When you have a service-related disability, you may be unsure what steps you need to take in order to protect your financial future. VA disability benefits can provide assistance if you were injured or became ill due to active military service. They may also provide benefits if an illness or injury became worse due to your service. This may include compensation as well as other benefits.
Eligibility for VA Benefits
There are two things that must pertain to you in order to qualify for VA benefits. You must have served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training and you must have a disability rating for a condition that is service-related. Both of these conditions must exist for you to qualify. In addition, at least one of these statements must be true:
- Sick or injured while serving
- Illness or injury became worse due to service
- Disability appeared after your service but is related
Certain conditions that are especially serious are considered to be presumptively eligible for benefits. When a veteran has one of these conditions, they are presumed to be eligible and can begin receiving benefits immediately while their application is approved.
Chronic Disability
There are some chronic illnesses that may be eligible for disability if they developed within one year after your discharge. These include high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, or peptic ulcers. Your condition must be at least 10 percent disabling and you will be required to provide medical documentation of the condition.
You may not have to prove that the condition began during service as the VA presumes that if certain conditions appear within one year of discharge, they are presumed to be related to your service.
Toxic Chemicals
As many as 60,000 veterans volunteered for testing programs that involved biological and chemical agents between 1942 and 1975. If your illness may have been caused by this exposure, you may be eligible for VA benefits.
Military members who served in Vietnam who were exposed to Agent Orange were exposed to asbestos, or whose children were born with birth defects due to the veteran’s exposure may be eligible for VA benefits.
Other illnesses that may qualify include contact with mustard gas, lewisite, drinking contaminated drinking water, Gulf War Illness, were involved in Project 112, exposed to radiation or certain environmental hazards.
Prisoner of War
If you served as a prisoner of war and you became at least 10 percent disabled, you may qualify for VA benefits. Some of the conditions that may be covered include osteoporosis, damage from frostbite, posttraumatic osteoarthritis, stroke, heart disease, neuropsychiatric conditions, psychosis, and PTSD.
A condition known as dysthymic disorder also called a persistent depressive disorder may also qualify you for VA benefits. If you were a POW for more than 30 days, the following may qualify you for VA disability benefits:
- Avitaminosis
- Beriberi
- Chronic dysentery
- Cirrhosis of the liver
- Helminthiasis
- Irritable bowel syndrome
- Malnutrition
- Osteoporosis
- Pellagra
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Peripheral neuropathy
Getting VA Disability Benefits
In order to receive VA disability benefits, you need to file a claim with the Veterans Administration. The claim may be filed online, or you may visit your local Veterans Administration for assistance.
You will need to provide VA medical records, private medical records, and supporting statements from those who can provide more information about your claim. The average number of days it takes for the VA to make a decision is around 132.
Filing a disability claim with the Veterans Administration can be complicated. A lawyer can help with analyzing medical records and making sure you have all the documentation required.
Author’s Bio: Passionate writer and contributor to several professional websites. I like to debate complex topics and I’m always up for new challenges. Doing research and discovering new information are two aspects marked as a priority when I’m writing my articles and ideas.