Answering Your VA Benefits Questions

There are many veterans in our country that have no idea that they could be receiving benefits. Some veterans feel that they do not have any reason to receive benefits and others upon being discharged would rather leave that life behind. Obtaining benefits from the VA can sometimes be a difficult and long process that sometimes does not seem worth the effort. But injured or disabled veterans have a right to benefits, and so should look into the process for obtaining them.
Q: How do you know if you could be receiving benefits? Who is qualified to receive benefits?
A: Three main components make up a veterans possible eligibility for service connected disability benefits. The first is that you must have done service with either the Army, the Navy, the Marines, the Air Force, or the US Coast Guard. Secondly, you must currently suffer from a disability which began during your years of service, or began before hand and was worsened by doing service. This could be anything from High Blood Pressure to certain types of cancers as well as many other disabilities depending on when and where you served. Lastly, you need to show evidence that your current disability is connected to your military service.
A good illustration of this kind of injury is if you injured your knee while hiking with your some friends while on leave from active duty. Today, even though many years have passed, the problem caused by that old injury is only getting worse, and you will soon need surgery to have the knee replaced. Though it may not seem like it, this injury itself is service connected, as you were on active duty when the accident or illness occurred, even though you were on leave. And in addition to the surgery, the incident has caused other problems that you need taken care of.
Q: But how will receiving benefits from Veteran Affairs really help me?
A: Like this: if you do obtain benefits, you can receive monthly monetary benefits, as well as eligibility to use the VA hospital and medical facilities. The benefit amount you will receive each month will be dependent on what percentage of your current disability is determined to be service connected.
Q: If I am currently service connected and I have hearing loss at 10% and PTSD at 30% why am I only considered 30% service connected?
A: Veteran Affairs uses a rating schedule that uses the severity of your disability to tell them what percentage service connected disability to award you. They also use a rating chart to total your percentage of service connection, they do not use mathematical terms. Because determining a percentage of service connection is quite complex, if you feel that the percentage awarded you is insufficient for your disability, you should speak to a professional about your options.
Q: Why does my neighbor receive 70% for the same disability that I have?
A: This is due to the fact that the VA rates everyone separately depending on the severity of their disability. It is important to remember that the VA uses a rating schedule to determining the percentage and, therefore, the amount of benefits an individual receives.
Q: If I work at Veteran Affairs, can I still receive disability benefits for my time in service?
A: You can. Unlike with Social Security Disability, the disability benefits you obtain from Veteran Affairs are not affected by working. If you obtain benefits for a service connected disability, but are still able to work, then you are entitled to keep working and receiving benefits. Your disability benefits are not reduced or annulled if you are earning an income.
Q: Can I obtain benefits from both Social Security Disability and the Dept. of Veteran Affairs? A: Yes. Social Security Disability does look at earned income but VA service connected disability benefits are not earned income so these benefits do not interfere with one another.
Q: My husband/wife was in the service and receiving VA service connected disability benefits but they have passed. Am I eligible to get his or her VA benefits?
A: In some cases, yes, benefits are available for children and spouses who survive a deceased veteran. However, every case is different, and you need to be sure to speak to a professional before moving forward.
Q: How do I file a claim?
A:The VA has laws that are considered veteran friendly laws. The VA has the duty to help you file a claim and walk you through the process of obtaining benefits. There are many independent organizations to help, and every U.S. state has a Regional Office where you will receive assistance free of charge. To locate your local Veteran Affairs Regional Office and any local Veteran Service Organizations, visit the Veteran Affairs website at www.va.gov.
Q: Can I employ a lawyer to help me?
A: The VA does have laws that tell attorneys when they can represent a client for a fee and when they can not. You can find some lawyers who will represent you for free, or Pro Bono, and others who will require you to sign a contract promising payment for their services. If you are considering contracting a lawyer to help with your claim, it is important to contact one locally for more information about your particular case.
Q: I am already receiving VA service connected disability benefits, can I receive anything else?
A: The answer to this question will depend on your situation. If, for instance, your service connected disability has grown in severity since you began receiving benefits, you can apply for an increase in your percentage or rating, which will also increase the amount of your monthly benefits. Veteran Affairs also provides expanded benefits to those veterans who cannot work due to their service connected disability. If this is your situation, there is a second application that you need to fill out in order to apply. If you feel you are unemployable and should be receiving higher benefits you should contact a VSO or an Attorney to answer your questions and possibly assist you in obtaining these benefits. Veteran Affairs also provides additional benefits to those veterans who, due to their service connected disability, are mostly homebound and cannot care for themselves. This is called homebound compensation. This is an option to consider if you feel you need assistance to care for yourself.
Every veterans case is different and obtaining the benefits set aside for you by the VA can be quite confusing to some people. The VAs website has a lot of information on what kind of benefits there are beyond disability benefits and what you can do to receive these benefits. If you are a veteran and you were injured in any way or your disabilities that you had before going into the service were aggravated in any way please look into your options. After all, you served your country in the past, and may very well be entitled to receive benefits for it today.

For more on orlando social security lawyer, visit HillAndPonton.com.

Article Source: http://www.thearticleinsiders.com