USA SPENDING C&P B104 PENSION FOR NON-SERVICE CONNECTED FOR VETERANS OCT2018

<p>VBA BENEFIT PROGRAM to assist wartime veterans in need whose non-service- connected disabilities are permanent and total preventing them from following a substantially gainful occupation. A Veteran who meets the wartime service requirements is potential eligible if he/she is: • permanently and totally disabled for reasons not necessarily due to service, • age 65 or older, or • is presumed to be totally and permanently disabled for pension purposes because: o he/she is a patient in a nursing home for long-term care due to a disability, or o being disabled, as determined by the Commissioner of Social Security (SS) for purposes of any benefits administered by the Commissioner, such as SS disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income. Income restrictions are prescribed in 38 U.S.C. 1521. Pension is not payable to those whose estates are so large that it is reasonable they use the estate for maintenance. A Veteran meets wartime service requirements if he/she served: • a total of 90 days or more during one or more periods of war; • 90 or more consecutive days that began or ended during a period of war; or • for any length of time during a period of war if he/she was discharged or released for a service-connected disability. Veterans entering service after September 7, 1980, must also meet the minimum active duty requirement of 24 months of continuous service or the full period to which the Veteran was called to active duty. (38 U.S.C.5303(A)).</p>

退伍军人事务部福利项目（VBA Benefits Program）旨在帮助有需求的战时退伍军人，此类军人因非服役相关残疾永久完全丧失从事具有实质收益的职业的能力。
符合战时服役要求的退伍军人，若满足以下任一条件，则具备申领资格：
- 因非服役原因导致永久完全残疾；
- 年满65周岁；或
- 因以下情形被认定为可按养老金相关规定推定完全永久残疾：
- 因残疾需长期入住养老院接受护理；或
- 经美国社会保障署（Social Security, SS）署长认定为残疾，以符合该署管理的各类福利（如社会保障残疾补助金或补充保障收入）的申领要求。

收入限制标准详见《美国法典》第38篇第1521条（38 U.S.C. 1521）。若退伍军人遗产数额巨大，合理判断其可通过遗产维持自身生活，则不予发放养老金。

退伍军人若满足以下任一服役情形，则符合战时服役要求：
- 在一次或多次战争期间累计服役90天及以上；
- 在战争期间开始或结束的连续服役时长达到90天及以上；或
- 在战争期间服役，且因服役相关残疾被退伍或解除兵役，无论服役时长多少。

1980年9月7日之后入伍的退伍军人，还需满足最低现役要求：连续现役时长不少于24个月，或服完被征召的全部现役期限。（详见《美国法典》第38篇第5303(A)条（38 U.S.C.5303(A)））