The

Veterans Benefits Administration The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is responsible for administering the department's programs that provide financial and other forms of assistance to veterans, their dependents, ...

(VBA) under the

US Department of Veterans Affairs The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet of the United States, Cabinet-level United States federal executive departments, executive branch department of the Federal government of the United States, federal government c ...

(VA) provides a wide variety of benefits to retired or separated

United States armed forces The United States Armed Forces are the Military, military forces of the United States. U.S. United States Code, federal law names six armed forces: the United States Army, Army, United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps, United States Navy, Na ...

personnel and their dependents or survivors. Through the VA, Veterans can receive educational assistance (GI Bill), healthcare, assisted living, home loans, insurance, and burial and memorial services. The VA also provides compensation to disabled veterans who suffer from a medical disorder or injury that was incurred in, or aggravated by, their military service, and which causes social and occupational impairment. Many U.S. states also offer disability benefits for veterans.

Types of Benefits

Educational Benefits

The VA offers several education and career readiness programs including tuition assistance, vocational training, and career counseling. The

Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 is Title V of the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008, , , an Act of Congress which became law on June 30, 2008.https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20 ...

(commonly known as the "Post 9/11 GI Bill") provides full tuition and fees at four-year colleges or other qualified educational programs for Veterans who served on active duty for at least 3 years after

September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, also known as 9/11, were four coordinated Islamist terrorist suicide attacks by al-Qaeda against the United States in 2001. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing the first two into ...

. The Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program (VA Chapter 38) provides free educational and career planning for eligible Veterans.

Medical Benefits

Eligible Veterans can receive VA health care, which covers standard preventative care and treatment services, as well as therapy and rehabilitation services, prosthetic items, and radiation oncology, among other services. Veterans with service-related physical conditions (e.g. chronic illness or injury) or mental health conditions (e.g. PTSD) can also apply for monthly tax-free disability compensation from the VA.

Employment Benefits

The Veteran Readiness and Employment program (VA Chapter 31) offers vocational rehabilitation, training, and other career services for Veterans who have a service-related disability. The Veteran Small Business Certification program provides advantages for Veteran-owned small businesses competing for government contracts.

Other Benefits

Additional benefits are available through the VA to qualifying Veterans including VA home loans, life insurance, pensions, and miscellaneous grants.

History

Archival record of the benefits awarded to injured soldiers and veterans of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

began after 1865. Union soldiers received a more committed pension archival effort on the part of the Federal government, thanks to superior databases in the North and a more stable bureaucratic oversight. Turmoil during Reconstruction in the war-weary South made any effort at maintaining pension records difficult if not impossible. Later university-led research projects would give insight into the history of pension provisions by the Federal government leading up to the Civil War. These analysis shed light on the ever-changing role of compensation in American society and delved into the idea that

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

soldiers received superior care after war than later Civil War veterans. In 1932 veterans from the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

marched on Washington as the

Bonus Army The Bonus Army was a group of 43,000 demonstration (protest), demonstrators—17,000 veterans of United States in World War I, U.S. involvement in World War I, their families, and affiliated groups—who gathered in Washington, D.C., in mid-193 ...

, also known as the Bonus Expeditionary Force, to demand benefits.

References

External links

US Dept. of Veterans Affairs' Benefitsmilitary veteran-benefits web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Veterans' Benefits Social security in the United States benefits

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Welfare economics