Benefits for Service-Disabled Veterans

Summary

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers programs to qualified former U.S. servicemembers (veterans). This report describes programs that provide benefits to veterans with service-connected disabilities (service-disabled veterans). These benefits can compensate a veteran for an injury or provide assistance to enable a veteran to have a higher quality of life.

To qualify for the benefits discussed in this report, a veteran must have a physical or mental condition that was “incurred or aggravated” in the line of military duty and that results in a disability. Service-connected disabilities are rated on a scale from 0% to 100% using a VA rating schedule. Disability ratings are used to determine eligibility for various types of benefits and the amount of Veterans Disability Compensation benefits. This report describes major VA benefit programs that are limited to veterans with service-connected disabilities.

Veterans Disability Compensation is a monthly cash payment to a veteran with a service-connected disability. Veterans with higher disability ratings are entitled to higher payments.

Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment supports services for a veteran with an employment handicap to assist the veteran in obtaining and retaining suitable employment.

Housing Grants and Benefits:

Specially Adapted Housing Grants support the construction or acquisition of a new home or the remodeling of an existing home to help the veteran live independently in a barrier-free environment.

Special Housing Adaptation Grants support modifications to a veteran’s home to accommodate a disability but support less-intensive modifications than Specially Adapted Housing Grants.

Home Improvements and Structural Alterations Grants can be used to improve a veteran’s access to his or her home or to facilitate continuation of treatment for the veteran’s disability.

Other Grants and Benefits:

Automobile and Special Adaptive Equipment Grants can be used to purchase an automobile or to purchase adaptive equipment for an existing automobile to make it safe or legal for the veteran to use that vehicle.

Clothing Allowance Grants are for veterans who utilize medical devices or medications that are likely to damage the veteran’s clothing.

Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance is life insurance for service-disabled veterans.

This report does not discuss health care services provided by the Veterans’ Health Administration and other benefits that are available to veterans who may or may not have service-connected disabilities.