Veterans Benefits Administration

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Veterans Benefits

Administration

Supportive Services for Veteran Families

(SSVF)

September 20, 2011

Richard Ivy

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Veterans Benefits Administration 2

Veterans Benefits Administration Veterans Health Administration National Cemetery Administration Secretary

Department of Veterans Affairs

“To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan,” President Lincoln

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Veterans Benefits Administration

 Benefits Assistance

 Compensation and Pension

 Education

 Loan Guaranty

 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment (VR&E)

 Insurance

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Benefits Assistance

Mission

The Mission of the Benefits Assistance Service is to serve as advocates for Veterans, Service members, eligible

beneficiaries and other stakeholders, to ensure they are

knowledgeable and informed about accessing and receiving VA benefits and services.

Vision

Our Vision for the Benefits Assistance Service is to be the premier organization for our clients; to proactively provide

information and knowledge about VA benefits and services, in a positive 21st century experience that is consistent, concise and relevant.

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

Full-time VBA Homeless Veterans Outreach

Coordinators (HVOC) at 20 Regional Offices (RO)

with the largest Veteran populations



Remaining RO have a part-time HVOC (with

collateral duties)

Benefits Assistance

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Veterans Benefits Administration 6 6

Full-time VBA Homeless Veterans Outreach

Coordinators (HVOC) at 20 Regional Offices

San Juan Anchorage Honolulu Seattle Portland Togus Buffalo White River Jct. Manchester Boston Providence Hartford Roanoke Winston Salem St. Petersburg Wilmington New York Philadelphia Newark Baltimore Reno Salt Lake City Albuquerque Phoenix Denver Boise Ft. Harrison Cheyenne Sioux Falls Fargo Lincoln Columbia St. Paul WACO Muskogee Wichita Milwaukee Detroit Houston New Orleans Jackson Little Rock St. Louis Des Moines San Diego Nashville Atlanta Montgomery Indianapolis Chicago Louisville Pittsburgh Oakland Cleveland Los Angeles Huntington DC Eastern Area Southern Area Central Area Western Area

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 Conduct outreach to homeless Veterans and their families

– homeless shelters and stand downs

– VA Medical Centers, clinics and centers

– through state, tribal and local community partners

– other areas where homeless Veterans may be located

– Jails and prisons

 Provide information and assistance on VA benefits and services including eligibility information, filing a claim, and referrals to other homeless programs for Veterans

Benefits Assistance

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 “No Wrong Door” Approach

– Collaboration with the Veterans Health Administration and other government and local community offices

– Homeless Veterans can enter the system through one

access point and receive assistance for an array of services and benefits through referrals

Benefits Assistance

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Preventing Veteran Homelessness



Pre-Discharge Program (includes Guard and

Reservists)

–

Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD)

• Between 60-180 days of separation from active duty

–

Quick Start

• Less than 60 days remaining on active duty

 Transition Assistance Program (TAP)

– Access to VA benefits information prior to separating

from military service

 Post 9/11 GI Bill

– Access to education benefits to support financial

stability

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Preventing Veteran Homelessness

 Home Loan Guaranty

 Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment

 Resumption of benefits from date of release

of incarceration

– evidence of anticipated release from incarceration

needed from a parole board or other official prison

source dated no more than 30 days before the

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Compensation and Pension



Disability Compensation

– Monetary benefit paid to Veterans who are disabled by an injury or illness that was incurred or aggravated during active military service

– Disability may be rated from 0% to 100%, Payments made for 10% to 100%.



Disability Pension

– Needs-based benefit paid to Veterans with low incomes who are permanently and totally disabled or are age 65 or older

– Must have 90 days or more of active military service, at least one day of which was during a period of war

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Rating Vet Only Vet+S Vet+S+1C Vet+S+2C Vet+S+3C

10% $123 N/A N/A N/A N/A

20% 243 N/A N/A N/A N/A

30% 376 421 453 475 497 40% 541 601 644 674 704 50% 770 845 899 936 973 60% 974 1,064 1,129 1,174 1,219 70% 1,228 1,333 1,409 1,461 1,513 80% 1,427 1,547 1,634 1,694 1,754 90% 1,604 1,739 1,837 1,904 1,971 100% 2,673 2,823 2,932 3,007 3,082

Compensation – Current Rates

Rates effective Dec. 1, 2010 S = Spouse C = Child(ren)

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

Expedited claims processing

– 75 average days pending fiscal year 2011 target



Reporting system on homeless Veterans claims

processing



Electronic “homeless” flash to properly identify

homeless Veterans in our systems



VA Central Office oversight to ensure claim

development and decisions are made

expeditiously

Compensation and Pension

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Education

 Post 9/11 GI Bill- (Chapter 33); August 2009

 Montgomery GI Bill – Active Duty (Chapter 30)

 Montgomery GI Bill – Selected Reserve (Chapter

1606)

 Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)

(Chapter 1607)



Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA)

(Chapter 35)

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Education

Post 9/11 GI Bill

 Served on active duty after 09/10/01 will be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill if the individual:

– Served for an aggregate period of at least 90 days.

– Served at least 30 continuous days and received a disability discharge.

 Generally receive 36 months of benefits, but are limited to 48 months of combined benefits under educational assistance programs administered by VA

 Benefits payable include:

– Tuition and Fees (amount determined by months of active duty)

– Monthly Housing Allowance

• Equivalent to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents

– Stipend for Books and Supplies

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Loan Guaranty

 Zero downpayment loans made by mortgage

lenders

 VA guarantees up to $104,250

 Maximum no downpayment loan: $417,000 in

most areas; may be higher depending on area

median price

 Funding Fee (Regular Military)

– 1st time use 2.15%

– 2nd time use 3.3%

– Funding fee waived for those with compensable

service-connected disabilities

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 Achieve and maintain suitable employment

– Evaluation of the Veteran’s abilities, skills, interests, and needs

– On-the-job and non-paid work experience education or training such as certificate, two or four-year programs

 Independent Living

– Training in activities of daily living – Personal adjustment counseling

 Coming Home to Work

– Provides early intervention services to OEF/OIF

Servicemembers and Veterans in accessing VR&E services

 Vocational Educational Counseling

– Assistance in establishing employment and educational goals when transitioning from military service

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Insurance

 Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance  Veterans’ Group Life Insurance

– post-separation insurance which allows Servicemembers to convert their SGLI coverage to renewable term insurance

 Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance

– Application must be made within two years of the granting of new service-connection for a disability

 Veterans Mortgage Life Insurance

– Veteran must have received a specially adapted housing grant from VA. – amount of coverage equals the amount of the mortgage still owed but the

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»Free VA health care for all rated service-connected

conditions

»Specially Adapted Housing Grant

»Automobile Grant

»Vocational rehabilitation & employment services

»VA life insurance - $10,000

»Veteran’s preference in Federal hiring

»VA home loan guaranty funding fee waived

»Possible state and local benefits

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Burial Benefits

120+ Cemeteries Nationwide



Gravesite



Opening and closing



Headstone/marker/medallion



Burial flag



Funeral honors



Presidential Memorial Certificate



Burial cost reimbursement



Perpetual care

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Benefits information (800) 827-1000

Education Benefits (888) 442-4551 Health Care Eligibility

(877) 222-8387 SGLI/VGLI (800) 419-1473 VA Life Insurance (800) 669-8477 eBenefits www.ebenefits.va.gov VA Home Page www.va.gov VA on Facebook www.facebook.com/Veterans Affairs VA on Twitter http://twitter.com/DeptVetAffairs

VA on the Internet VA by Phone

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Help Your Buddy

VA’s

National Suicide Hotline Resource

1-800-273-TALK

(8255)

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The National Resource Directory (NRD) is a Web site

for wounded, ill and injured Service Members, Veterans,

their families and those who support

them.

Find a Homeless Coordinator