Many people in Indiana served the nation in one of the branches of the armed forces. Unfortunately, many of these people were hurt or developed illnesses during their service. Some of these injuries or illnesses were evident immediately but others took time to manifest. People in these situations may qualify for special disability benefits due to their veteran status.

As explained by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are different types of benefits for disabled veterans. One of these is called disability compensation and it provides monthly financial benefits to the veteran directly. These benefits are not subject to income tax. Some disabilities require high levels of care for the person. If a particularly high level of care is needed, the veteran may qualify for what is called special monthly compensation. This is essentially disability compensation at a higher rate to account for the care needs.

Surviving spouses and dependents may also be eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation benefits and even for special monthly compensation benefits depending on the situation.

The Military Wallet indicates that disability rates paid to veterans are determined based in part on the nature of the disability and whether or not the veteran has any children. In 2019, the amount of money paid for veteran’s disability compensation rose by 2.8%, much more than in the preceding years. In 2016, there was no increase in these benefits at all and in 2017, the increase was a mere 0.3%. Last year, the benefit payments rose by 2%. A disability rating can range from 10% to 100%.