Disabled Veterans Spouse Benefits: How to Qualify
Veterans have myriad choices when it comes to benefit programs, which may seem daunting in their complexity. But these programs can prove crucial when trying to live a relatively normal life after service.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the spouses of disabled veterans can also tap numerous benefit programs that include:
● Survivors’ Pensions. Survivors of deceased veterans who served during wartime and died from service-related causes qualify for survivors’ pensions.
● Healthcare Services. Spouses and dependents of veterans can qualify for financial assistance in paying for education through the Marine Gunnery John David Fry Scholarship, the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Education Assistance Program, or a program that allows veterans to transfer any unused Post /11 GI Bill benefits to you.
● Employment Counseling. Spouses and dependents of veterans who are eligible for educational benefits also qualify for free education, employment, and career counseling.
● Home Loan Programs. Veteran spouses can apply for a Certificate of Eligibility, which authorizes them to apply for VA loans to buy, build, repair or refinance a loan.
● Life Insurance. Spouses of veterans can apply for life insurance and beneficiary assistance at Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance. All you need to qualify is being named a beneficiary of the veteran’s policy.
● Burial Benefits. Spouses get counseling and assistance in planning a veteran’s burial in a VA cemetery or tribal or state veterans’ cemetery. Financial aid, grief counseling and transition support services are also available to veterans’ spouses.
Making Sense of VA Disability Law
Trying to understand VA disability law without the services of a lawyer can be a primer in bureaucratic frustration that often causes the spouses of veterans to forgo the benefits for which they do qualify.
Some of these benefits are hidden beneath layers of red tape. You might qualify for the following benefits as a veteran’s spouse:
● Extra Disability Payments. Veterans who return home with a diagnosed disability might have difficulty finding a job or supporting their families. Spouses in these cases qualify for extra benefits that include additional disability funds, educational benefits, and healthcare coverage.
● Wounded Veterans. Veterans who sustain wounds from active service usually qualify for disability payments and additional family benefits.
● Level of Disability. VA doctors will conduct thorough examinations of disabled veterans and assign a disability rating based on the percentage of disability. The ratings range from 10 to 100 percent. Veterans with spouses who have ratings of 30 percent disability or higher receive an automatic 30 percent increase in their monthly benefit.
● 100 Percent Disability Ratings. Veterans who have 100 percent disability ratings still need to support their families, so in addition to the higher monthly benefit the veterans receive, their spouses qualify for educational and training benefits and other program benefits.
Extra Benefits for Veteran Spouses
Exploring spousal veteran benefits can seem like entering a maze without the usual path to escape. However, a little perseverance can reward your efforts to get a host of valuable benefits that include health insurance, commissary and exchange privileges, and hiring preference when applying for federal- or state-sponsored jobs.
Hiring a lawyer makes sense for veterans’ wives who find themselves in untenable positions, trapped by bureaucratic delays and dead ends. Qualified lawyers can help you navigate the maze to receive all the benefits to which you are entitled.
