For soldiers who have done their duty for their country, the Department of Veteran Affairs offers several types of disability benefits. But not all VA benefits are created equal-- the benefits you receive for your disability claim will vary from person to person. The Department of Veteran Affairs has 8 "priority groups" which they use to decide which types of benefits a veteran will receive; "1" is the highest and "8" (which as of 2003 is no longer assigned to new veterans) is the lowest. The level of priority you are given will depend entirely on your disability (and whether it is service- or non-service-connected), your situation financially, and the level or intensity of your disability.

Since whether or not a disability is service-connected or non-service-connected can have a great effect on the benefits you will receive, it’s important to have a good understanding of the specific requirements for each of these two types of benefits.

The Requirements for Non-service-Connected Benefits

A veteran who suffers from a total and permanent disability qualifies for non-Service-connected benefits. Qualifiying for non-service-connected benefits can also be dependant on a few other issues:

•Income- Being eligible for non-service-connected benefits is based on the recipient having limited earnings and a net worth too low to provide the veteran with adequate maintenance. To get more information on income eligibility requirements, please see 38 U.S.C.S. §§1521-22.

•Service - To reach eligibility for a non-service-connected pension, a veteran must have one day or more of active duty in a "period of war", with at least 90 days total active duty. For those enrolled in the military after 1980, however, the requirement is simply a full period of active duty. Specifically, a veteran who was enrolled for the fist time after (or on) Sept. 8, 1980 will need to have completed a minimum service period, which should amount to either twenty-four continuous months of active duty or the entire period that individual was called for to active duty. Additionally, the veteran must have active service that includes a total of ninety days during one or more periods of war; ninety or more consecutive days, one day of which is during a period of war; or at least one day of wartime service that results in a discharge for service-connected disability.

•Discharge- To be eligible for benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs, your discharge from the military needs to have been under non-dishonorable circumstances.

Service-Connected Benefits Requirements

Unlike with non-service-connected benefits, veterans who receive service-connected benefits do not need to be fully disabled, have served during wartime, or meet an income or net worth requirement. Rather, you will be required to prove the source and current condition of your disability using:

•Evidence of current disability- Because benefits for a service-connected disability are awarded only to those with a current disability, an applicant for these benefits must provide recent medical records diagnosing the current state of their disability.

•Substantiation of the disability or injurys occurrance Veterans applying for service-connected benefits must next provide evidence that their current disability was either incurred during or worsened by military service. Veterans should keep in mind, though, that the VA uses the term "in-service" broadly, also including injuries that occurred during leave.

•Evidence of connection between past injury and current disability- This requires that applicants give evidence of a connection between the injury incurred in service and the current disability.