Disability benefits are available to Veterans with a history of active service and specific service-connected disabilities.
Military Service Requirement for VA Disability Benefits
The most basic Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits requirement that must be met is a history of active service. To be considered active, a Veteran must have served either:
- Full-time in the United States Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard
- As a cadet at a United States Military, Air Force, or Coast Guard academy or as a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy
- In the Reserve or Air or Army National Guard, when service is activated by the federal government
The active service requirement may also be satisfied in some cases by having a history of:
- Service in certain national organizations affiliated with the Armed Forces
- Engaging in training for the Armed Forces
- Enrollment at a preparatory school at the Military, Coast Guard, or Air Force academies
There are a couple of conditions which may prevent Veterans from qualifying for benefits. These include:
- Dishonorable discharge. A Veteran who has met the active service requirement still won’t be eligible for benefits if he or she has received a dishonorable discharge. However, Veterans with other types of discharges, including honorable discharges, discharges under honorable conditions, and general discharges will still qualify.
- Willful misconduct. Willful misconduct is behavior that involves conscious wrongdoing or a known prohibited action. Veterans seeking VA benefits due to a disability created by their own willful misconduct will be ineligible to qualify for those benefits. However, the burden of proof is on the VA to show that the Veteran’s willful misconduct led to the disability.
Military Service-Connected Illness or Injury Requirement
To be compensable, a Veteran’s disabilities must stem from a disease or injury sustained or aggravated in the course of active military service. These disabilities are considered to be service-connected, and they are rated from zero percent to 100 percent. A Veteran must be at least 10 percent disabled by a service-connected injury or illness in order to receive compensation, and pay rates increase as this percentage rises.
Help Obtaining VA Disability Benefits
The process of qualifying for and receiving disability benefits can be confusing, but an experienced Veterans disability attorney can provide the assistance you need to get the maximum allowable compensation for your service-connected injury or illness. To learn more about how we can help, contact us today by clicking the Live Chat button on this page.
