What is Service-Connected Disability Compensation?

Disability Compensation is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to Veterans with disabilities that are the result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. Compensation may also be paid for post-service disabilities that are considered related or secondary to disabilities occurring in service and for disabilities presumed to be related to circumstances of military service, even though they may arise after service. Generally, the degrees of disability specified are also designed to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbations or illnesses.

Who is eligible for Service-Connected Disability Compensation?

Your disability must be the result of an injury or disease that was incurred or aggravated while on active duty or active duty for training; or from injury, heart attack, or stroke that occurred during inactive duty training. A disability can apply to physical conditions, such as Lou Gehrig's Disease, as well as mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

What do you need to apply for Service-Connected Disability Compensation?

When applying for compensation benefits, you must have access to the following information:

• Discharge or separation papers (DD214 or equivalent)
• Medical evidence (doctor and hospital reports)
• Dependency records (marriage and children's birth certificates)
• Other documents may vary depending on the claim

What is VA Health Care?

The VA is required by law to provide eligible veterans hospital care and outpatient care services that are defined as "needed." VA defines "needed" as care or service that will promote, preserve, and restore health. This includes treatment, procedures, supplies, or services. This decision of need will be based on the judgment of your health care provider and in accordance with generally accepted standards of clinical practice. 

Each Veteran's medical benefits package is unique. It could include care and services to help:

• Treat illnesses and injuries
• Prevent future health problems
• Improve your ability to function
• Enhance your quality of life

All Veterans receive coverage for most care and services, but only some will qualify for added benefits like dental care. The full list of your covered benefits depends on:

• Your priority group
• The advice of your VA primary care provider
• The medical standards for treating any health conditions you may have 

You should also know that being signed up for VA health care meets your Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage requirement of having "minimum essential health coverage".

Who is eligible for VA Health Care?

You may be able to get VA health care benefits if you served in the active military, naval, or air service and didn't receive a dishonorable discharge.

• If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, you must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which you were called to active duty, unless any of the below are true for you:
  • Were discharged for a disability that was caused - or made worse - by your active-duty service, or
  • Were discharged for a hardship or "early out," or
  • Served prior to September 7,1980
• If you're a current or former member of the Reserves or Nation Guard, you must have been called to active duty by a federal order and completed the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty. If you had or have active -duty status for training purposes only, you don't qualify for VA health care.

You may still qualify for VA health care if at least one of these are true. You:

• Receive financial compensation (payments) from VA for a service-connected disability.

• Were discharged for a disability resulting from something that happened to you in the line of duty.

• Were discharged for a disability that got worse in the line of duty.

• Are a combat Veteran discharged or released on or after September 11, 2001. .

• Get a VA pension.

• Are a former prisoner of war (POW).

• Have received a Purple Heart.

• Have received a Medal of Honor.

• Get (or qualify for) Medicaid benefits.

• You were exposed to toxins or hazards by working with chemicals, pesticides, lead, asbestos, certain paints, nuclear weapons, X-rays or other toxins. This exposure could have happened while training or serving on active duty, even if you were never deployed.

• Served in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War between August 2, 1990, and November 11, 1998

• Served at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987

Or, you must have served in any of these locations during the Vietnam War era:

• Any U.S. or Royal Thai military base in Thailand from January 9, 1962, through June 30, 1976

• Laos from December 1, 1965, through September 30, 1969.

• Cambodia at Mimot or Krek, Kampong Cham Province from April 16, 1969, through April 30, 1969.

• Guam or American Samoa or in the territorial waters off Guam or American Samoa from January 9, 1962, through July 31, 1980. 

• Johnston Atoll or on a ship that called at Johnston Atoll from January 1, 1972, through September 30, 1977.

• Republic of Vietnam from January 9, 1962, through May 7, 1975.

If none of the above apply to you, you may still qualify for care based on your income.

What do you need to apply for VA Health Care?

• Current or most previous work information
• DD214/ Discharge Papers (original if available)
• Previous year income / medical expenses (non-reimbursed medical expenses, funeral / burial cost, college or educational expense)
• Social Security Number for Veteran, spouse, and/or children

What is VA Pension?

VA Pension benefits is a needs-based benefit that provides tax-free monthly payments to wartime Veterans with limited or no income who meet certain ago or disability requirements. Pension is means tested with an income and an asset test.

Who is eligible for VA Pension?

To receive Pension, a veteran must have served on active duty at least 90 days, during a period of war. Only 1 of the 90 days or more of active-duty service must have been during a period of war. Service in combat is not required. For veterans of the Gulf War, the service requirement is 24 months or completions of the requirement for active-duty service - including discharge for health reasons - whichever comes first.

If the veteran is younger than age 65, he or she must be totally disabled to receive pension. Receipt of Social Security is adequate evidence for the total disability rating in this case. Medical evidence must be submitted for these types of applications. At age 65 and older there is no requirement for disability.

Your yearly family income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress. Your net worth equals the value of everything you own (except your house, your car, and most home furnishings), minus any debt you owe.

What do you need to apply for VA Pension?

When applying for pension benefits, you must have access to the following information:

• Discharge or separation papers (DD214 or equivalent)
• Dependency records (marriage certificates, death certificates, and social security numbers)
• Assets information - current bank statement(s) and financial documents to include IRA, 401K, stocks/bonds, etc.
• List of all monthly income
• List of all medical expenses
• Name, address, and phone number for nursing home / assisted living facility and billing statement

What is Survivors Pension?

Survivors Pension, which was formerly referred to as Death Pension, is a tax-free benefit payable to a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse or unmarried child(ren) of a deceased Veteran with wartime service.

Who is eligible for Survivors Pension?

To receive Pension, the veteran must have served on active duty at least 90 days, during a period of war. Only 1 of the 90 days or more of active-duty service must have been during a period of war. Service in combat is not required. For veterans of the Gulf War, the service requirement is 24 months or completions of the requirement for active-duty service - including discharge for health reasons - whichever comes first.

You are one of the following:

• The unmarried surviving spouse (or you were previously married, and the marriage ended before Nov. 1, 1990).
• The unmarried child of the deceased Veteran who is under 18, became permanently disabled before 18, or is between 18 and 23 years old and enrolled in an approved educational institution.

Your yearly family income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress. Your net worth equals the value of everything you own (except your house, your car, and most home furnishings), minus any debt you owe.

What do you need to apply for VA Survivors Pension?

When applying for pension benefits, you must have access to the following information:

• Discharge or separation papers (DD214 or equivalent)
• Dependency records (marriage certificates, death certificates, and social security numbers)
• Assets information - current bank statement(s) and financial documents to include IRA, 401K, stocks/bonds, etc.
• List of all monthly income
• List of all medical expenses
• Name, address, and phone number for nursing home / assisted living facility and billing statement

What is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation?

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monetary benefit paid to eligible survivors of military Service members who died in the line of duty or eligible survivors of Veterans whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease.

Who is eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation?

To qualify for DIC, a surviving spouse must meet the requirements below.

The surviving spouse was:

• Married to a Service member who died on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, OR
• Validly married the Veteran before January 1, 1957, OR
• Married the Veteran within 15 years of discharge from the period of military service in which the disease or injury that caused the Veteran's death began or was aggravated, OR
• Was married to the Veteran for at least one year, OR
• Had a child with the Veteran, AND
• Cohabited with the Veteran continuously until the Veteran's death or, if separated, was not at fault for the separation, AND
• Is not currently remarried

Note: A surviving spouse who remarries on or after December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57, is entitled to continue to receive DIC.

Listed below are the evidence requirements for this benefit:

• The Service member died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, OR
• The Veteran died from an injury or disease deemed to be related to military service, OR
• The Veteran died from a non-service-related injury or disease, but was receiving, OR was entitled to receive, VA Compensation for service-connected disability that was rated as totally disabling
  • For at least 10 years immediately before death, OR
  • Since the Veteran's release from active duty and for at least five years immediately preceding death, OR
  • For at least one year before death if the Veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999

What do I need to apply for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation?

• Veteran's DD214 / Discharge Papers (original if available)
• Copy of Veteran's Death Certificate (must show cause of death)
• Dependency records (marriage certificates, death certificates, children's birth certificates and social security numbers)

What are Burial Benefits?

Burial Compensation

VA will pay up to $2,000 toward burial expenses for deaths on or after September 11, 2001, or up to $1,500 for deaths prior to September 11, 2001. If the Veteran is buried in a VA national cemetery, some or all of the cost of transporting the deceased may be reimbursed.

Non-Service-Related Death

VA will pay up to $796 toward burial and funeral expenses for deaths on or after October 1, 2019 (if hospitalized by VA at time of death), or $300 toward burial and funeral expenses (if not hospitalized by VA at time of death), and a $796 plot-interment allowance (if not buried in a national cemetery)

Other Burial Benefits

Headstones and Markers

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also furnishes upon request, at no charge to the applicant, a government headstone or marker for the grave of any deceased eligible veteran in any cemetery around the world.  Spouses and dependents buried in a private cemetery are not eligible for a government-provided headstone or marker.  At the family’s own expense, upright markers can be etched into with spouse information in the event of the veteran passing away prior to the spouse. Flat markers in granite, marble, and bronze and upright headstones in granite and marble are available. The style chosen must be consistent with existing monuments at the place of burial. Niche markers are also available to mark columbaria used for inurnment of cremated remains. Please see attached photos for samples.

Presidential Memorial Certificate

A Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC) is an engraved paper certificate, signed by the current President, to honor the memory of honorably discharged deceased veterans.
This program was initiated in March 1962 by President John F. Kennedy and has been continued by all subsequent Presidents. Statutory authority for the program is Section 112, Title 38, of the United States Code.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers the PMC program by preparing the certificates which bear the current President’s signature expressing the country’s grateful recognition of the veteran’s service in the United States Armed Forces. Eligible recipients include the next of kin and loved ones of honorably discharged deceased veterans. More than one certificate may be provided.

Bronze Star Flag Holder

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs also provides Bronze Star Flag Holders for the graves of Veterans buried in Minnesota at a private cemetery. Request for grave markers must be submitted through a County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO). Markers will only be given out for those veterans who passed away during the prior calendar year.

Medallion Benefit

The Department of Veterans Affairs will provide, by request, a medallion which can be attached to an existing privately purchased headstone or marker to signify the deceased status of a veteran.

This new product is a traditional government headstone or marker for those veterans whose death occurred on or after Nov. 1, 1990. The medallion is available in three sizes: five inches, three inches, and one and a half inches. Each medallion will be inscribed with the word “VETERAN” across the top and the branch of service at the bottom. Once a claim for a medallion is received, approved and processed, VA will mail the medallion along with a kit that will allow the family or staff of a private cemetery to affix the medallion to a headstone, grave marker, mausoleum or columbarium niche cover.

Who is eligible for burial compensation?

A Veteran's Next of Kin is eligible for the monetary burial compensation if:

• They paid for a Veteran's burial or funeral, AND
• They have not been reimbursed by another government agency or some other source, such as the deceased Veteran's employer, AND
• The Veteran was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable, AND
  • The Veteran died because of a service-related disability, OR
  • The Veteran was receiving VA pension or compensation at the time of death, OR
  • The Veteran was entitled to receive VA pension or compensation, but decided not to reduce his/her military retirement or disability pay, OR
  • The Veteran died while hospitalized by VA, or while receiving care under VA contract at a non-VA facility, OR
  • The Veteran died while traveling under proper authorization and at VA expense to or from a specified place for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care, OR
  • The Veteran had an original or reopened claim pending at the time of death and has been found entitled to compensation or pension from a date prior to the date or death, OR
  • The Veteran died on or after October 9, 1996, while a patient at a VA-approved state nursing home.

NOTE: VA does not pay burial benefits if the deceased:

• Died during active military service, OR
• Was a member of Congress who died while holding office, OR
• Was a federal prisoner

What do you need to apply for Burial Benefits?

• Veteran's DD214 / Discharge Papers (original if available)
• Copy of the Veteran's death certificate
• "Paid in Full" funeral home invoice

What is State Soldier's Assistance Program (SSAP) Dental and Optical?

Dental benefits are provided to Veterans and their dependents for routine dental, extraction, and denture procedures. This benefit is income and asset based, and upon MDVA approval of eligibility you and your dependents may receive up to $1,500 for annual routine dental care paid to your choice of providers. If your dental provider determines that dentures are necessary, MDVA will issue an additional denture authorization for up to $4,000 of once-per-lifetime benefits, and if needed, an additional once-per-lifetime extraction authorization for up to $2,500 specifically for tooth extractions in preparation for the dentures.

Upon application, optical benefits are provided on an annual basis to Veterans and their dependents. This benefit is income and asset-based, and upon approval of eligibility you and your dependents may receive up to $600 paid to your choice of providers for annual eye exams and prescription eyewear, to include contact lenses.

*All Veterans enrolled in Federal U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) Health Care are eligible for a free eye exam. Those Veterans rated 10% or more for any service-connected condition are eligible for free eye exam and glasses at a USDVA Health Care System.

What do you need to apply for SSAP Dental & Optical?

• Veteran's DD214 / discharge papers (original if available)
• Veteran’s MN Drivers’ License (spouse’s, if applicable)
• Dependents Records (marriage certificates, death certificates, birth certificates, Social Security Numbers, DOB)
• Dental and optical providers contact information (located inside Carver County)
• Electronic print off from financial institution(s) of all transactions from all accounts, for the last 60 days
• List of all monthly income

What is the State Soldiers Assistance Program (SSAP) Veterans Relief Grant?

The State Soldiers Assistance Program offers a once in a lifetime Veterans Relief Grant, formerly known as the special needs grant. These grants are reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis. Income and assets are considered, but not the primary determining factor.

Common uses for the Special Needs Grant include: past due rent, utility bills, home repairs, and vehicle repairs.

What do you need to apply for SSAP Veterans Relief Grant?

• Veteran's DD214 / discharge papers (original if available)
• Veteran’s MN Drivers’ License (spouse’s, if applicable)
• Dependents Records (marriage certificates, death certificates, birth certificates, Social Security Numbers, DOB)
• Dental and optical providers contact information (located inside Carver County)
• Electronic print off from financial institution(s) of all transactions from all accounts, for the last 60 days
• List of all monthly income
• Other documents may vary depending on the claim

If you need to update your dependency information with the VA for any of the following reasons:

• Service Connected at 30% or higher
• Marriage
• Divorce
• Birth
• Death

You will need to bring in the following information:

• Marriage License (complete marriage history)
• Divorce Decree (complete marriage history)
• Birth Certificate
• Death Certificate
• Social Security Number for spouse and/or children
• Spouse and children's date and place of birth (city and state)

 Why is it important to update your dependency information?

You're entitled to an additional stipend for dependents at 30% service-connection. You have one year from the date of notification granting 30% service-connection, birth of a child, or a marriage to notify the VA and the VA will add them to your Award back to the date of life change. However, failure to notify the VA promptly of the loss of a dependent based on divorce or death may result in over-payments and create a debt with the VA.

The Veteran Services staff are members of the:

• Carver/Scott Housing Coalition
• Carver County Homeless Intervention Team
• Carver County Veterans Court Team
• Carver County Veteran's Assistance Program (CVAP)

The staff provides additional services to veterans including:

• recording and providing certified copies of veteran discharges as deputy recorders
• requesting documents from the National Personnel Records Center
• providing information to the Carver County Veterans’ Council
• working and collaborating with Carver County’s other departments/divisions on issues affecting veterans
• various outreach events in area communities