Veterans Benefits Attorneys Helping Vets Access Benefits in Hot Springs, Arkansas and Surrounding Areas

You spent time serving your country, and you deserve benefits for your courage and patriotism. As you probably found out during your duty, any government organization can complicate processes with piles of paperwork and tons of red tape. The Veterans Administration is no exception, and getting the benefits you deserve can be a frustrating and time-consuming task.

At Dudeck Law Firm, we are dedicated to serving the brave men and women who have served our country. We are here to help you every step of the way, starting with the application process. Call Dudeck Law Firm today at 501-327-3527 for help getting the benefits you deserve.

Are There Veterans Benefits Available Besides Health and Disability?

The best-known veterans benefits are health and disability benefits, but there are additional benefits that veterans may be entitled to, including:

Pension Programs: Requirements: limited income and assets, at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during wartime, or aged 65 or older who are disabled
Education Programs: Requirements vary, as there are multiple “GI Bill” benefits. Consult one of our veterans benefits attorneys for more information.
Housing and Home Loan Guarantees: Requirements vary. VA home loans can often require a $0 down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and no cap.
Job Training: The Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) protects the employment and reemployment rights of veterans, Reservists, and National Guard Members.
Small Business Promotion: The VA encourages VA contracting offices to include veteran-owned contractors in mailings to solicit bids.
Counseling: Outreach and readjustment counseling services are available via 300 community-based Vet Centers located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and America Samoa.
Burials and Memorials: Deceased veterans may be honored with benefits like burial in Arlington National Cemetery, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, a free headstone, and a possible cash allowance to help with expenses for qualifying veterans.

How Do I Qualify for Disability Benefits?

As a disabled United States veteran, you may be eligible to receive a tax-free monthly financial benefit. The amount of your disability payment disability depends on how your service-connected disability or condition is rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you have multiple service-connected conditions, your monthly compensation will be based on a combined disability rating.

The Department of Veterans Affairs assigns a disability rating based on the frequency, severity, and duration of your disability symptoms.

A combined disability rating of at least 10 percent is required to qualify for monthly VA disability payments. The highest compensation is awarded for the highest disability rating the VA can assign to a veteran’s condition, which is 100 percent.

If your combined disability rating is 30 percent or higher, additional monthly compensation for qualifying dependents, such as your spouse or children, may be available to you.

What is Required for VA Health Benefit Eligibility?

You may be eligible for VA health care benefits if you served in the active military, naval, or air service and were not dishonorably discharged. Those who enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which they were called to active duty.

Exceptions to the minimum duty requirement include:

Discharge for a disability that was caused or made worse by your active-duty service
Discharge for a hardship or “early out”
Service prior to September 7, 1980.

Current and former members of the Reserves or National Guard qualify if they:

Have been called to active duty by a federal order
Completed the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty, provided that active-duty status was not solely for training purposes.

How Do Priority Groups Affect Me?

When you apply for Veterans Administration health care coverage, you are placed into one of 8 priority groups.

Which group you are assigned to is based on a combination of all of these factors:

Income level
Medicaid eligibility
Military service history
Disability rating
Other benefits you receive

If you have a service-connected disability, you will receive the highest priority. Those with high income and no service-connected disabilities that are being compensated are assigned to the lowest priority group.

You will be assigned to the highest priority group you qualify for if you qualify for more than one.

Can You Help with Application Denials?

As frustrating as it can be, it is common for veterans benefits to be denied on the first try. It does not necessarily mean that you cannot access benefits if you are denied the first time you apply. The appeals process, however, can be difficult and time-consuming to do on your own. The help of a skilled veterans benefits attorney can greatly increase your chances of success.

If your VA benefits application was not successful, you may file a Notice of Disagreement, request a review of your case by a senior ratings specialist, or file a supplemental claim. All of these options require complex documentation and extensive knowledge of the veterans benefits system in order to be successful.

The skilled veterans benefits lawyers at Dudeck Law Firm appreciate and honor your service, and we want to help you get the benefits you so richly deserve. Our attorneys work with veterans on a regular basis to explain what benefits might be available, help with applications, and appeal denials. We pride ourselves on minimizing the hassles and maximizing the chance of success for the courageous men and women of our armed forces. Call Dudeck Law Firm today at 501-327-3527.