Veteran's Benefits
Do you qualify for a little-known benefit available for honorably discharged veterans of WWII and Korea? You may be eligible for $1,949 per month or more, paid directly to you!
One of the biggest fears many people have today is the fear of having their life savings wiped out if they have to pay for substantial medical and health care expenses. Even paying for home health care or care in an assisted living facility can wipe out someone’s life savings. Whether you or a family member is in crisis or not, it is important that you understand what you can do to protect your hard-earned assets! Most veterans and their surviving spouses are not aware of these benefits. A vet who is over 65 and now disabled my qualify for much-needed money to pay medical bills!
Sisson & Sisson can help you:
Secretary Nicholson of the Dept. of Defense recently reported that the VA is reaching out to veterans and their spouses to alert them to an underused benefit. The VA reported that thousands of veterans may be missing out on this valuable benefit which they have a legal right to receive. Our governmental health care system is fragmented and non-integrated, so it is very difficult for a typical family to understand and obtain all available benefits. The family needs a trustworthy guide to walk alongside of them as they struggle with the elder care journey through long-term care and beyond.
The United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) offers a broad range of services for veterans of all ages. Unfortunately, some services are underused because many older veterans and their families do not realize these services exist or that they may qualify for benefits. They often don’t apply for VA benefits even though factors such as low income, medical care costs, disability, or war-time service may have made them eligible. They may even have been told by someone at the VA that they don’t qualify when they actually do!
Requirements for benefits have changed from time-to-time. Some benefits today do not require a service-related injury, though they may require co-payments for veteran’s whose family income and assets exceed the annual limit for no-cost service.
These and other benefits may be available to you:
1. Respite care to relieve family caregivers of veterans with dementia.
2. Medical care for eligible veterans who served during war times, even if they served stateside or in non-combat areas.
3. Disability compensation for veterans with service-related injuries.
4. Non-service connected pension for low-income disabled veterans who served during war time.
5. Burial benefits for eligible veterans.
6. Death pension for low-income servicing spouse and dependents of veterans who served during war time.
As a primer on your entitlement to veteran's benefits, see the VA Nuts and Bolts Guide.
When filing a claim for veteran’s benefits, a veteran or surviving spouse must provide documentation of the veteran’s active duty service, wartime service, and discharge status. Veterans should have been given discharge or separation papers (often called a Form DD-214 after World War II). Sisson & Sisson, The Elder Law Firm, PLLC, recommends that claimants submit certified copies of their discharge papers to reduce the time it takes for the application process.
Where can I find them?
Many veterans keep their discharge papers in places such as safe deposit boxes, the family Bible, or tucked in picture frames behind family photos, particularly photos of the veteran in uniform. These are good places to begin your search.
What if I can’t I find them?
For those veterans who do not have a copy of their discharge papers, the fastest way for a Veteran or the Next-of-Kin of a deceased veteran to obtain a duplicate copy is from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Click on Request Military Records at the bottom of the screen. Proceed through the menus and follow the instructions given. Use Form SF 180 for Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Discharge Papers. Use Form DD-2168 for Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Discharge Papers. You will need to print and sign a signature verification request and submit it to the NARA via fax or U.S. Mail in order to complete the process.
If you do not have the internet, but have a fax machine, you can call the Fax-On-Demand System at (301) 837-0990 from a fax machine, using the handset. Follow the voice instructions and request document number 2255.
Otherwise, please call our office and we can provide copies of the forms.
If the veteran was discharged from the Army or Air Force before 1960, however, the National Archives record may have been destroyed in a large fire at a government building that occurred in 1973. The following personnel are most affected:
If the veteran's papers were among those in the fire, the application will be delayed as the veteran’s records will have to be reconstructed. Sisson & Sisson, The Elder Law Firm, PLLC, will assist the veteran with this process.
If a veteran does not have his/her discharge papers and is thinking about applying for a pension benefit, please notify us as soon as possible in order to begin the reconstruction process right away.
In addition to active duty vets from the armed services, these little-known groups also meet the active duty qualification for VA benefits. If you belong to any of these groups and received a discharge by the Secretary of Defense, your service meets the active duty service requirement for benefits:
One of the biggest fears many people have today is the fear of having their life savings wiped out if they have to pay for substantial medical and health care expenses. Even paying for home health care or care in an assisted living facility can wipe out someone’s life savings. Whether you or a family member is in crisis or not, it is important that you understand what you can do to protect your hard-earned assets! Most veterans and their surviving spouses are not aware of these benefits. A vet who is over 65 and now disabled my qualify for much-needed money to pay medical bills!
Sisson & Sisson can help you:
- Learn the TRUTH about veterans benefits
- Learn how these “secret benefits” are available to certain veterans over age 65
- Learn how these benefits can be used to pay for home health care and assisted living
- Learn how a vet can receive $1,949 or more per month in assistance
- Learn why so many disabled Idaho wartime vets don’t take advantage of this benefit
- Learn why certain ways of qualifying for this benefit can become a “Medicaid Time Bomb”
- Learn how to defuse this “Medicaid Time Bomb"
- Learn how to avoid having your life savings wiped out by medical expenses
Secretary Nicholson of the Dept. of Defense recently reported that the VA is reaching out to veterans and their spouses to alert them to an underused benefit. The VA reported that thousands of veterans may be missing out on this valuable benefit which they have a legal right to receive. Our governmental health care system is fragmented and non-integrated, so it is very difficult for a typical family to understand and obtain all available benefits. The family needs a trustworthy guide to walk alongside of them as they struggle with the elder care journey through long-term care and beyond.
The United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) offers a broad range of services for veterans of all ages. Unfortunately, some services are underused because many older veterans and their families do not realize these services exist or that they may qualify for benefits. They often don’t apply for VA benefits even though factors such as low income, medical care costs, disability, or war-time service may have made them eligible. They may even have been told by someone at the VA that they don’t qualify when they actually do!
Requirements for benefits have changed from time-to-time. Some benefits today do not require a service-related injury, though they may require co-payments for veteran’s whose family income and assets exceed the annual limit for no-cost service.
These and other benefits may be available to you:
1. Respite care to relieve family caregivers of veterans with dementia.
2. Medical care for eligible veterans who served during war times, even if they served stateside or in non-combat areas.
3. Disability compensation for veterans with service-related injuries.
4. Non-service connected pension for low-income disabled veterans who served during war time.
5. Burial benefits for eligible veterans.
6. Death pension for low-income servicing spouse and dependents of veterans who served during war time.
As a primer on your entitlement to veteran's benefits, see the VA Nuts and Bolts Guide.
Obtaining Military Records
When filing a claim for veteran’s benefits, a veteran or surviving spouse must provide documentation of the veteran’s active duty service, wartime service, and discharge status. Veterans should have been given discharge or separation papers (often called a Form DD-214 after World War II). Sisson & Sisson, The Elder Law Firm, PLLC, recommends that claimants submit certified copies of their discharge papers to reduce the time it takes for the application process.
Where can I find them?
Many veterans keep their discharge papers in places such as safe deposit boxes, the family Bible, or tucked in picture frames behind family photos, particularly photos of the veteran in uniform. These are good places to begin your search.
What if I can’t I find them?
For those veterans who do not have a copy of their discharge papers, the fastest way for a Veteran or the Next-of-Kin of a deceased veteran to obtain a duplicate copy is from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Click on Request Military Records at the bottom of the screen. Proceed through the menus and follow the instructions given. Use Form SF 180 for Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Discharge Papers. Use Form DD-2168 for Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Discharge Papers. You will need to print and sign a signature verification request and submit it to the NARA via fax or U.S. Mail in order to complete the process.
If you do not have the internet, but have a fax machine, you can call the Fax-On-Demand System at (301) 837-0990 from a fax machine, using the handset. Follow the voice instructions and request document number 2255.
Otherwise, please call our office and we can provide copies of the forms.
If the veteran was discharged from the Army or Air Force before 1960, however, the National Archives record may have been destroyed in a large fire at a government building that occurred in 1973. The following personnel are most affected:
- Army personnel discharged November 1, 1912, to January 1, 1960; and
- Air Force personnel discharged, September 25, 1947, to January 1, 1964 (with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.).
If the veteran's papers were among those in the fire, the application will be delayed as the veteran’s records will have to be reconstructed. Sisson & Sisson, The Elder Law Firm, PLLC, will assist the veteran with this process.
If a veteran does not have his/her discharge papers and is thinking about applying for a pension benefit, please notify us as soon as possible in order to begin the reconstruction process right away.
Other Groups
In addition to active duty vets from the armed services, these little-known groups also meet the active duty qualification for VA benefits. If you belong to any of these groups and received a discharge by the Secretary of Defense, your service meets the active duty service requirement for benefits:
- Recipients of the Medal of Honor
- Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs)
- WWI Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit
- WWI Engineer Field Clerks
- Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC)
- Female clerical employees of the Quartermaster Corps serving with the American Expeditionary Forces in WWI
- Civilian employees of Pacific naval air bases who actively participated in defense of Wake Island during WWII
- Reconstruction aides and dietitians of WWI
- Male civilian ferry pilots
- Wake Island defenders from Guam
- Civilian personnel assigned to OSS secret intelligence
- Guam Combat Patrol
- Quartermaster Corps members of the Keswick crew on Corregidor during WWII
- U.S. civilians who participated in the defense of Bataan
- U.S. merchant seamen who served on block ships in support of Operation Mulberry in the WWII invasion of Normandy
- American merchant marines in oceangoing service during WWII
- Civilian Navy IFF radar technicians who served in combat areas of the Pacific during WWI
- U.S. civilians of the American Field Service who served overseas under U.S. armies and U.S. army groups in WWII
- U.S. civilian employees of American Airlines who served overseas in contract with the Air Transport Command between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
- Civilian crewmen of certain U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey vessels between 12/7/41 and 8/15/45
- Members of the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) who served between 12/7/41 and 8/14/45
- U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of TWA who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
- U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp. who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
- Honorably discharged members of the American Volunteer Guard, Eritrea Service Command, between 6/21/42 and 3/31/43
- U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Northwest Airlines who served overseas between 12/14/41 and 8/14/45
- U.S. civilian female employees of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps who served in the de-fense of Bataan and Corregidor from 1/2/42 to 2/3/45
- U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support of Braniff Airways who served overseas in the North Atlantic between 2/26/42 to 8/14/45
- Chamorro and Carolina former native police who received military training in the Donnal area of central Saipan and were placed under command of Lt. Casino of the 6th Provisional Military Police Battalion to accompany U.S. Marines on active, com-bat patrol from 8/19/45 to 9/2/45
- The operational Analysis Group of the Office of Scientific Research and Develop-ment, Office of Emergency Management, which served overseas with the U.S. Army Air Corps from 12/7/41 through 8/15/45
Honorably discharged members of the Alaska Territorial Guard during WWII.
Sisson & Sisson helps seniors and their families find, get and pay for quality long-term care. Knowledge of how to qualify and apply for Veteran's benefits often plays a central role in answering the question about how to pay for quality long-term care.
Contact us today to determine what you can do to protect your hard-earned assets.