| For soldiers who have done their duty for their country, | | | | need to have completed a minimum service period, |
| the Department of Veteran Affairs offers several | | | | which should amount to either twenty-four continuous |
| types of disability benefits. But not all VA benefits are | | | | months of active duty or the entire period that |
| created equal-- the benefits you receive for your | | | | individual was called for to active duty. Additionally, the |
| disability claim will vary from person to person. The VA | | | | veteran must have active service that includes a total |
| uses eight "priority groups" to determine which benefits | | | | of ninety days during one or more periods of war; |
| you will receive, with "1" being the highest priority and | | | | ninety or more consecutive days, one day of which is |
| "8" the lowest (as of 2003, no new veterans are | | | | during a period of war; or at least one day of wartime |
| enrolled into group 8). Your priority group depends | | | | service that results in a discharge for |
| entirely on your disability and how it first occurred | | | | service-connected disability.o Discharge- To be eligible |
| (service-connected or non-service-connected), your | | | | for benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs, |
| financial situation, and your current level of disability. | | | | your discharge from the military needs to have been |
| Since whether or not a disability is service-connected | | | | under non-dishonorable circumstances. |
| or non-service-connected can have a great effect on | | | | Service-Connected Benefits Requirements |
| the benefits you will receive, it's important to have a | | | | Eligibility for service-connected benefits, differently |
| good understanding of the specific requirements for | | | | from non-service-connected benefits, is not dependent |
| each of these two types of benefits. | | | | on a veteran having done wartime service or meeting |
| The Requirements for Non-service-Connected | | | | a net worth or income level. Rather, you will be |
| Benefits | | | | required to prove the source and current condition of |
| A veteran who suffers from a total and permanent | | | | your disability using:o Evidence of current disability- As |
| disability qualifies for non-Service-connected benefits. | | | | service-connected disability benefits are only available |
| Qualifying for non-service-connected benefits can also | | | | to those with current disabilities, the first things |
| be dependent on a few other issues:o Income- Eligibility | | | | applicants must do is provide a current diagnosis of |
| is based on a veteran having both a limited income | | | | their disability using up-to-date medical records.o |
| and a net worth that does not provide sufficient | | | | Substantiation of the disability or injury's occurrence |
| maintenance. To get more information on income | | | | Veterans applying for service-connected benefits |
| eligibility requirements, please see 38 U.S.C.S. | | | | must next provide evidence that their current disability |
| §§1521-22.o Service - To reach eligibility for a | | | | was either incurred during or worsened by military |
| non-service-connected pension, a veteran must have | | | | service. Veterans should keep in mind, though, that the |
| one day or more of active duty in a "period of war", | | | | VA uses the term "in-service" broadly, also including |
| with at least 90 days total active duty. However, for a | | | | injuries that occurred during leave.o Support of the |
| veteran who entered military service after 1980, the | | | | connection between the current disability and the |
| service requirement is simply to have completed a full | | | | service-connected injury- This requires that applicants |
| period of active duty. Specifically, a veteran who was | | | | give evidence of a connection between the injury |
| enrolled for the fist time after (or on) Sept. 8, 1980 will | | | | incurred in service and the current disability. |