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7 lesser-known benefits for senior veterans

7 lesser-known benefits for senior veterans

One needs the utmost care and support as they grow older. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recognizes this responsibility and offers a wide array of benefits to ensure that senior veterans find comfort and security in their later years. From healthcare services to financial aid, the VA provides multiple benefits for senior veterans. To avoid missing out on available support, here are a few lesser-known VA benefits seniors can get:

1. Caregiver support
One of the lesser-known VA benefits for seniors is the Caregiver Support Program. Here, a dedicated professional called the Caregiver Support Coordinator (CSC) provides essential support services to caregivers, enabling them to care for the veterans. The services offered through this program include a monthly stipend, access to healthcare benefits, specialized caregiver training, mental health services, and respite care.

2. Life insurance
The VA offers a comprehensive array of life insurance benefits, which include policies catering to veterans, service members, and their family members. The range of policies offered by the VA includes Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI), Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI), and Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI).

3. Entrepreneurship assistance
The VA also offers a wealth of support and resources to veterans who wish to take up entrepreneurship. These benefits, meant for veteran-owned small businesses, are offered through programs administered by the VA’s Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). By registering their businesses with the Vets First verification program, veterans can get access to specific resources and opportunities. Additionally, the Small Business Administration (SBA) plays a vital role in this process, offering a spectrum of services specifically designed to assist and guide aspiring veteran entrepreneurs as they navigate the path to business ownership.

4. Unclaimed funds
The dynamic lifestyle of military service often leads to frequent relocations, an experience that can inadvertently scatter unclaimed funds across various states in veterans’ names. This could be in the form of forgotten savings accounts, insurance policies, uncashed checks, and utility deposits. These funds can be claimed via the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA), which ensures that the rightful owners get access to their unclaimed funds. To make the process easier, each state maintains a dedicated department to handle these funds. So, veterans can start the search for their unclaimed funds by entering their name on the NAUPA website or their respective state’s unclaimed property website.

5. Long-term care
For older veterans and their families, long-term care is a vital aspect of the support offered by the government. The VA offers long-term care services to eligible veterans, ensuring that they receive the assistance they require in their later years. This includes the following:

Home health care: This option provides older veterans with a team of dedicated professionals who offer nursing care, physical therapy, and crucial assistance with daily tasks.

Respite care: This valuable benefit for senior veterans provides temporary respite to their regular caregivers, often a family member or spouse.

Hospice care: This specialized service addresses critical medical needs and provides emotional support to veterans with serious illnesses.

Nursing home care: For veterans with complex healthcare requirements that demand a higher level of support, the VA offers nursing home care.

6. Mortgage assistance
The VA is also committed to helping veterans actualize their dream of homeownership by offering a range of programs to assist in securing home loans and mortgages. For instance, with the VA-backed home loan program, veterans can get home loans through private lenders, and the VA will step in to guarantee a portion of these loans. The VA also extends its support through various other home loan programs, each tailored to meet the unique needs of veterans. These include purchase loans, cash-out refinance loans, and Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans, among others.

7. Tax filing assistance
Older veterans can also avail of VA benefits to streamline their tax filing process without incurring any charges. Here, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offered by the IRS is aimed at simplifying the tax filing process. While its primary focus is helping individuals with an annual income of $75,000 or less, veterans also receive the benefit of unrestricted access. Along with that, the IRS offers its Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC) Program to veterans who are engaged in small businesses.

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