What You Need to Know About Veterans Disability Settlement
The VA program compensates for disability due to loss of earning capacity. This system is different from workers’ compensation plans.
Jim received a lump sum settlement. The VA will increase each year the lump sum over a period of one year. This will decrease his Pension benefit. He will only be able to apply again for his pension benefit once the annualized amount has been returned to him.
Compensation
Veterans and their families may be entitled to compensation from the government for injuries they suffered during their military service. These benefits could be an income from a pension or disability. There are a few important points to be aware of when considering a personal injury lawsuit, or settlement for a disabled veteran.
If a veteran who has a disability receives a settlement or jury award against the party responsible for their injuries, and also has an VA disability claim in the same year, then the amount of that settlement or award can be taken out of their VA payments. This kind of garnishment comes with certain limitations. First the court must have filed a petition for apportionment of the disability compensation. Only a small portion that is usually between 20 and 50 percent, of the monthly compensation could be garnished.
It is also important to remember that compensation is based not on the actual earnings of a veteran, however, on the percentage. The higher a veteran’s disability rating, the greater the compensation they’ll receive. Surviving spouses and children of disabled veterans who die of a service-related illness injuries are eligible for a special benefit called Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
There are many misconceptions regarding the impact of veterans’ pensions or disability payments, as well as other compensations from the Department of Veterans Affairs on money issues during divorce. These misconceptions can make a divorce even more difficult for veterans and their families.
Pensions
Clarendon hills veterans disability attorney (https://vimeo.com/709397209) Disability Pension is a tax-free monetary benefit that provides rockmart veterans disability law firm suffering from disabilities that were incurred or aggravated through military service. It is also available to surviving spouses and dependent children. The pension rate is determined by Congress and based on the amount of disability, the degree of disability, as well as whether there are dependents. The VA has specific rules regarding the way assets are calculated to determine the eligibility criteria for the Pension benefit. In general, the veteran’s home or personal effects as well as a vehicle are not considered, and the remaining assets that are non-exempt for the veteran must not exceed $80,000 to demonstrate financial need.
It is common knowledge that courts are able to garnish VA disability payments to pay court-ordered child support or spousal maintenance obligations. However, it’s important to recognize that this is not the case.
The courts are only able to garnish the veteran’s pension when they have waived their military retirement pay to receive compensation for disability. The law that governs this is 38 U.S.C SS5301(a).
It is important to understand that this doesn’t apply to CRSC or TDSC pay, as these programs are specifically designed to provide a higher level of income to disabled veterans. It is important to note that a veteran’s personal injury settlement could affect their eligibility for aid and attendance.
SSI
If a veteran has no earned income and has permanent disabilities they could be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This is a need-based program. A person must have low income and assets to be eligible for SSI. Some individuals can also receive an annual pension from the VA. The amount is determined based on the length of service, wartime period and disability rating.
Most veterans are not qualified to receive both a Pension and Compensation benefit simultaneously. If someone receives an income from disability and a pension from the VA however, it won’t pay a Supplemental Social Security income benefit.
The VA must report to the Social Security Administration your monthly military retirement, CRDP, or CRSC. This usually results in an increase in your SSI benefit. SSA can also make use of the VA waiver of benefits to determine your SSI income.
If a veteran is ordered to pay support pursuant to an order issued by a court the court may send the order directly to VA to garnish the military retirement. This could be the case in divorce cases where the retired person waives their military retired benefits in exchange for their VA disability benefits. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled in the case of Howell that this practice violated federal law.
Medicaid
A veteran who has a disability resulting from service can qualify for Medicare and Medicaid benefits. He must show that he’s in the look-back period, which is five years. Additionally, he has to present documents that demonstrate his citizenship. He cannot transfer his assets without a fair value but he is able to keep one vehicle and his primary residence. He also has the option of keeping up to $1500 cash or the face value of the life insurance policy.
In divorce, the judge may decide that the veteran’s VA disability benefits can be considered income for the purposes of the calculation of post-divorce child support and maintenance. The reason for this is that numerous court cases have confirmed the rights of family courts to use these payments to calculate support. These include rulings from Florida (Allen v. Allen), Mississippi (Steiner v. Steiner), and Wisconsin (In Re Marriage of Wojcik).
The VA disability payment is based on the severity of the condition. It is based upon an index that evaluates the severity of the condition. It can range from 10 percent to 100 percent and higher ratings bringing the highest amount of money. It is also possible for veterans to receive additional compensation for aid and attendance expenses, or special monthly compensation that is not based on a schedule but upon the degree of the disability.