Many people are surprised that they qualify for aging Veterans services without having to have a service-related disability. The Veteran’s Pension and Survivor’s Pension Programs offer benefits that can be used by a Veteran or their surviving spouse to help with costs for in-home medical care, assisted living facilities and even nursing homes.
There are 3 tiers of eligibility with different requirements for each. However, all 3 require that you (or your spouse) served at least 90 days, with only 1 day of service occurring during the following time periods:
- WWII: Dec. 7, 1941 – Dec. 31, 1946
- Korea: June 27, 1950 – Jan. 31, 1955
- Vietnam: Aug. 5, 1964 (or Feb. 28, 1961 for those “in country”) – May 7, 1975
- Gulf War: Aug. 2, 1990 – date determined by Congress
In addition to these dates of service, there are 3 more important things you need to know:
- The veteran (or the spouse) does not need to have a service related disability to qualify.
- The veteran (or the spouse) does not need to have retired from the military to qualify.
- The veteran (or the spouse) does not need to have been in combat to qualify.
Before you discount yourself from benefits earned by service to your country, give us a call at 217-726-9200 to find out if the specifics of your situation can qualify you for this little known benefit. We are one of the only law firms in Central Illinois to be accredited to help with Veterans Benefits. Helping veterans and their families is our great privilege.