The Office of Veteran Affairs (USA), Essay Example

The Office of Veteran Affairs (USA), was established to provide service veterans with a range of benefits.  These covered such activities as Disability, Education, Training, Vocational (job) rehabilitation and employment, home loan guaranty, Dependent and Survivor benefits, Medical treatment , Life Assurance and burial benefits.  Eligibility for VA support is based upon qualification as:

• Veteran, Veteran’s dependent
• Surviving spouse, child or parent of a deceased Veteran
• Uniformed service member

In order to address these needs the VA has been structured into three distinct departments:

1. Veterans Benefit Administration
2. Veterans Health Administration
3. National Cemetery Administration

The compensation for Disability  is a benefit paid to a veteran because  of personal injury or contraction of a disease whilst on active service or an existing condition that was made worse by active service.   This benefit also applies to certain veterans disabled from VA health care. The benefits are tax-free.  Additional amounts of compensation may be awarded in circumstances where:

• you have very severe disabilities or loss of limb(s)
• you have a spouse, child(ren), or dependent parent(s)
• you have a seriously disabled spouse   (US Department of Veteran Affairs)

Of particular importance is the work carried out by the department dealing with vocational rehabilitation and employment.  This has regional representation across the United States and has been designed to help returning veterans, particularly disabled veterans, to prepare for and obtain suitable jobs.  ” . For veterans with service-connected disabilities so severe that they cannot immediately consider work, VR&E offers services to improve their ability to live as independently as possible.”  (Department of Veteran Affairs)

The VA has adapted specific housing grant programs to meet the need of disabled veterans.   These grants for the purpose of constructing or modifying an existing home in order to meet special needs.  The Specially Adapted Housing program (SAH)   has a main aim of providing a “barrier free living environment” that will provide the veteran with a degree of independence that they might not otherwise enjoy.  The grants may also be used for such veterans taking up residence outside of the USA but it must be practical for the VA to provide assistance to the nominated country.  The VA through its various branches throughout the USA provides permanent disability id cards to those veterans who are unable to work and eligible to apply for compensation.  The VA Board in Florida issued the following notification: ” The Department of Veterans’ Affairs may issue an identification card to any veteran who is a permanent resident of the state and who has been adjudged by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor to have a 100-percent, service-connected permanent and total disability rating for compensation, this could also be a rating of Individual Unemployability from the VA, or who has been determined to have a service-connected total and permanent disability  rating of 100 percent and is in receipt of disability retirement pay from any branch of the United States”  (Florida Department of Veterans Affairs)

Works Cited

Department of Veteran Affairs. Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Service. 2009. 1 1 2010 <http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/>.

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. Florida Department of Veterans Affairs. 2009. 1 1 2010 <http://www.floridavets.org/benefits/ident.asp>.

US Department of Veteran Affairs. US Department of Veteran Affairs. 2009. 1 1 2010 <http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/compensation/>.