 |
|
  |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
40 Coxe Avenue
Asheville, NC 28802
(828) 250-5500
|
|
|
Economic Services:
Veterans
We are Buncombe County's Veterans Affairs (VA) department.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our Nation's veterans,
service members, and their families.
VA pledges to:
- Treat you with courtesy, compassion and respect at all
times
- Communicate with you accurately, completely and clearly
- Provide timely service to you
- Make our services accessible to you
- Fully answer your questions, concerns and complaints
|
|
VA benefits and services fall into these major categories:
- Disability Benefits
- Education & Training Benefits
- Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment
- Home Loans
- Burial Benefits
- Dependents' and Survivors' Benefits
- Life Insurance
- Health Care
|
You may be eligible for VA health care benefits if you are a
veteran. You may be eligible for other VA benefits if you are:
- a veteran
- a veteran's dependent
- a surviving spouse or child of a deceased veteran
- a member of the Reserves or National Guard
- an active duty service member
|
|
We administer two disability programs. Both pay monthly benefits
to disabled veterans.
- Disability Compensation: We can
pay you compensation if you are at least 10% disabled as
a result of your military service.
- Disability Pension: We can pay
you a pension if you are a wartime veteran with limited
income and you are no longer able to work.
Time Limits: There is no deadline for applying for disability
benefits.
Education and Training
We pay benefits to eligible veterans, dependents, reservists,
and service members while they are in an approved training
program. Our major programs are:
- Montgomery GI Bill Persons who first entered active duty
after June 30, 1985, are generally eligible. Some Vietnam
Era veterans and certain veterans separated under special
programs are also eligible. The bill also includes a program
for certain reservists and National Guard members.
- Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) This program
is for veterans who entered active duty for the first time
after December 31, 1976, and before July 1, 1985, and contributed
to a training fund.
- Survivor's & Dependent's Educational Assistance Some
family members of disabled or deceased veterans are eligible
for education benefits.
Time Limits: Generally, veterans have 10 years from the date
they were last released from active duty to use their education
benefits. Reservists generally have 10 years from the date
they became eligible for the program unless they leave the
Selected Reserves before completing their obligation. Spouses
generally have 10 years from the date we first find them eligible.
Children are generally eligible from age 18 until age 26.
These time limits can sometimes be extended.
Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment
We can help certain service-disabled veterans get and keep
suitable employment. Some of the services we provide are:
- Employment and case management services
- Vocational and Rehabilitation counseling
- Payment of training costs
- Monthly payments to help with living expenses
- Medical and dental treatment, if needed, to complete your
program
Time Limits: You generally have 12 years from the date we
tell you in writing that you have at least a 10 percent rating
for a service-connected disability. You may have longer if
certain conditions prevent you from training or if you have
a serious employment handicap.
Home Loans
We offer a number of home loan services to eligible veterans,
some military personnel, and certain spouses.
- Guaranteed Loans We can guarantee part of a loan from
a private lender to help you buy a home, a manufactured
home, a lot for a manufactured home, or certain types of
condominiums. We also guarantee loans for building, repairing,
and improving homes.
- Refinancing Loans If you have a VA mortgage, we can help
you refinance your loan at a lower interest rate. You may
also refinance a non-VA loan.
- Special Grants Certain disabled veterans can receive grants
to have their homes specially adapted to their needs.
Time Limits: There is no time limit for a VA home loan, except
for eligible reservists. Their eligibility expires September
30, 2007.
Burial Benefits
We offer certain benefits and services to honor our Nation's
deceased veterans.
- Headstones and Markers We can furnish a monument to mark
the unmarked grave of an eligible veteran.
- Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC) We can provide
a PMC for eligible recipients.
- Burial Flag We can provide an American Flag to drape an
eligible veteran's casket.
- Reimbursement of Burial Expenses. Generally, we can pay
a burial allowance of $2,000 for veterans who die of service-related
causes. For certain other veterans, we can pay $300 for
burial and funeral expenses and $300 for a plot.
- Burial in a VA National Cemetery Most veterans and some
dependents can be buried in a VA national cemetery.
Time Limits: There is no time limit for claiming reimbursement
of burial expenses for a service-related death. In other cases,
claims must be filed within 2 years of the veteran's burial.
|
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is payable to survivors
of:
- Servicemembers who die on active duty
- Veterans who died from service-related disabilities
- Certain veterans who were being paid 100% VA disability
compensation at time of death
Death Pension is payable to some surviving spouses and children
of deceased wartime
veterans. The benefit is based on financial need.
VA Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA) shares the
cost of medical services for eligible dependents and survivors
of certain veterans.
Time Limits: There are no time limits for applying for the
benefits described above.
Health Care
We provide a number of health care services.
- Hospital, outpatient medical, dental, pharmacy and prosthetic
services
- Domiciliary, nursing home, and community-based residential
care
- Sexual trauma counseling
- Specialized health care for women veterans
- Health and rehabilitation programs for homeless veterans
- Readjustment counseling
- Alcohol and drug dependency treatment
- Medical evaluation for military service exposure, including
Gulf War, Agent Orange, radiation, or other environmental
hazards.
Life Insurance
Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) is low-cost term
life insurance for service members and reservists. Generally,
coverage begins when you enter the service. It is available
in amounts up to $200,000. Generally, it expires 120 days
after you get out of the service.
Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) is renewable five-year
term life insurance for veterans. It is available in amounts
up to $200,000. You may apply any time within 1 year from
the date your SGLI expires.
Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance also called "RH"
Insurance, is life insurance for service-disabled veterans.
The basic coverage is $10,000. If your premium payments for
the basic policy are waived, you may be eligible for a supplemental
policy of up to $20,000. Generally, you have 2 years after
being notified of your service-connected disability to apply
for basic coverage.
|
Monday through Friday
8:00am - 5:00pm
|
|
Please call for appointments.
|
|
To file claims for compensation/pension:
- Please bring all military separation papers and social
security numbers of dependants.
- If applicable the name of your bank, routing number, and
account number.
- If you are a married veteran and there were previous marriages,
we will need the dates and places of the previous marriages
and the dates and places of termination for you and your
spouse.
- If you are a surviving widow or widower, previous marital
information is also needed if applicable.
- Pension:
If applying for pension we will also need all sources of
income and net worth.
Dependency and indemnity compensation:
- We will need military separation papers or veterans C
file number
- All marital information
- Dependants social security numbers
- Banking account information if applicable
Veterans and dependants education:
Please call the office
|
There is no charge for this service.
|
Ellen White
250-5726
ellen.white@buncombecounty.org
Toll-Free Service Benefits Information and Assistance
Each VA benefit has its own eligibility requirements. For
more information about specific benefits, you may visit the
nearest VA office or call: 1-800-827-1000
Special Toll-Free Numbers
| Health Benefits |
877-222-8387 |
| Education Benefits |
888-442-4551 |
| VA Life Insurance |
800-669-8477 |
| Office of SGLI |
800-419-1473 |
| CHAMPVA |
800-733-8387 |
| Gulf War |
800-749-8387 |
| Headstones (status of claims only) |
800-697-6947 |
| Telecommunication - Device for Deaf (TDD) |
800-829-4833 |
| Direct Deposit |
877-838-2778 |
For a listing of county-wide programs & services offered
by Buncombe County Government, please visit our Services
section.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Copyright 2003© - All rights reserved
- Buncombe County, North Carolina
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in the
following pages was considered correct at the time of publication. Buncombe
County Government reserves the right to make changes at any time and without
notice, and assumes no liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly
as a result of errors, omissions or discrepancies. |
|