27 Feb Types of VA Compensation Personal or Sexual Trauma Compensation
While serving in various capacities in the military, many men and women suffered personal or sexual trauma. Such veterans are still struggling with profound anger, embarrassment, anxiety, or fear due to these experiences. Personal or sexual trauma are human designed events that inflict or threaten harm. Trauma can be defined as psychological, emotional, or physical symptoms. Some of the examples of trauma include:
- Stalking
- Physical assault
- Domestic battering
- Rape
Compensation is given to any veteran whose disabilities have been proven to be worsened or caused by diseases or any injuries incurred while in the military service. Persons who are eligible for the disability compensation are those that are currently suffering from or are still in a disabling condition. Disability compensation can be applied by filling out specific forms (i.e., VA Form 21-526). There are female veteran coordinators and VA counselors readily available for assistance. The pension or compensation can be applied for at https://benefits.va.gov/benefits/vonapp.asp online.
Housebound compensation
When the VA determines a veteran to be permanently housebound or in dire need of the regular attendance and aid of another person, then he or she is entitled to additional pension payments or disability compensation. A veteran who is more disabled or has received a 30 percent evaluation has an entitlement to additional payments. The additional payment is for a spouse in dire need of another person’s attendance and aid.
Individual Unemployability Compensation
This is a part of the compensation program for VA disability that allows specific payments to be made by the VA to certain veterans for compensation at the rate of 100%; even though the service-connected disabilities have not been rated by VA at any total level. Veterans must be having difficulties in sustaining any substantially gainful employment due to their other service-connected disabilities. Again, they should have at least a single disability that is ratable at 40% and above with a 70% combined rating or more.
VA Forms 21-8940 should be submitted to any VA Regional Office when applying for an increased compensation that is based on unemployability. However, individual unemployability compensation doesn’t imply that the veteran isn’t working at all; however, the work should not be substantially gainful employment of any sort. It should be marginal employment. The difference between the two is that the earnings in substantially gainful employment are comparable to the specific occupation in the area where the veteran lives in. But in the case of marginal employment, the payment doesn’t exceed the amount stated by the Census Bureau as being the veteran’s poverty level.
After meeting the following criteria, special consideration is given for veterans:
- The veteran term is termed as unemployable because of service-connected disabilities, yet doesn’t meet the standards for minimum percentage
- There is proof of unusual or exceptional circumstances to earning capacity impairment because of disabilities (e.g., frequent hospitalization or interference with employment).
An employment questionnaire has to be completed on an annual basis by the veterans so that the continued eligibility to the individual unemployability may be determined by VA.
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