After bravely serving our country millions of United States military veterans receive a pension and benefits from the Veteran Administration (VA). Some of these individuals may find that they need additional benefits which relate to a disability or illness. Those veterans who have a disability may qualify for VA disability benefits. VA disability benefits are tax-free benefits paid to veterans who become injured or ill during their active military service or suffer an injury or illness which is aggravated during their active military service. How much disability pay a veteran will receive will depend on their percentage of disability of and the number of dependents they have. Here are some steps to take in order to help ensure your claim for VA disability benefits is successful:
Determine Your Qualification
In order to qualify for VA disability benefits, the veteran must have been disabled during their active duty service or duty for training, or, if they were disabled during inactive duty training due to an injury, heart attack, or stroke. The veteran must have also been discharged under other than dishonorable conditions. The veteran must also be at least 10% disabled by their injury or illness which was incurred during their qualifying active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty.
Take Action Now
Once the veteran has determined that they qualify to apply for disability benefits, the time to act is now. While some veterans may not be sure their claim will be successful or that their disability is enough to justify benefits, it is important to start the process sooner rather than later. The reason for this is that evidence of the disability is usually more readily available when the person first becomes injured or ill. As time goes by it may be more challenging to gather the evidence they will need to have a successful claim. Further, even if it does not seem that the disability is significant now, this condition may worsen with time making disability benefits more necessary. Additionally, this process can take time so the earlier it is started, the better.
Gather the Right Evidence
In order to have a successful VA disability benefits claim it is critical that the veteran provide concrete medical evidence of their current physical or mental disability. This evidence must show a conclusive link between the disability due to injury or illness and the veteran’s military service. In some cases, the VA may not require this evidence such as in cases involving former prisoners of war, veterans who have been exposed to certain toxins, and those who have specific diseases which manifest soon after they leave their military service. However, if the veteran does not have a condition which is presumed to be disabling, then they will need strong medical evidence of their disability in order to prevail on their VA disability claim.
Understanding veteran disability benefits can be complicated. It is important to consult with a knowledgeable attorney to understand these benefits and how they apply to you. Both Glenn Matecun and Monika Burrell are Accredited Attorneys by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. We understand veteran benefits and can help you contemplate all of your choices to help make informed decisions. Please contact us online or by phone if we may be of assistance.