Establishing Service Connection
Injuries or illnesses that occurred during, or were made worse by, your active military service.
What are service-connected disabilities?
These include veterans, transitioning service members, surviving family members seeking benefits owed to Veterans, and accredited representatives like VSOs, attorneys, and claims agents.
Who can file a VA disability claim?
Restores retired pay to military retirees with service-connected disabilities who have waived their retired pay to receive VA disability compensation.
What is Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP)?
This allows you to maintain your SGLI coverage after leaving the military, provided you continue to pay the premiums.
What is Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI)?
This tax-free monetary benefit is generally payable to survivors of Veterans whose death was due to a service-connected injury or disease, or Veterans who were totally disabled from service-connected conditions at the time of death under specific criteria.
What is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)?
A monthly disability compensation, clothing or automobile allowances, VA housing grants, VA health benefits and free or reduced-cost dental, prescriptions and medical coverage.
What may you be eligible for if you have a service-connected disability?
This program allows service members to submit disability claims 180 to 90 days before separation, enabling the VA to conduct necessary health exams and gather evidence while the claimant is still on active duty, potentially leading to an expedited decision within 30 days after discharge.
What is the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program?
This is a monthly tax-free entitlement paid along with any retirement pay you may already be receiving.
What is Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)?
Generally, spouses covered under the Family SGLI program can convert their spousal coverage to an individual insurance policy within ________.
What is 120 Days after last day of service?
This tax-free benefit is payable to low-income surviving spouses (who have not remarried since the Veteran's death or had a prior marriage end before November 1, 1990) and unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans.
What is Survivors Pension?
These include conditions directly resulting from an in-service incident, those that worsened beyond natural progression during service, conditions assumed to be connected if they appear within a certain timeframe after service, and conditions caused by an existing service-connected condition.
What are the types of service connections recognized by the VA?
This type of claim, which can be submitted starting 89 days before separation or anytime after, aims for a faster decision by ensuring all evidence is included and confirming that no additional records are needed. It may also require attending a VA medical exam.
What is a Fully Developed Claim (FDC)?
Another name for Form 21-526EZ.
What is the, Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits?
This insurance provides mortgage protection for the families of Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities who have adapted their homes.
What is Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI)?
This housing benefit may be available to surviving spouses of Veterans or service members who died due to service-connected disabilities. It can also apply to surviving spouses of totally disabled Veterans, even if the disability was not the cause of death.
What is the VA Home Loan?
Starting March 5, 2024, this group of Veterans, will be eligible to enroll directly in VA health care, bypassing the phased-in approach initially required by the PACT Act
Who are Veterans that have never been deployed but were still exposed to toxins and other hazards in service?
If you file a BDD claim and complete the SHA part B before discharge; therefore, satisfying the DOD's requirement for a separation physical.
What may eliminate the need to complete a SHPE?
All military branches consider you to have a strong case for this if you can show your discharge was connected to mental health conditions, including PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), military sexual trauma (MST), or sexual orientation, including under the "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy.
What are some conditions that strengthen a case for a military discharge upgrade?
You can apply for a 2-year free extension of this if you disabilities prevent you from working or if you have specific service-connected disabilities.
What is a 2-year free extension of SGLI?
These are the two main GI Bill programs for educational assistance to survivors and dependents of Veterans.
What is the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
and
The Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
(DEA)
These screenings, available at VA health facilities, are provided to every enrolled Veteran and ask about exposure to hazards such as open burn pits, Agent Orange, and contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
What are toxic exposure screenings?
This is used to calculate your combined disability rating, ensuring it does not exceed 100%, as no one can be more than 100% able-bodied.
What is a combined disability rating?
This is the form issued when the Department of Defense and Coast Guard upgrades a Veteran’s discharge.
What is DD215?
This program offers short-term monetary assistance for severe injuries resulting in a scheduled loss due to a traumatic injury.
What is the Traumatic Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (TSGLI) program?
These are available at no charge to immediate family members (spouse, children, parents, and siblings) for visiting the grave or memorialization site of their loved one at an American military cemetery abroad.
What are “no-fee” passports for visiting American military cemeteries?