BENEFITS: Veterans and Their
Dependents Abroad
Veterans and their dependents who live abroad are eligible for benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). In brief, the available benefits include the following:
Veterans and their dependents who live abroad are eligible for benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA). In brief, the available benefits include the following:
The following is a brief description of each available benefit offered by the VA to those veterans and their dependents who live outside CONUS (Continental United States). These descriptions are taken verbatim from the VA's own website.
For additional information on each, click on the associated link, and good luck!
Al Colombo, USVI Director
U.S. Veteran Information (non-governmental)
* Disability Compensation: Monthly monetary benefit payable to veterans who are disabled by injury or disease incurred or aggravated during active military service. Go to: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/FactSheets/COMPEG.DOC
* Dependency and Idemnity Compensation: Monthly monetary benefit payable to surviving spouses, certain children, and low-income parents of service members or veterans who died from:
* Pension: Veterans with low incomes may be eligible for this monetary support if they have 90 days or more of active military service, one day of which was during a period of war. The veteran must be permanently and totally disabled for reasons traceable to neither military service nor to willful misconduct.
Go to: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/FactSheets/PENSONEG.DOC
* Death Pension: Surviving spouses and unmarried children of deceased veteran with wartime service may be eligible for a nonservice-connected pension based on need.
Go to: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/FactSheets/DPENEG.DOC
* Medical Treatment: Medical treatment for service connected disabilities can be had while living abroad.
Go to: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/foreign/Medical.htm
* Education benefits: Monetary assistance is available to veterans, surviving spouses and dependent children through the Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty), Montgomery GI Bill (Selected Reserve), Veterans' Education Assistance, and Dependents Education Assistance programs.
Go to: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/FactSheets/CH30EG.DOC
* Vocational Rehabilitation & Counseling: An eligible service-connected disabled veteran may receive employment assistance, self -employment assistance, training in a rehabilitation facility, and college and other training needed to overcome an employment handicap caused by his/her service-connected disability. While in training and for 2 months after completing training, eligible veterans may receive subsistence allowances in addition to their disability compensation or retirement pay. Outside of the United States, the veteran must be training in a degree-granting college or university.
Go to: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/FactSheets/CH31EG.DOC
* Burial Benefits: Eligible veterans may be entitled to a burial allowance, a burial flag, a headstone or grave marker, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and burial in a National cemetery.
Go to: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/FactSheets/BURIALEG.DOC
* Insurance: Two regular and two disabled insurance programs are currently open for new policyholders. Servicemen's Group Life Insurance is open to active-duty members of the uniformed services. Veterans' Group Life Insurance is available to individuals released from active duty after August 1, 1974, and to reservists. Service Disabled Insurance is available for veterans with service-connected disabilities.
* Educational Programs Abroad: VA's Education Service may approve certain education programs for veterans living abroad.
Go to: http://www.gibill.va.gov/Vet_Info/OS_TrngV.htm
For more detailed information and eligibility criteria, the latest version of the VA publication, Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents (2006 Edition), is available in PDF format.
Go to: http://www1.va.gov/opa/vadocs/current_benefits.asp
Document on the VA site: http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/foreign/benefits.htm
