Several of the top reasons people enlist in the United States military are for educational benefits, job training, and travel and adventure. Other benefits of military service are only given to those who meet the qualifiers, such as military retirement or disability. However, many who enlist are not aware that there are other benefits that can be extremely helpful, particularly later in life, even if they didn't reach retirement or were not discharged due to a service-related disability. Here's what every veteran needs to know.
You may qualify for a pension from the VA
If you meet specific qualifiers, you will qualify for a pension from the VA. This is not the same thing as retirement pay or disability pay, primarily because VA pension is means-based. You need to have limited assets and low income in order to qualify for a VA pension. Additional qualifiers include time requirements while serving on active duty during wartime and specific criteria which can be found here.
You may also qualify for additional compensation
If you do qualify for VA pension and are either housebound or need regular assistance with activities of daily living, you may also qualify for one of the following additional compensation through the VA:
You can only qualify for one, not both. This additional benefit will result in your pension being called an enhanced pension.
An enhanced pension increases the income and asset limits
It's very important to note that you cannot qualify for either Aid and Attendance or Housebound without first qualifying for and being awarded a VA pension. However, if the only qualifier that you do not meet is because you exceed the income and/or assets limits, you may still qualify for the VA enhanced pension but only if you meet the qualifications for either Housebound or Aid and Attendance benefits. This may sound confusing, but it's due to the formulas used during the qualification process.
Share11 June 2021
I started thinking more seriously about giving back a few years ago, since I have been blessed with a truly exceptional life. I was really concerned about giving to the people in my local area, so I started focusing on local humanitarian work. It was difficult to find ways to serve at first, but after I got started, things became a lot easier. Within a few months, I was able to completely change my outlook, and it was amazing to see the difference that a single person could make. This blog is all about giving back to gain more in your own life.