If you're serving on active duty in the United States uniformed services, including active National Guard and Reserve with federal pay, you may be eligible for VA benefits both during service and after separation or retirement. If you're a traditional or technical member of the National Guard and Reserve, you may also be eligible for some VA benefits. Find out which benefits you may qualify for—and when to apply. You'll also learn about these benefits in your required Transition Assistance Program (TAP) briefing.
Get connected with mental health care—no matter your discharge status, service history, or eligibility for VA health care.
If you need support for a specific mental health problem—or if you’re having problems sleeping, controlling your anger, or readjusting to civilian life—you are not alone. And we can help.
To access free VA mental health services right away:
Call or walk in to any VA medical center—anytime, day or night. Find your nearest VA health facility
Call or walk in to any Vet Center during clinic hours. Find your nearest Vet Center
Call us at 877-222-8387. We’re here Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. If you have hearing loss, call TTY: 800-877-8339.
You don’t need to be enrolled in VA health care to get care. Learn more about accessing VA mental health services
To connect with other resources for Veterans and transitioning service members:
Find out if you qualify for VA education benefits to help pay for school or training. If you qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, learn how to transfer your unused benefits to your spouse or dependent children. Open to service members and Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
Review the requirements for getting a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to buy, build, improve, or refinance a home. Open to service members and Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
Find out if you qualify for and how to manage your SGLI coverage, and learn about coverage options for you and your family after separation or retirement. Open to service members and Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
Time-sensitive VA benefits to consider when separating or retiring
If you have an illness or injury that you believe was caused—or made worse—by your service, learn how to file a disability claim through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge program. This may help speed up your claim so you can get your benefits sooner. You'll need to file 180 to 90 days before separation. Open to active-duty service members (including active-duty Guard members and Reservists)
Find out how to convert your SGLI coverage to a Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) or commercial policy. Learn about other options for coverage if you have service-connected disabilities. In some cases, you must act within 120 days of separation to ensure no lapse in coverage. Open to service members and Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
Get support transitioning to a civilian career with free educational and career counseling. You can use this benefit if you're leaving active service soon, have been discharged within the past year, or are a Veteran or dependent who is eligible for VA education benefits. Open to active-duty service members and Veterans only
Learn about your health care options after separation or retirement and how to apply for VA health care when you receive your separation or retirement orders. If you're a combat Veteran, apply right away to take advantage of 10 years of enhanced eligibility. Open to active-duty service members and Veterans only
If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working, find out how to apply for VR&E services. You can apply up to 12 years from when you receive your notice of separation or your first VA disability rating. Open to service members and Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
Other VA benefits to consider as a Veteran
File a claim for disability compensation for conditions related to your military service, and manage your benefits over time. Open to Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
If you served on active duty, register to do business with VA and get support for your Veteran-owned small business. If you have a service-connected disability related to active-duty service or training, you may qualify to register as a service-disabled Veteran-owned small business. Open to Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
If you served on active duty during wartime, are at least 65 years old or have a service-connected disability, and have limited or no income, find out if you qualify for Veterans Pension benefits. Open to active-duty Veterans only
If you need help with your daily activities or you’re housebound, check whether you're eligible to have increased aid added to your monthly Veterans Pension payments. Open to active-duty Veterans only
If you have a service-connected disability, find out how to apply for a housing grant to make changes to your home so you can live more independently. Open to Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
Explore life insurance coverage options and services for you and your family, and manage your policy online. Open to Veterans (active duty, Guard, and Reserve)
Apply for a pre-need eligibility decision letter to confirm that you qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery. This can help you pre-plan, and it can make the process easier for your family members in their time of need. Open to active-duty Veterans only
Aid and Attendance (A&A) is an increased monthly pension amount paid if you meet one of the conditions below: You require help performing daily functions, which may include bathing, eating or dressing. You are bedridden. You are a patient in a nursing home.
https://www.benefits.va.gov › persona › veteran-elderly
include disability compensation, pension, home loan guaranty, education, health care, insurance, vocational rehabilitation and employment, and burial. Active Guard Reserve (AGR) Program supports and enhances the mobilization readiness of the Reserve components.
Highlights include: Generous pension. Under the federal retirement system, your future pension benefits are funded through an automatic 4.4% deduction from your salary and an 8.3% matching contribution from VA each pay period. After retirement, monthly pension annuity payments are distributed for life.
Unfortunately, your spouse cannot receive your VA disability compensation after you die. However, they may get a monthly allowance if they qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. If you lived in government housing, VA might also allow them to stay in residence for up to a year.
The VA is responsible for administering benefit programs for veterans, their families, and their survivors. These benefits include pension, education, disability compensation, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation, survivor support, medical care, and burial benefits.
Annual income for VA purposes is the money earned in a year from a job or from retirement or annuity payments. Your annual income for VA purposes may include these and other kinds of income: Salary or hourly pay. Bonuses.
VA employees may also receive up to $10,000 per year to repay student loans. Financial Benefits: Stay financially healthy by taking advantage of a wide variety of life insurance plans, the Federal Retirement Plan, savings, flexible spending, paid time off (including all federal holidays) and more.
Veterans may apply for both VA and SSA benefits concurrently, and those applying for SSI must attest they have applied for any VA benefits for which they may be eligible. The decisions are made by separate organizations, and eligibility or ineligibility for one benefit will not affect eligibility for the other.
As the spouse or dependent child of a Veteran or service member, you may qualify for certain benefits, including health care, life insurance, or money for school. As the survivor of a Veteran or service member, you may qualify for added benefits, including help with burial costs and survivor compensation.
Am I eligible for a Survivors Pension as a surviving spouse? You may be eligible for this benefit if you haven't remarried after the Veteran's death, and if the deceased Veteran didn't receive a dishonorable discharge and their service meets at least one of these requirements.
Benefits for the Surviving Spouse of a 100% Disabled Veteran
If your spouse dies with a 100% disability rating, you may be entitled to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). For 2024, the base rate of compensation for a surviving spouse is $1,612.75/month.
Under the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation program, VA provides income to certain surviving loved ones of deceased Veterans and service members. Annual payments average about $15,500 to spouses and $7,000 to children.
Under the current regulations, VA pays for burial and funeral expenses on a reimbursem*nt basis, which requires survivors to submit receipts for relatively small one-time payments that VA generally pays at the maximum amount permitted by law.
If you served in the military before 1957 and did not pay Social Security taxes, we have added special credit to your earnings record for some of your service. These extra earnings may help you qualify for Social Security benefits or increase the amount of your benefit.
Normally, the IRS may not garnish VA disability benefits, even if the Veteran in question files for bankruptcy or finds themselves in major financial debt. However, the IRS can garnish VA disability benefits if the Veteran doesn't make legally required alimony payments or child support payments.
Payments you receive for education, training, or subsistence under any law administered by the VA are tax free. Don't include these payments as income on your federal tax return.
You must work at least 5 years with the Federal Government before you are eligible for a FERS Federal Pension, and for every year you work, you will be eligible for at least 1% of your High-3 Average Salary History.
The VA does not place an arbitrary time limit on disability benefits. Veterans can continue to receive this compensation for as long as they meet the eligibility requirements, whether that's for several months or a lifetime.
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