Service Connected Disability Pension

Disability Compensation is a monthly payment made to a veteran who has incurred a service-connected disability rated at 10% or more while in the military or who has aggravated a pre-existing condition rated at 10% or more. The VA also assists in adapting homes and/or automobiles for veterans who are totally and permanently service-connected disabled.

Eligibility Requirements

You must have a disability that originated while you were in the service or a disability presumed to have been caused by certain risk factors associated with military service.

You must have active military service and been discharged under conditions other than Dishonorable. Types of qualifying service includes:

  1. Active Duty; and
  2. Any period of active duty for training during which the individual concerned was disabled or died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty to include National Guard and Reserves; or
  3. Any period of inactive duty for training during which the individual concerned was disabled or died from an injury or aggravated in line of duty.

Presumptive Illnesses

Specific illnesses are presumed to be caused by exposure to certain risk factors such as Agent Orange Herbicide and blood or body fluid transfer. Some of the risk factors and their related illnesses are:

Agent Orange Herbicide

Agent Orange Herbicide was used by the military as a defoliant in Korea and Vietnam in the 1960's and early 1970's. Illnesses related to Agent Orange Herbicide are:

  • Chloracne or other acne form disease consistent with chloracne. (Must occur within one year of exposure to Agent Orange)
  • Hodgkin's disease
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
  • Acute and Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy. (For purposes of this section, the term acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy means temporary peripheral neuropathy that appears within weeks or months of exposure to an herbicide agent and resolves within two years of the date of onset.)
  • Porphyria Cutanea Tarda (Must occur within one year of exposure to Agent Orange)
  • Prostate Cancer
  • Respiratory Cancers (cancer of the lung, bronchus, larynx, or trachea)
  • Soft-tissue Sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, or mesothelioma)
  • Adult Onset (type II) Diabetes Mellitis
  • Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

This list may be expanded upon in the future and all veterans are urged to make application for benefits even for conditions not on the specified list since there is a possibility for retroactive benefits if the condition is later added to the list.

Hepatitis C

If you have been diagnosed with Hepatitis C it may be possible to obtain disability benefits for your condition and any secondary condition resulting from Hepatitis C if you were exposed to the following risk factors while you were in the service:

  • Exposure to large amounts of blood and body fluid
  • Received a blood transfusion or hemodialysis prior to 1992
  • Received tattoos or body piercings
  • Tried injection drugs or shared needles or snorting straws
  • Shared razors, toothbrushes or any item that could carry blood
  • received a vaccination from an air-jet injector

If you believe that you may have a service connected disability please contact our office at 507-237-4090.