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What are Veterans Benefits?

Veterans benefits are administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide monthly payments to eligible veterans and their dependents.

Depending on the particular benefit being claimed, the injury or disease may or may not have to be connected to the veteran’s military service.

Likewise, whether the veteran served during a period of peacetime or war (which is different than actual combat service) can affect one’s eligibility depending on the type of benefit being claimed. However, for many of the more frequently awarded types of benefits, wartime service is not necessary.

Types of Veterans Benefits

There are a multitude of injuries and diseases that can qualify one for benefits. Some of the types of benefits available for veterans themselves include:

Disability compensation
Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU)
Special monthly compensation for loss (amputation) or loss of use of an extremity or organ
Disability pension
Aid and attendance
Housebound benefits

Veterans Benefits for Dependents

Veterans are not the only ones who may be entitled to VA benefits. Spouses and other dependents, including children and dependent parents, may qualify. Some of these types of benefits include:

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
Survivors’ (death) pension
Aid and attendance
Housebound benefits

Seal_of_the_United_States_Department_of_Veterans_Affairs_1989 2012

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start a claim for veterans benefits?
You can now apply online https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits-portal/ebenefits.portal. The VA recommends this option as an easy way to submit and track your claim. Alternatively, you can visit a VA Regional Office where staff can assist you. Be sure to bring with you any supporting evidence for your claim to avoid any unnecessary delay. You can also complete the application yourself and mail it in to your nearest VA Regional Office.
Where can I get the forms to apply for VA benefits?
Each type of VA benefit has its own VA form to be used to apply. You can search and print these from the VA website http://www.va.gov/vaforms/ or call your nearest VA Regional Office and they can mail the forms to you.
What evidence do I need to support my claim for VA benefits?
Supporting evidence will of course vary depending on the type of benefit for which you are applying. Generally, though, you will at least need:
- Discharge or separation papers (DD214 or equivalent)
- Service Treatment Records if they are in your possession
- Medical evidence (doctor & hospital reports)
- Dependency records (marriage and/or children’s birth certificate) if applying for dependency benefits
How long do I have to file a claim for VA benefits?
Generally, there is no statute of limitations or other deadline to file a claim for benefits. However, you are only eligible for benefits from the “effective date,” which is the date the VA receives the claim. This is important because it limits how much in retroactive benefits a veteran or dependent can receive; the longer you wait to apply, the more retroactive benefits you are potentially losing.
What can I do if I receive a decision denying my claim?
You must file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) with the VA letting them know that you dispute the decision they reached on all or part of your claim. You have up to a year from the date of the VA’s decision, but it is recommended that you file this as soon as possible to eliminate any unnecessary delay in the appeal of your claim. Once this Notice of Disagreement is filed, Perkins Studdard, LLP may be able to represent you in correcting the errors made in the initial decision so you get the VA benefits you deserve.
What can I do if I receive a decision that only grants me partial benefits?
Many veterans receive a decision approving them for benefits on only some of their claimed disabilities, or they receive a disability rating at a lower percentage than they feel is appropriate. Even if you “won” on some of the issues, you can still file a Notice of Disagreement (NOD) on the other issues or the amount of the disability rating for those deemed service-connected. There are other possible errors lurking in the decision, such as a later effective date, meaning you will not receive all the retroactive benefits to which you are entitled. Perkins Studdard, LLP is here to review those issues with you.
Do I have to pay any money up front to hire Perkins Studdard to represent me in my claim for VA benefits?
No. We handle veterans’ disability and pension claims with no up front cost. Your consultation is free and you only pay us if we recover something for you. Perkins Studdard, LLP charges a contingency fee in veterans’ claims, meaning we work for a percentage of what we recover for you from the VA.

I am elderly and need help from another person with certain personal tasks such as dressing, cleaning, or feeding. Am I eligible for any type of VA benefits to help pay for this?
“Aid and Attendance” benefits provide additional monthly benefits to a qualifying veteran or spouse who is housebound, in a nursing home, or requires the assistance of another. Aid and Attendance can be in the form of either Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for those receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities or Special Monthly Pension (SMP) for wartime veterans and their spouses who are totally disabled. These benefits are paid in addition to the underlying compensation or pension and can be a tremendous help to veterans and their dependents later in life.
My service-connected disabilities are less than 100%, but they prevent me from being able to work. Does the VA pay a benefit on account of this?
Yes. Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is a benefit under the VA’s disability compensation program that pays qualifying veterans at the 100% rate even though the VA has not rated their service-connected disabilities at the 100% level. Generally, the veteran must have at least one service-connected disability rated at 60% or more OR in the case of multiple disabilities have one rated at least 40% with a combined rating of 70% or more. The service-connected disabilities must be sufficient to prevent the veteran from performing the mental or physical tasks required to obtain or keep employment.
I have been diagnosed with a serious disease that I think was caused by Agent Orange in Vietnam. Can I now receive veterans' disability compensation for it?
If your disease is on the list of diseases considered to be the result of Agent Orange, then you likely can receive monthly disability compensation. Or, if you are the dependent of a veteran who dies as the result of one of these diseases, you may be entitled to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). The following is the current list of diseases presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure (38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e)):
- AL amyloidosis
- Chloracne or other acneform disease consistent with chloracne
- Type 2 diabetes (also known as Type II diabetes mellitus or adult-onset diabetes)
- Hodgkin’s disease
- Ischemic heart disease (including, but not limited to, acute, subacute, and old myocardial infarction; atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease including coronary artery disease (including coronary spasm) and coronary bypass surgery; and stable, unstable and Prinzmetal’s angina)NOTE : For purposes of this section, the term ischemic heart disease does not include hypertension or peripheral manifestations of arteriosclerosis such as peripheral vascular disease or stroke, or any other condition that does not qualify within the generally accepted medical definition of Ischemic heart disease.
- All chronic B-cell leukemias (including, but not limited to, hairy-cell leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia)
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- Acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy –NOTE : For purposes of this section, the term acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy means transient peripheral neuropathy that appears within weeks or months of exposure to an herbicide agent and resolves within two years of the date of onset. This is a very difficult requirement for any veteran to meet.
- Porphyria cutanea tarda
- Prostate cancer
- Respiratory cancers (cancer of the lung, bronchus, larynx, or trachea)
- Soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or mesothelioma)NOTE : The term “soft-tissue sarcoma” includes the following:Adult fibrosarcoma
  - Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
  - Malignant fibrous histiocytoma
  - Liposarcoma
  - Leiomyosarcoma
  - Epithelioid leiomyosarcoma (malignant leiomyoblastoma)
  - Rhabdomyosarcoma
  - Ectomesenchymoma
  - Angiosarcoma (hemangiosarcoma and lymphangiosarcoma)
  - Proliferating (systemic) angioendotheliomatosis
  - Malignant glomus tumor
  - Malignant hemangiopericytoma
  - Synovial sarcoma (malignant synovioma)
  - Malignant giant cell tumor of tendon sheath
  - Malignant schwannoma, including malignant schwannoma with rhabdomyoblastic differentiation (malignant Triton tumor), glandular and epithelioid malignant schwannomas
  - Malignant mesenchymoma
  - Malignant granular cell tumor
  - Alveolar soft part sarcoma
  - Epithelioid sarcoma
  - Clear cell sarcoma of tendons and aponeuroses
  - Extraskeletal Ewing’s sarcoma
  - Congenital and infantile fibrosarcoma
  - Malignant ganglioneuroma

Perkins Studdard is On Your Side!

Attorneys Travis Studdard and Jason Perkins are experts in Veterans Benefits claims and here to help you get the benefits you earned with your service!

Meet Jason Perkins

Meet Travis Studdard

Both Jason Perkins and Travis Studdard consider it a duty and a privilege to help the veterans who have served our country. Before starting his own law firm in 1952, Jason Perkins’s grandfather C.C. Perkins worked for the Georgia Department of Veterans Services helping veterans apply for and get VA benefits they deserved. Travis Studdard’s father served in the U.S. Navy and retired as a Commander.

Jason and Travis are very proud to serve military veterans and their families. We appreciate the sacrifices made by those who have honorably served our country. We understand that brave service often causes lifelong injuries and disabilities.

At Perkins Studdard, we are committed to making sure the VA upholds its promise to veterans and their families to provide benefits veterans deserve as a result of military service.

As part of this commitment, we provide free consultations to veterans. If you want to consult with us about possible appeal of a decision from the VA regarding veterans benefits, you can get a free consultation by completing this short form or calling us at (770) 214-8885.

Articles & Resources

Should I Pursue a 100% VA Rating?

Many veterans get frustrated with VA and the time that it takes to receive the benefits they should. While VA has a duty to assist veterans with their claims, it may often feel like they are not doing that. When veterans finally do receive a decision, that decision often has errors. These frustrations sometimes make […]

Should I Quit My Job and File for VA TDIU Benefits?

Many veterans have one or more service-connected disabilities that make it very difficult to work. Often, these veterans struggle to try to maintain a job despite these disabilities. Many times, these veterans will end up quitting a job because they just cannot continue working. Can I receive TDIU benefits if I quit my job? I talk […]

VA Sleep Apnea Benefits for a Deviated Septum

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Does a 40% VA Back Disability Rating Make Me Unemployable?

Many veterans develop low back conditions as a result of their military service. Veterans who apply for VA benefits for these conditions often receive a rating between 10 percent and 40 percent. Some veterans receive a 50 percent rating, but that difficult to qualify for. Often, low back these low back conditions worsen over time. […]

Can Veterans Receive VA Benefits for Bile Duct Cancer?

You may have seen news reports about bile duct cancer affecting many veterans who served in Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and other Southeast Asia countries. I have started to notice this cancer in veterans with whom I have spoken recently. The more technical term for bile duct cancer is cholangiocarcinoma. Cholangiocarcinoma is an extremely rare […]

Beware New VA Benefit Scam

I know that many veterans get frustrated with the delay of waiting for a decision form VA about their veterans disability benefits. Often it takes many months or years to make sure that VA reaches the correct decision on your case. Unfortunately, some scammers are trying to take advantage of this frustration that veterans experience. […]

Agent Orange Ship List Update – Don’t Give Up!

Vietnam veterans were exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides during their military service. As a result of this exposure, many veterans developed serious medical conditions including certain types of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. VA has developed special rules for determining whether Vietnam veterans have to prove their exposure to Agent Orange or are […]

Why Did VA Claim I Had a Preexisting Condition?

Many veterans get denied veterans disability benefits because VA says that their medical condition is preexisting. This can happen in many different types of claims. Some of the types of claims where I see these types of denials occur a lot are: Sleep apnea Orthopedic conditions (back, neck, shoulder, knee, and others) Heart conditions Preexisting […]

Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (RAMP)

One recent change that VA has made is sending out letter for the Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (RAMP). If you are a veteran with an appeal of your disability compensation claim, you have probably either already received or soon will be receiving a letter from VA about their new RAMP program. Many veterans have questions about […]

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You served our country.We are here to serve YOU.