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Free Legal Service
Did you know Stetson University’s Veterans Law Institute, provides free legal services to veterans and their family members who are appealing decisions about their disability benefits?
Did The VA Contact You?
Did you know the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was supposed to contact you and offer you disability compensation if you served in Vietnam, were exposed to an herbicide like Agent Orange, got sick and submitted a claim that was denied? If you believe you qualify for benefits under Nehmer and had a denied claim for herbicide exposure and subsequent illness, call the VA right away. Don’t let them miss you again.
VA Math
Did you know the VA’s methods of calculating disability ratings don’t follow normal math methods? For instance, when a veteran comes in with two separate injuries rated at 50%, they would only get approximately 75% disability. At the same time, in some cases only a 90% disability rating would be needed for the VA to round to the nearest 10% and give the veteran full benefits at the 100% rating.
New Login Procedures
Did you know in 2025, veterans will need to start using a Login.gov or ID.me account to sign in to VA websites and apps, including My HealtheVet? The time is now! Veterans are encouraged to create a Login.gov or ID.me account asap. If you already have one of these accounts but haven’t yet used it, start now so you have time to get used to it before the change. With Login.gov or ID.me, you’ll have access to all the same information and services you use today.
Farmers Veteran Coalition Fellowship Fund
Did you know the Farmers Veteran Coalition Fellowship Fund was developed to cultivate a new generation of farmers and food leaders, and develop viable employment and meaningful careers through the collaboration of farming and military communities?
More Pay for Enlisted Troops
Did you know as of July 2024, Junior enlisted troops will get $20 added to their paychecks for the next six months through a congressionally authorized pot of money intended to help fight the rising cost of living for the lowest paid in the military?
Veterans Owed Retroactive Benefits
Did you know a recent inspector general report found VA failed to identify tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans who could qualify for retroactive benefits? The VA has been forced to pay over $5 billion in retroactive benefits to Vietnam veterans and their survivors. Little is known that the VA agreed with a legal consent decree to find everyone who had previously filed a claim based on one of the Agent Orange diseases, re-decide the claim under the new rule that added the disease, and then pay retroactive benefits back to the date of the initial claim.
PTSD
Did you know during WWI, WWII, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War that post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was referred to as "soldier's heart," "shell shock," or "combat fatigue"?
Did You Know?
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Four Types of PTSD Symptoms
Did you know there are generally four types of PTSD symptoms? They are: Reliving the event (re-experiencing). You may feel like you are going through the event again. This is called a flashback. You may see, hear, or smell something that causes you to relive the event. This is called a trauma reminder, cue, or trigger. News reports, war movies, seeing an accident, or hearing emergency vehicles are examples of trauma reminders.
The Importance of Advance Directives
Did advance directives are documents that state your medical wishes if you can't speak for yourself? Advance directives, like living wills and healthcare powers of attorney, are crucial. They ensure a veteran's medical wishes are known to family and doctors. This helps in making sure those wishes are followed.
Veterans Forced To Pay Back Money
Did you know a federal law has forced nearly 122,000 disabled veterans in the last 12 years to return payouts? The law prohibits veterans from receiving both disability and special separation pay, which are one-time, lump-sum incentives offered to service members when the U.S. had to reduce its active-duty force. VA executives report they legally bound to recover special separation benefits from veterans before those eligible can begin receiving disability payments. Efforts are being made to change this law immediately.
Waiver Blocks Forced Pay Back
Did you know veterans may pursue a waiver of their separation pay recoupment responsibilities for certain special separation benefits under the law? To get a waiver for voluntary separation pay, the VA said the secretary of the applicable branch of service must determine that “recovery would be against equity and good conscience or would be contrary to the best interests of the United States.”
Expanded Access to Benefits
Did you know veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan — or K2 — after September 11, 2001, will receive expanded access to disability benefits? The Soviet-era K2 base was used by U.S. soldiers, airmen and Marines as a point into and out of Afghanistan during that war.
Majority of Veterans Don't Know About This Grant
Did you know many veterans are unaware they're eligible for home modification grants through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). An AARP survey found 60% of veterans aged 45 and older weren't aware of grants available through the VA. The grants provide eligible veterans with a disability rating of one all the way to 100% up to $117,000 to pay for renovations. The VA offers more than $150 million through these grant programs each year.
Dependents May Get Hiring Preference
Did you know an employer may voluntarily establish a policy which grants preference in hiring to a veteran or a certain family member of a veteran pursuant to the provisions of federal employment law? These preferences for the employment of veterans are not be considered a violation of any state or local equal employment opportunity law.
Attend College Free
Did you know a spouse or surviving spouse of a qualified veteran, within ten years from the date of eligibility (the date in which the Veteran was determined to be a “Qualified Vet”), may attend any public, postsecondary education institution within their state without having to pay tuition, and other school-imposed fees such as non-residency fees or special fees?
K2 Veterans Eligible for Benefits
Did you know veterans who have suffered debilitating illnesses after exposure to jet fuel, solvents and other environmental hazards while serving at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan after September 11, 2001, will be able to receive disability benefits? The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently made the announcement.
