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Pension is a benefit paid
to wartime veterans who
have
limited or no income, and who are age 65 or
older, or, if under 65, who are permanently and
totally disabled. Veterans who are more seriously disabled
may qualify for Aid
and Attendance or
Housebound benefits. These are benefits that are paid
in addition to the basic pension rate.
Many older American
veterans are not aware of pension benefits available to veterans
over the age of 65 who don't have service-related disabilities. The
VA system has not been especially good about publicizing these
pension benefits. As a result, some authorities believe that as many
as three out of four eligible veterans are not receiving benefits to
which they are entitled.
Veterans may be eligible to receive a non-service-connected pension
when they have either reached the age of 65 or if they are
permanently and totally disabled. (It appears that the VA considers
being over the age of 65 to be a disability.)
For disabled veterans, the
disability does not have to be service-related. The veteran must
have served in uniform at least 90 days, at least one day of which
must have been during specific "periods of war:" World War II, the
Korean Conflict, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan are all
qualifying conflicts. The veteran may have been stationed either
stateside or overseas. The veteran's discharge must have been under
honorable conditions.
Eligibility for the Pension program is based upon financial need.
However, the VA does not publish actual figures. Benefit eligibility
is reported to be determined by actuarial statistics. As a rule,
veterans with less than $80,000 in
net assets often qualify. The veteran's home and one motor vehicle are not counted in
determining assets. The annual income of the veteran and dependent
family member(s) must be below certain limits. The VA provides a brief
explanation of the program and a summary of income limits in
here.
You can apply on line at
the following VA web site:
http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp .
You may download and fill
out
VA Form 21-526, Veteran's
Application for Compensation and/or Pension. Make
sure you download all parts of the application as well as the
instructions for filling out the forms. If available, attach
copies of dependency records (marriage & children's birth
certificates).
You must send the completed application and any copies of other
documents to the VA regional office that serves your area of
residence. Please click
here to find the
office of jurisdiction.
The application
process is complex, and errors or an incomplete application can
delay approval for months, or even result in benefits being denied.
We strongly, strongly suggest that you take advantage of the free
assistance offered by Texas VA Benefits Counselors.
VA Benefits Counselors
will walk you through the application process and assist you with
obtaining any supporting documents to help substantiate your claim.
Their services will cost you nothing. Locate one below... |
