Veterans' Benefits

The County Veterans Service Office (CVSO) provides information and assistance for filing with the Veterans Administration claims for:

Pension
Compensation
Educational benefits
Aid and Attendance
Payments for Unusual Medical Expense (UME)

Aid and Attendance

Aid and Attendance (A&A) is provided to veterans and their dependents who are in LTC or who are unable to care for themselves at home. These benefits are:

Cash benefits (counted as unearned income)
Medical devices
Medical equipment

Treatment of A&A Income

A&A cash benefits received by a veteran NOT in LTC are NOT treated as unearned income in the month of receipt.

Unusual Medical Expenses

Veterans may apply for and be eligible to receive payments for Unusual Medical Expense (UME). Payments for UME are not treated as unearned income. Verification of UME may include a VA award letter issued at the time the UME are awarded or by completing the MC 05 Procedures.

Client Responsibility

After June 1, 2025, it is no longer a condition of eligibility for Medi-Cal to apply for and accept Veterans' Income Benefits. Individuals may be referred to their local Veterans Assitance office if they are interested in applying for VA income benefits.

Budgeting Information

Recurring monthly payments are unearned income.
Aid and Attendance payments are treated differently depending on the veterans’ situation.]

Veterans Educational Benefits

The Veterans Administration (VA) currently provides educational benefits under three educational assistance programs; GI Bill, the Post 9/11 GI Bill and Veterans Educational Assistance Program (VEAP).

GI Bill

Veterans who served on active military duty prior to 1/1/77 may receive up to 45 months of educational assistance through the GI Bill.

Educational benefits received through the GI Bill are treated as unearned income for educational purposes. The educational expense deduction may be applied. Post 9/11 GI Bill

Veterans who served on active duty after 09/10/01 are eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill if the veteran:

Served for a cumulative period of at least 90 days.
Served at least 30 continuous days and received a disability discharge.

There are three payments associated with the Post 9/11 GI Bill:

Tuition and fees are paid directly to the educational institution and, therefore, these payments are not counted as income to the veteran.
The monthly housing allowance is paid directly to the veteran on a monthly basis. The monthly housing allowance is treated as unearned income.
The annual books and supplies stipend of $1,000 is paid directly to the veteran based on enrolled units.
If the client is eligible for AFDC-MN, the annual books stipend used for educational expenses other than tuition is exempt income.
If the client is eligible for ABD-MN, the annual books stipend is excluded as income.

The VA award letter is used to verify type, amount, and frequency of payments.

Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program (VEAP)

Veterans who have voluntarily contributed to the VEAP educational fund while on active duty after 12/31/76 may receive up to 36 months of educational assistance.

Benefits received from VEAP are treated as follows:

The portion of VEAP benefits provided by the VA (two-thirds of the benefit) is unearned income for educational purposes (educational expenses may be deducted.
The portion of VEAP benefits contributed by the veteran (one-third of the benefit) is exempt income.
- These regulations apply while the veteran is pursuing an education, even if the veteran is not currently in school or training.
The veteran may elect to withdraw his/her contribution, and forfeit entitlement to matching funds from the VA. The veteran’s contribution to VEAP is considered non-exempt property upon withdrawal.