By Thom Stoddert
US Army retired

The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has many benefits and requires different types of evidence for each.
First one must understand one thing: the VA is made up of three different organizations, just as there is the Army, Navy, and Air Force. A Cemetery Administration manages issues related to the burial of veterans. The Hospital Administration (VHA) provides medical care and other benefits related to health and safety. The Benefits Administration (VBA) provides a variety of programs.
However, these three agencies may not communicate well with each. In other words a veteran may have to deal with medical treatment (VHA) at the same time seeking compensation (VBA) for a chronic medical condition that was caused during military service.
Since the most common business is with the VBA, let’s focus on those folks. The Regional Offices of the VBA in each state manage a variety of programs from home loan guarantees to education. The most common programs are Compensation, Dependent’s Indemnity Compensation (DIC), and Pension.
The largest and most sought after benefit is compensation for reoccurring medical problems linked to military service or a health condition aggravated by military duty.
Compensation benefits must have evidence of being linked to military service or diagnosed within a reasonable time after being discharged. Compensation payments are determined by medical evidence that describes the amount of disability or impairment affecting the veteran as determined in percentage points.
Thus a veteran rated at 50 percent is considered to have lost 50 percent of his or her potential in economic and social activities. They call this legal determination for a medical issue as being “service connected” and can be made only by the VBA. If the medical condition worsens, higher levels of payment can be awarded as the Rating Percentage increases.
A veteran at any time during his life can make a claim for compensation of injuries/diseases incurred in the service. However, it’s best not to wait as it becomes more difficult to find accurate and complete evidence from military and civilian sources.
Again the medical condition must be chronic and there must be evidence linking it to military service. A veteran should always consider is how VA programs can affect their survivors in the future, thus there are the DIC program and the Pension program.
Dependents Indemnity Compensation provides a monthly monetary payment to unmarried widows and eligible children of deceased veterans.
The evidence must show that the vet was considered totally and permanently disabled by the VA for at least ten years prior to death. There is eligibility if the veteran dies after being considered totally disabled for five years from the day of discharge.
The Pension program is for veterans and/or spouses who are too disabled to work. Additionally, the veteran has at least one day of wartime service, and their income is below a certain level.
The VA will make payments to bring the claimant up to a determined financial level and this may be offset by other forms of income such as Social Security.
Pension as well as the other programs can be paid at higher levels when there is medical evidence showing a higher level of care is needed. These levels are called Housebound, when the claimant cannot leave their home in a normal manner and Aid&Attendance, when more skilled medical care is needed.
For information contact the VA at 1-800-327-1000 or speak with a veteran service officer from a nationally accredited organization with no financial gain in their advocacy.

Thom Stoddert is a retired Army veteran having been an infantryman in Vietnam and a medic during Desert Storm. Before working as a freelance writer for Veteran Affairs, he worked for the Department of Veteran Affairs deciding compensation claims and translating VA law into normal language. He has written a number of articles on the exploitation of veterans resulting in a cooperative network with various state and federal agencies.
Presently, he is a staff writer for the national monthly veteran’s paper the Veterans’ Voice.
He held voting positions on the Medical Research Ethics Review Board at the VA’s Seattle Medical Center, Washington State Veterans Legislature Council, and Thurston County Veteran Advisory Board.
His columns will appear monthly in Veterans Life.You can contact him at StoddertWork@gmail.com.