Automobile And Special Adaptive Equipment Grants
Can a Veteran Receive Financial Assistance From VA to Purchase an Automobile?
Yes. Financial assistance, in the form of a grant, is available to purchase a new or used automobile to accommodate a veteran or servicemember with certain disabilities that resulted from an injury or disease incurred or aggravated during active military service.; The grant may also be paid, if disabilities are a result of medical treatment, examination, vocational rehabilitation, or compensated work therapy provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs .
The grant is paid directly to the seller of the automobile for the total price of the automobile. The veteran or servicemember may only receive the automobile grant once in his/her lifetime.
What Disabilities Must You Have to Qualify for the Automobile Grant?
A veteran or servicemember must have one of the following disabilities to qualify for the automobile grant:
- loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both feet
- loss, or permanent loss of use, of one or both hands, or
- permanent impairment of vision in both eyes to a certain degree
Does VA Pay to Adapt a Vehicle?
Yes. Those qualified for the automobile grant, and veterans or servicemembers with ankylosis of one or both knees or hips resulting from an injury or disease incurred or aggravated by active military service may also qualify for the adaptive equipment grant.
The adaptive equipment grant may be paid more than once, and it may be paid to either the seller or the veteran.
What Is The Benefit Of Qualifying For Tdiu
The main benefit of qualifying for TDIU is getting paid at a 100% VA rating level.; There is a substantial difference between what you will draw for a VA rating of 90% and a VA rating of 100%.
For example, a veteran alone in 2017 would draw almost $1,800 a month with a 90% rating but would draw almost $3,000 a month with a 100% rating.; So, there is a difference of approximately $1,200 per month.; This means that a veteran with a 100% rating will receive over $14,000 a year more than a veteran with a 90% rating.
If the veteran has dependents , then the benefit numbers are a little different depending on the number and type of dependents.; But, veterans with a 100% rating still receive around $1,200 a month more than similar veterans with a 90% rating.
Should I Appeal My 70 Percent Va Disability Rating
As you probably know, if you appeal your 70 percent VA disability rating, the VA has an opportunity to lower your rating. If you truly believe you deserve only a 70 percent VA disability rating, appealing may not be in your best interest.
However, do understand that a large number of veterans successfully appeal their ratings.
Winning a VA disability appeal isnt impossible. You just need to understand how to appeal correctly, write briefs, submit evidence, create new medical reports with experts, legal precedence okay, you get the idea, theres a lot that goes into the appeals process. Appealing a 70 percent VA disability rating is not as easy as filling out a couple of forms like many Veterans Service Officers would have you believe.
This article explores two different scenarios that veterans with a 70 percent VA disability may be considering. The first is appealing for a 100% rating and the second scenario is appealing for TDIU benefits. The next two sections cover the pros and cons of both legal strategies.
Learn More:;Calculate your rating with our;VA Disability Benefits Rating Calculator
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Va Disability Fuzzy Math Example
Veterans must understand that theyre battling against theVAs fuzzy math calculation when trying to increase their service-connected VArating.
If youre trying to go from 70% to 100% or 80% to 100%, youmust layer in some High Value Claims or increase the VA rating on conditionsalready service connected, otherwise, you simply cant get theremathematically.
VA disabilities are NOT cumulativeinstead, they are factored into each other, in order, from highest VA rating down to lowest rating, and multiplied against one another to determine your overall combined VA disability rating.
If you have more than one disability rating from the VA, youcan use the top-rated VA Disability Calculator to compute your combined ratingin two simple steps.
>>Click HERE to access the best VA Disability Calculator <<
VA fuzzy math computes the remaining efficiency aftercalculating each disability, starting from the highest rated disability down tothe lowest.
For example, a 30% rating for your Back Condition and a 60%rating for your GERD would be 72% rounded down to 70%.
60% of your body is disabled, which leaves or 40% healthy.
The next highest disability is 30%, so you multiply thisdisability by the remaining healthy percentage in your body , which is then added to the disabled part.
So, youre 60% disabled plus the 12% disabled = 72% disabled, which rounds down to 70%.
This process continues until youve exhausted the combinedrating calculation.
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How To Determine Your Disability Compensation
To determine your disability compensation, you need to file a claim with VA. The VA rates your disability by severity after reviewing every piece of evidence in your claim.
You may only receive compensation for a single diagnostic code per condition, even if that condition satisfies more than one diagnostic code. However, those with more than one condition may receive additional compensation based on the combined rating system.
You may receive additional compensation if:
- You have very severe disabilities or loss of limb
- you have a spouse, children, or dependent parents
- you have a seriously disabled spouse
Note: If you have more than one child or your spouse receives Aid and Attendance benefits , be sure to include the figures from the “Add” row.
Did you know: Veterans can use their disability income in conjunction with their VA loan benefits. Speak with a home loan specialist to see how much you can afford.
Do Veterans Need To Meet All Criteria In Vas Mental Health Rating Formula
Importantly, veterans do not need to exhibit every single symptom listed in the rating criteria to receive that particular disability evaluation.; Since mental health conditions can manifest differently per individual, VAs rating formula for mental health conditions is not binding.; Symptoms listed in each level of the rating formula are simply examples meant to demonstrate the types and levels of impairment commonly found at that assigned percentage rating.
For example, a veteran may be so anxious that they pick at their skin, causing physical harm to themselves.; In this case, skin picking can be considered as both self-injurious behavior and an obsessive ritual that interferes with routine functioning, thereby warranting a 70 percent disability rating.; Even though skin picking is not in and of itself a symptom that is listed in the rating criteria, it is similar to other symptoms that are listed.
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About The Va Disability Rating System
Veterans with a disability that developed or worsened while serving in the military or due to military service may be eligible for Service-Connected disability pay.
Conditions covered by these benefits typically include:
- Physical disabilities including hearing loss, chronic back pain, asthma and cancers caused by contact with toxic chemicals.
- Mental disabilities including anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder , depression and traumatic brain injury .
Find a complete list of covered conditions here.
For every disability claim, the Department of Veterans Affairs assigns a severity rating ranging from 0-100%. This rating moves in 10% increments, is based on service treatment records, VA medical records, and private medical records directly relating to the disability.
For Veterans with more than one disability, the VA uses the combined rating table to calculate your disability percentage.
Can I Apply For Tdiu If My Highest Rated Service
Yes.; The threshhold of a 60% rating for at least one service-connected disability is not the only way to potentially become eligible for TDIU.; Veterans with a combined VA rating of 70% who have at least one rating of 40% can also apply for TDIU.
So, VA allows you to apply for TDIU if you have one very severe service-connected disability.; It also lets you apply if you have several service connected disaiblities and one of them is pretty severe.
The thought here by VA seems to be the same.; One severe disability may make it very difficult for you to work, but one fairly severe disability combined with several more minor disabilities may also prevent you from working.
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Special Monthly Compensation For Serious Disabilities
Can a Veteran Receive Additional Payments for Serious Disabilities?
VA can pay additional compensation to a veteran who, as a result of military service, incurred the loss or loss of use of specific organs or extremities.
What Is Considered Loss or Loss of Use?
Loss, or loss of use, is described as either an amputation or, having no effective remaining function of an extremity or organ. The disabilities VA can consider for SMC include:
- loss, or loss of use, of a hand or foot
- immobility of a joint or paralysis
- loss of sight of an eye
- loss, or loss of use, of a reproductive organ
- complete loss, or loss of use, of both buttocks
- deafness of both ears
- inability to communicate by speech
- loss of a percentage of tissue from a single breast, or both breasts, from mastectomy or radiation treatment
What if I Have a Combination of These Disabilities?
VA will pay higher rates for combinations of these disabilities such as loss or loss of use of the feet, legs, hands, and arms, in specific monetary increments, based on the particular combination of the disabilities. There are also higher payments for various combinations of severe deafness with bilateral blindness.
Additional SMC is available if a veteran is service connected for paraplegia, with complete loss of bowel and bladder control.
In addition, if you have other service-connected disabilities that, in combination with the above special monthly compensation, meet certain criteria, a higher amount of SMC can also be considered.
Increase Va Disability Rating Tip #6: Nail Your C&p Exam
VA C&P Exam: 10 Things to Know Before You Go
According to Brian Reese VA Insider, the VA Compensation andPension exam, also known as a C&P exam is the;#1 most important dayin the VA claim process.
A veteran can do everything else right to try to increaseyour VA disability rating, but if you miss your C&P exam or worse, geta;Bad C&PExaminer, the results can make or break your final VA rating.
Its shameful I know; however, the sad reality is that the VARaters will rely almost solely on the exam notes presented by the in-personC&P examiner.
Dont worry though, even if you have a terrible C and Pexam, there is still hope and you can fight it!
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Veterans Guardian Can Help Answer That Question
The VA disability process can be a difficult, elaborate, and confusing process that requires in depth knowledge and expertise to navigate successfully. Many veterans are either unaware of the benefits they are eligible for, unwilling to engage the process due to its complexity, or frustrated with previous efforts with the VA.Veterans Guardian provides the expertise, knowledge and resources to bridge these gaps.
Best Way To Get 100 Va Disability: The Experts Guide
Fellow disabled veterans, if youve ever wondered about the best way to get 100 VA disability, listen up, because this expert guide is for you!
Brian Reese here,;VA disability claim expert, CEO @ Military Disability MadeEasy;and founder @;VAClaims Insider.
Today Ill be breaking down the best way to get 100 VAdisability using tips, strategies, and lessons learned from helping over 5,000disabled veterans increase their VA disability rating through oureducation-based resources.
Oh, and just so you know, these VA disability increase strategieswork regardless of your current VA rating, but especially if youre wonderinghow to increase VA disability from 80 to 100 and how to increase VA disabilityfrom 90 to 100.
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Filing A Claim To Increase Va Rating
If a veteran finds that one or more of his or her conditions are rated too low, they can file a claim to increase the VA rating 70% to 100% or file an appeal. If a year or more has passed since receiving a rating decision, the claim will need to be reopened. This is with new and material evidence. This can include reports from doctors or physical therapists, records from hospitalizations, statements from friends and family, or personal veteran statements.
What Does It Take To Get A 70% Ptsd Rating
VA uses diagnostic codes to assign ratings to all different conditions. ;It will help to discuss the diagnostic code used to rate PTSD so that you can understand what a 70 percent rating means.
For a 70 percent rating, the PTSD diagnostic code states:
- Occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas, such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood, due to such symptoms as: suicidal ideation; obsessional rituals which interfere with routine activities; speech intermittently illogical, obscure, or irrelevant; near-continuous panic or depression affecting the ability to function independently, appropriately and effectively; impaired impulse control ; spatial disorientation; neglect of personal appearance and hygiene; difficulty in adapting to stressful circumstances ; inability to establish and maintain effective relationships.
The focus of the diagnostic code is on occupational and social impairment. ;This means VA focuses on how your PTSD affects your ability to work and your ability to maintain relationships.
There are many different rating levels for PTSD. ;If you would like some more specific information on that, I would suggest reading this article which discusses all of those ratings and how VA rates PTSD.
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Fully Developed Disability Claims
The next fasted option is the Fully Developed Disability Claims program.
The primary difference between the FDDC program and filing a standard claim is the Veteran must provide all evidence upfront and certify there’s no additional evidence needed to make a claim decision.
At a minimum, the Veteran should provide:
- All military personnel records on the condition, and
- All service treatment records on the condition, and
- All private medical records on the condition, and
- All VA health records or supplementary information about related VA health records that the VA can request on your behalf
If the VA requires additional information, the claim typically gets removed from the FDDC program and is processed as a standard claim.
Disabled Veterans And Caregivers To Gain Access To Exchanges Commissaries And Recreation Facilities
About Ryan Guina
Ryan Guina is the founder and editor of The Military Wallet. He is a writer, small business owner, and entrepreneur. He served over 6 years on active duty in the USAF and is a current member of the IL Air National Guard.
Ryan started The Military Wallet in 2007 after separating from active duty military service and has been writing about financial, small business, and military benefits topics since then. He also writes about personal finance and investing at Cash Money Life.
Ryan uses Personal Capital to track and manage his finances. Personal Capital is a free software program that allows him to track his net worth, balance his investment portfolio, track his income and expenses, and much more. You can open a free Personal Capital account here.
Featured In: Ryan’s writing has been featured in the following publications: Forbes, Military.com, US News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, Reserve & National Guard Magazine , Military Influencer Magazine, Cash Money Life, The Military Guide, USAA, Go Banking Rates, and many other publications.
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Is A 10% Va Disability Rating Worth It
For most veterans, the answer is yes. Everyone can use a steady stream of tax-free money. This not only provides a hedge against job loss, medical bills, or other unexpected life events but can help you plan for retirement. If the disability is permanent, like tinnitus, you could receive these payments for the rest of your life.
Moreover, a VA disability claim rated at 10% provides a stepping stone to greater benefits if your medical issues worsen or you develop new medical issues as a result of the disability. Once the VA approves a claim, simple inertia can keep the VA moving forward in approving additional or related benefits.
Finally, the derivative benefits the VA provides above and beyond the disability payments are often just as valuable as the cash. Free healthcare and prescription drugs to treat the disability, plus a preference for federal hiring and reduced closing costs for VA home loans can give you a secure job, health insurance, and a home.
Predicting whether you can obtain a 10% VA disability rating is difficult and will depend on the nature of the disability and the strength of the evidence. Contact a VA lawyer to discuss your VA disability benefits claim regardless of where you are currently located and whether you were deployed.
Standard Va Disability Claims
With standard VA disability claims, the VA gathers evidence and compiles all supporting documents.
If the VA is unable to obtain a needed document, they may require your help. When help is required, it typically applies to documents not held by a federal agency, such as private medical records, employer information, and documents from state or local governments.
As with all claims programs, be prepared to provide your DD214 , service treatment records, VA medical records, and private medical records about your claim. Those needing help applying for their VA disability claim may also work with an accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Officer .
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