What Is Veterans Disability Compensation?
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives compensation based upon the severity of your service-connected impairment or disabilities. VA Regional Offices look at a combination of records from treatment and medical records, and other pertinent information.
Some serious injuries, such as losing a leg, being blind in both eyes, or bedridden, deserve higher payments. These are called Special Monthly Compensation (SMC).
Eligibility
VA disability compensation is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to eligible oakdale veterans disability lawyer spouses, spouses and children. The amount of this benefit is determined by the condition of the veteran and the extent of disability based on the guidelines set by Congress.
To be awarded benefits, you must be suffering from an injury in the course of employment, illness or event that aggravated or caused medical condition that is within the definition of service-connected. You may be eligible for disability compensation when you have a pre-existing condition, but it has to be proved that the injury, illness or event took place in service.
The severity of the condition is measured by a percentage. This is used to determine how much a patient will receive each month. This rating is based on an internal review of service treatment records and VA records and private medical records related to the condition.
The rating system also takes into consideration whether or not a person is unable to do “substantially lucrative” employment. It is important to keep in contact with the VA regarding any tests they request, and to attend the examinations on time, as the failure to do so could have a negative impact on your case.
Benefits
Typically, rosemead veterans disability lawyer who are service-connected to conditions that impact their daily functioning can receive compensation payments to compensate for their losses. These are tax-free benefits for monetary compensation.
The amount you receive will depend on the degree of your disability. You can receive compensation for only one or more disabilities. If you have more than one disability, your rates will be combined using a formula that considers each condition.
You may be entitled to additional benefits like Dependency and indemnity Compensation (DIC) or Special Monthly Compensation. DIC is paid to children, spouses, or parents of deceased veterans who passed away on active duty, in training or due to an injury or disability that is related to service. SMC is paid based on the need for assistance and attendance for disabled veterans, their spouses and children.
The SHA grant program offers financial assistance to disabled veterans who wish to adapt their homes in order to continue their treatment and ensure accessibility. Modifying their current home or purchasing a new home specifically designed to accommodate a disability, are all options. This is a federally financed program that does not require a VA or SSI/SSDI based decision.
Rates
Based on the severity of your illness or injury Based on the severity of your illness or injury, the VA can offer you between the 0% and 100% disability compensation. This compensation is designed to help you pay for the time when your disability prevents you working. It does not include dependent’s allowance or other benefits.
The VA will assess your current medical condition and any evidence indicating an association between your illness or injury sustained in service and your current condition. The VA employs an assessment scale for disabilities. Each disability is assigned a percentage of how healthy you’d be without the conditions that cause you to be disabled. For instance, if a medical condition is rated as 10 percent disabled, your total rating would be 10 percent of 100 percent (the “healthy” percentage).
Compensation rates are reviewed annually. Each year, the VA raises its payments to reflect increases in Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. These adjustments are tax-free and are dependent on the amount that veterans receive in compensation for the service-connected disability. The 2023 Disability Rate Chart displays the monthly payments based on the severity of your disability and the size of your household. It also includes the breakdown of dependents.
Requirements
You could be eligible for the benefits of disability if you’ve been injured or sickened while on active duty. This includes conditions such as tinnitus, which developed due to exposure to gunfire or the loss of limbs as a result of an IED explosion. Spouses and children of veterans could also receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) in the event that they die from causes related to their service.
In order to qualify for these benefits you must meet the medical nexus requirements. For instance, if you suffered a ankle injury during boot camp and it has bothered you since then, you may have a disability that has the medical nexus requirements.
You must also be a veteran with an appropriate discharge that was not dishonorable. A discharge that reveals willful misconduct can prevent you from receiving benefits, but the majority of types of discharges will still permit you to claim veterans compensation. You must also be suffering from a disability that affects your ability to keep a job that is substantial and lucrative.
Timeframe
To be eligible for a compensation benefit, the VA must determine that their medical condition meets the criteria for service-connected disability compensation. The process can take time, because the VA reviews and compiles evidence from a variety of sources. This includes statements from relatives and friends about the impact disability has on the claimant’s capacity to work and live and opinions from medical experts.
Depending on how serious the medical condition is it could take VA months to prove that there is a link between the disability and military service. It can also take longer to schedule and conduct a physical exam, or Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam in the event that the claim is complex.
It is essential that claimants submit all requested evidence as quickly as possible. This will speed up the decision making process. If the VA determines that a claimant is able to receive disability benefits then they will receive a Rating Decision detailing their service-related disabilities as well as a rating and an effective date. kenton veterans disability lawyer will not receive monthly disability checks for a period of months.
