Disability Compensation is not a Pension benefit and is Not Means Tested, therefore the amount of income earned by the veteran is irrelevant.
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You may be able to get disability compensation if you have a current illness or injury (known as a condition) that affects your body or mind and you meet at least one of the requirements listed below.
Both of these must be true:
1. You served on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, and
2. You have a disability rating for your service-connected condition.
AND at least one of these must be true:
A. You got sick or injured while serving in the military—and can link this condition to your illness or injury (called an in-service disability claim), or
B. You had an illness or injury before you joined the military—and serving made it worse (called a preservice disability claim), or
C. You have a disability related to your active-duty service that didn’t appear until after you ended your service (called a post-service disability claim)
Presumed disabilities
If you have a disability that’s been diagnosed by a doctor and that the VA considers to be related to your military service because of a specific aspect of that service, you may be able to get disability benefits based on this presumed disability. This usually applies to:
• A chronic (long-lasting) illness that appears within 1 year after discharge, or
• An illness caused by contact with contaminants (toxic chemicals) or other hazardous materials, or
• An illness caused by your time spent as a POW
Who’s covered?
Veterans
Qualified dependents
Compensation for Surviving Spouse and Dependents (VA DIC)
If you’re the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a Service member who died in the line of duty, or the survivor of a Veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be able to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC).
For more information, visit the VA website at www.va.gov/disability.
Diana Mangsen focuses her practice as an elder law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Largo, Dunedin and the Tampa Bay area.
For more information, visit our website at
https://www.mangsenlaw.com/
or call (727) 888-6282.