Service-Connected and Non-service-Connected Benefits for Veterans

For soldiers who have done their duty for their country, the Department of Veteran Affairs offers several types of disability benefits. But not all VA benefits are created equal-- the benefits you receive for your disability claim will vary from person to person. The Department of Veteran Affairs has 8 "priority groups" which they use to decide which types of benefits a veteran will receive; "1" is the highest and "8" (which as of 2003 is no longer assigned to new veterans) is the lowest. The level of priority you are given will depend entirely on your disability (and whether it is service- or non-service-connected), your situation financially, and the level or intensity of your disability.

Because the fact of a disability originating from service-related or non-service-related sources has a generous impact on your veteran disability benefits, it's important to know the qualification requirements for both types of benefits.

Non-service-Connected Benefits Requirements

A veteran who suffers from a total and permanent disability qualifies for non-Service-connected benefits. Qualifiying for non-service-connected benefits can also be dependant on a few other issues:

• Income- Eligibility is based on a veteran having both a limited income and a net worth that does not provide sufficient maintenance. For more information please see 38 U.S.C.S. §§1521-22.

• Service - To reach eligibility for a non-service-connected pension, a veteran must have one day or more of active duty in a "period of war", with at least 90 days total active duty. For those enrolled in the military after 1980, however, the requirement is simply a full period of active duty. Specifically, a veteran who was enrolled for the fist time after (or on) Sept. 8, 1980 will need to have completed a minimum service period, which should amount to either twenty-four continuous months of active duty or the entire period that individual was called for to active duty. Additionally, the veteran must have active service that includes a total of ninety days during one or more periods of war; ninety or more consecutive days, one day of which is during a period of war; or at least one day of wartime service that results in a discharge for service-connected disability.

• Discharge- To qualify for VA benefits, you must have been discharged from military duty under non-dishonorable circumstances.

The Requirements for Service Connected Benefits

Eligibility for service-connected benefits, differently from non-service-connected benefits, is not dependant on a veteran having done wartime service or meeting a net worth or income level. Rather, you will be required to prove the source and current condition of your disability using:

• Evidence of current disability- As service-connected disability benefits are only available to those with current disabilities, the first things applicants must do is provide a current diagnosis of their disability using up-to-date medical records.

• Evidence of the occurrence of disability or injury- Veterans applying for service-connected benefits must next provide evidence that their current disability was either incurred during or worsened by military service. It's important to know, however, that "in-service" is a broad term, and can include injury incurred even during leave.

• Support of the connection between the current disability and the service-connected injury- Veterans applying for service-connected disability benefits must prove that their current disability is indeed connected to the injury which occurred during military service.