Comments on: Disability benefits: For homeless veterans, the difference between a roof and the street http://kosu.org/2012/11/disability-benefits-for-homeless-veterans-the-difference-between-a-roof-and-the-street/ The State's Public Radio Tue, 21 May 2013 16:36:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: vethelp http://kosu.org/2012/11/disability-benefits-for-homeless-veterans-the-difference-between-a-roof-and-the-street/comment-page-1/#comment-123016 vethelp Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:42:55 +0000 http://kosu.org/2012/11/disability-benefits-for-homeless-veterans-the-difference-between-a-roof-and-the-street/#comment-123016 To add to this, the VA classifies every veteran at the age of 65 "permanetly and totally" disabled for pension purposes. This is not the same as service connected disability. That classification at the age of 65 means if a veteran is homeless or makes less than $1,000 a month, they are eligible for the "Basic" level of the VA's "Improved Pension", which is a 3-tier benefit most veterans or their widows know nothing about. The Basic level has no other requirement other than meeting the financial means test. Essentially for a veteran living on the streets or in their car, there is an estimated $1,000 tax-free money they could be receiving. While not an incredible amount of money, it would mean a winter coat, shoes, clothes, food and shelter that otherwise could not be afforded. There needs to be a public outcry demanding the VA be forthcoming with information on pension benefits that have this type of impact. To add to this, the VA classifies every veteran at the age of 65 "permanetly and totally" disabled for pension purposes. This is not the same as service connected disability.

That classification at the age of 65 means if a veteran is homeless or makes less than $1,000 a month, they are eligible for the "Basic" level of the VA's "Improved Pension", which is a 3-tier benefit most veterans or their widows know nothing about. The Basic level has no other requirement other than meeting the financial means test. Essentially for a veteran living on the streets or in their car, there is an estimated $1,000 tax-free money they could be receiving. While not an incredible amount of money, it would mean a winter coat, shoes, clothes, food and shelter that otherwise could not be afforded. There needs to be a public outcry demanding the VA be forthcoming with information on pension benefits that have this type of impact.

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