So, you want to know about some of the best Veteran Benefits?
According to the Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA), here’s a list of disabled veteran benefits from 0% to 100%, to include special circumstances:
Veteran Benefits Matrix
There is also an if/then tree diagram of benefits, which describes a special military service or disability circumstance plus the benefits you are eligble to receive.
Special VA Benefits List by Circumstance
| IF… | THEN… |
|---|---|
| You are a Medal of Honor Recipient. | – Medal of Honor Pension – Use of commissaries, exchanges, and morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) retail facilities, in-person and online. |
| You are a Former Prisoner of War. | – No cost health care and prescription medications – No cost dental care – Use of commissaries, exchanges, and morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) retail facilities, in-person and online. |
| You have a service connected disability with anatomical losses or impairment due solely to service connected disabilities. *If you are a Veteran with service connected disabilities rated at 50% or more you may qualify for a Home Improvement Specially Adapted grant for a non-service connected condition. | – Special Monthly Compensation – Specially Adapted Housing/Special Home Adaptation Grant – Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance – Automotive Grant/Automobile Adaptive Equipment – Home Improvement Specially Adapted Grant* |
| Your outer clothing was permanently damaged by the wheelchair, prosthetic or orthopedic device that you use for your service connected condition, or your outer clothing was permanently damaged by the medication you take for your service connected skin condition. | – Clothing allowance |
| You separated from military service with a total disability rating. | – Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance two year extension |
| You are a beneficiary of Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, Traumatic Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance, or Veterans Group Life Insurance. | – Free Beneficiary Financial Counseling – Free online will preparation |
| You have a new service connected disability. | – Service Disabled Veterans Insurance |
| You are recovering from surgery, or you have a joint that is immobilized by a cast without surgery for a service connected disability. | – Temporary monetary compensation at the 100 percent rate |
| You are hospitalized for more than 21 days for a service connected disability. | – Temporary monetary compensation at the 100 percent rate |
| You recently separated from military service with an unstable disability and are likely not self-sufficient. | – Temporary monetary compensation at the 100 percent rate |
| You have an Individual Unemployability rating by VA. | – Dependents Educational Assistance (unemployable condition must be considered permanent) – Special Restorative Training – CHAMPVA–Civilian Health and Medical Program (unemployable condition must be considered permanent) – Dental care (if rated unemployable) |
| You have a new disability or an existing disability, which was aggravated during medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation or while participating in compensated work therapy. | – Monthly monetary compensation for compensable disabilities – VA Health Care |
| You are a male or female Veteran who served in the Republic of South Vietnam, or the Korean DMZ and you have a biological child with Spina Bifida. | – Monthly monetary compensation VA Health Care – Vocational training for child |
| You are a female Veteran who served in the Republic of South Vietnam and your biological child has a covered birth defect. | – Monthly monetary compensation – VA Health Care – Vocational training for child |
| You are separating from military service within 180 days, or you are separated from military service less than one year. | – Educational and Career Counseling |
| You have current eligibility for a VA education program. | – Educational and Career Counseling |
| You are a spouse or dependent child of a Servicemember who dies in the line of duty. | – Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (subject to income limitations for dependent child) – Dependents Educational Assistance – Special Restorative Training – Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (active duty death after September 10, 2001) – Home Loan Guaranty benefit (surviving spouse only) – CHAMPVA–Civilian Health and Medical Program |
| You are the spouse or dependent child of a Veteran who died from a disability related to military service. | – Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (subject to income limitations for dependent child) – Dependents Educational Assistance – Special restorative training – Home Loan Guaranty benefit (surviving spouse only) – CHAMPVA–Civilian Health and Medical Program |
| You are the parent of a Servicemember who dies in the line of duty or Veteran who died from a disability related to military service. | – Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (subject to income limitations) |
About the Author
Brian Reese
Brian Reese is one of the top VA disability benefits experts in the world and bestselling author of You Deserve It: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Veteran Benefits You’ve Earned (Second Edition).
Brian’s frustration with the VA claim process led him to create VA Claims Insider, which provides disabled veterans with tips, strategies, and lessons learned to win their VA disability compensation claim, faster, even if they’ve already filed, been denied, gave up, or don’t know where to start.
As the founder of VA Claims Insider and CEO of Military Disability Made Easy, he has helped serve more than 10 million military members and veterans since 2013 through free online educational resources.
He is a former active duty Air Force officer with extensive experience leading hundreds of individuals and multi-functional teams in challenging international environments, including a combat tour to Afghanistan in 2011 supporting Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.
Brian is a Distinguished Graduate of Management from the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO, and he holds an MBA from Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business, Stillwater, OK, where he was a National Honor Scholar (Top 1% of Graduate School class).
