spelled out at the VA’s Service-Connected Matrix webpage at https://bit.ly/3phkaer and includes the following VA top benefits offered to a veteran.
1. Free Healthcare and Medications: Going from 40% to 50% is a game changer for veterans when it comes to healthcare costs. At the 50% disability rating veterans are covered for just about everything the VA offers with no out-of-pocket expenses for VA healthcare and medication. Learn more at the VA Healthcare Copay Rates webpage https://bit.ly/3N9vBP8.
The VA can also assist with education, housing, nursing home care, and many other programs not found at a civilian hospital. Be sure to enroll in VA healthcare if you have not already done so. Read about how to enroll online, by phone, by mail, *in person (at your local VA Medical Center or Community Based Out Patient Clinic), or with the help of a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) at https://bit.ly/3B7x5Dz.
*Note – The Beaufort VA Clinic phone is 843-770-0444. Savannah, Ga., VA Clinic phone is 912-920-0214. Hinesville, Ga., VA Clinic phone is 912-408-2900. The Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center main phone is 843-577-5011, and the Eligibility/Enrollment Office phone is 843-789-7008. Call before going to the office.
2. Travel Allowance for scheduled appointments: The VA will cover travel costs such as mileage, cab fare, train fare, and other expenses associated with veterans getting to a VA facility or VA authorized healthcare facility for a medical appointment. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3PdC1h0.
3. Monetary compensation: Based on 2023 Veterans Disability Compensation Rates at https://bit.ly/3WQlPEm, a veteran rated at 50% can expect as a minimum $1,041.82 a month, tax-free. Learn how to apply for Disability Compensation at https://bit.ly/3wYGMRJ.
4. Additional monetary compensation for eligible dependents: The VA recognizes the fact that many veterans are on fixed incomes and that every dollar counts. The VA provides additional money to a veteran’s monthly disability compensation for the veteran’s spouse, qualified children, and, in some cases the veteran’s dependent parents. Depending on the number and types of dependents a veteran has, the veteran’s monthly compensation can jump to as high as $1,303.82. Learn more at the VA’s webpage View Or Change Dependents On Your VA Disability Benefits at https://bit.ly/43LjWuY. Read about Disability Compensation at https://bit.ly/3WQlPEm.
5. Waiver of Funding Fees for VA home loans: Normally there is a 1% to 4% fee associated with using a VA home loan. However, with a 50% service-connected rating, that fee is totally waived. Learn more at the webpage VA Funding Fee And Loan Closing Costs at https://bit.ly/3CgHg8a, and the three articles on this subject published in The Island News on May 11, 18, and 25 of 2021, found in the archives at www.yourislandnews.com.
6. Direct hire: A federal agency or organization could hire a veteran for a position without the veteran having to compete for the job. For example, if a VA Medical Center is looking for an electrician, and a veteran who was receiving 40% or more disability has submitted the necessary paperwork to the VA’s Human Resources (HR) Department and is qualified for the position, the VA has the option to hire the veteran on-the-spot. However, a federal agency is not required to use this option. Read at https://bit.ly/3qvIppP.
To find out if a federal agency uses the direct hire process, veterans should contact the organization’s HR department and read the job announcement at https://www.usajobs.gov.
6. 10-point preference: At the 50% disability level, veterans qualify for a 10-point hiring preference when applying for federal government jobs. Read about veterans hiring preferences (0-point Preference, 5-Point, 10-Point CP, 10-Point 30% CPS, 10-Point Disability XP, 10-Point Derived (XP), 10-Point Spouse, etc.) at the Office of Personnel Management webpage Vet Guide For HR Professionals at https://bit.ly/3Njn1vB. Learn more at https://www.fedshirevets.gov, https://bit.ly/43hbhjX, and https://bit.ly/3OWCzrq.
7. Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E): The VR&E program helps veterans (who are a minimum of 30% service-connected) to find permanent employment and helps veterans in a job that aggravates one of the veteran’s current VA disabilities to find gainful employment that does not aggravate their disabilities. This program has been described as the GI Bill on steroids. This writer used this program in 2021 to improve his skills and credentials as a journalist. Not every veteran is going to qualify for VR&E, but it is well worth investigating. To learn more, call your VA Regional Office and schedule an appointment with a VR&E counselor and read the information at https://bit.ly/3Cl4Sbr and https://bit.ly/43r9wAJ.
8. Burial & plot allowance: According to the VA’s web site titled Burial Benefits (Compensation), found at https://bit.ly/3Nib60P and the VA’s How To Apply For A Veteran’s Burial Allowance found at https://bit.ly/3dKZkyx, the VA will pay for eligible veterans, at a flat rate, burial and plot or interment allowances. The burial allowance for a non-service-connected death is $300, and $2,000 for a death connected to military service.
9. Commissary and Exchange Privileges: Read about these privileges at the VA webpage titled, Commissary And Exchange Privileges For Veterans webpage, https://bit.ly/3OY6BeA.
10. Use of morale, welfare, and recreation (MWR) facilities: According to the VA News article, dated January 1, 2020 and Military One Source, all service-connected veterans, Purple Heart recipients, POWs, and individuals approved as the primary family caregivers of eligible veterans (under the VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers) can use commissaries, exchanges, and MWR retail facilities, in-person and online. Learn more at https://bit.ly/3p4WU3v.
The Bottom Line
Veterans should not procrastinate any longer. Veterans who have service-connected injuries, illnesses, wounds, scars, or health conditions should ask their local VSO to help them with service-connected disability compensation and enroll in VA healthcare. Find S.C. County VSOs at https://bit.ly/3qbLVSL. Find Ga. VSOs at https://bit.ly/44KMVA7. Search for VA-accredited representatives nationwide at https://bit.ly/3QnCk5M. Search for VA-accredited representatives at VA Regional Offices at https://bit.ly/3TahNn1.
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.
