The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs offers various benefits to veterans and their families. These tax-free benefits can ease the financial burden for disabled veterans who are unable to work due to their disabilities or who require assistance with daily living expenses.

Compensation and pension are helpful but very different options for veteran disability benefits. It is crucial to understand the distinctions between the two benefits.

What is a veteran disability compensation benefit?

Veteran Compensation Benefit is a program that offers veterans monthly financial payments to make up for illness or injury acquired while serving in the U.S. military. Compensation disability benefits assist in replacing the income that a veteran would have been able to earn had they not been hurt while serving.

How do you know if you are eligible for compensation?

You are eligible for veteran disability compensation if you attain the following requirements:

• You served on active duty and active duty for training or inactive duty training and currently suffer from a disability that affects your mind or body.
• Evidence suggests that the previous duty condition was made worse during military service beyond what would have been expected.
• You have a disability brought on by your time on active duty, but it did not manifest itself until after you left the service.
• Evidence shows that current illness or injury relates to the time and kind of service.
• The condition was acquired and became fatal for the veteran due to medical care received at a VA facility.

What is a veteran disability pension benefit?

Veteran disability pension is a monthly benefit intended to help veterans struggling financially due to disability or disease when the condition is not service-related. The pension benefit is based on a veteran’s inability to work with no anticipated improvement, rather than their length of service.

How do you know if you are eligible for a pension?

You only qualify for a veteran disability pension if:

• Your household has low annual income.
• Medical proof demonstrates your total and permanent disability. The Aid and Attendance Benefit may be available to veterans and spouses who require long-term care and assistance.
• The veteran had at least 90 days of continuous active duty, with at least one of those days being during an acknowledged time of war.

You cannot get both disability benefits and VA pension payments at the same time. However, the number of the veteran’s dependents and other criteria may increase the monthly payout.