VSO Office

COASTAL LIVING
March 2010

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Hank Gotard
Veterans Services Officer

WHAT IS DIC?

Did you know that the Department of Veterans Affairs administers a survivor’s benefit that pays a basic rate of $1,154.00 per month to eligible surviving spouses and includes related benefits, such as health care, educational assistance, federal employment preference, and home loan guarantees. The tax-free benefit is called Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). Dependent children and adult helpless children may also be entitled to a similar benefit. In some cases surviving parents may be eligible for an income-based benefit.

To receive DIC, one must be an eligible survivor of a veteran, who died because of a service-related illness or injury.

If the veteran’s death was not service-related, one may still be eligible if either of the following conditions existed at the time of the veterans death:

The veteran was getting VA disability compensation for a total disability for the last 10 years, immediately before death. A note: (This also includes veterans who would have received VA compensation, but didn’t because they were getting military retirement or disability pay); or
The veteran was so rated for a period of at least five years from the date of military discharge; or
The veteran was a former POW who died after 09-30-1999, and who was continuously rated totally disabled for a period of at least one year immediately preceding death.

You may be an eligible survivor if:

You were married to the veteran for at least 1 year prior to his death. A note: (If a child was born, there is no time requirement), and
your marriage was valid, and
you lived with the veteran continuously until his / her death, or if you were separated, you weren’t at fault, and
You did not remarry. A note: (A surviving spouse, who remarries on or after December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57, may also be entitled to continue to receive DIC.)
You are an unmarried child of a deceased veteran, or you are under the age of 18, or between the ages of 18 and 23 and attending school.

The above said, the surviving spouse and children of Vietnam veterans should take the time to learn more about this important benefit, particularly in light of the new illnesses that have been added to the listed of presumptive conditions for RVN veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange while in Vietnam.

For more information about DIC, or for a list of presumptive conditions, and to learn about other related benefits, contact the Carteret County Veterans Services Office at 252-728-8440 and they will gladly assist you.

A Great Question For Our Recently Discharged Veterans

When are you going to use your GI Bill? The Active Duty Montgomery GI Bill, in a nutshell, grants $49,000 worth of education benefits, in exchange for an enlistment period of at least three years. Generally speaking, one has ten years to use it, and if you do not use it, you lose it and it is wasted forever.

For help in applying for this hard earned benefit, call the Veterans Services Office at 252-728-8440

Veteran Charities

In any given month our office receives numerous inquiries requesting information to help individuals determine the validity and credibility of individual charities. That said, we agree if a charity is unfamiliar to you, it is very wise to do some checking. For example, a number of groups use names that sound familiar or feature words that make their group or charity seem legitimate, when in fact, they are promulgating a scam. On another note, there are numerous charities that are “legitimate” but do not necessarily make the most of our hard earned charitable dollars.

To help clean up this cloudy subject, and for your consideration, the Carteret County Veterans Services Office has a handout that has been compiled by the American Institute of Philanthropy that lists and grades charities. This guide will aid you in your giving decision; however, it is also always a good idea to contact the charity you’re interested in donation to, to determine if their mission and philosophies match your own. For a copy of the handout mentioned above, please contact the Carteret County Veterans Services Office or call 252-728-8440.

Contaminated Water at Camp Lejeune

If you are a Marine, Sailor, a family member of a service -member or a civilian worker, that served aboard Camp Lejeune before December 31, 1987, you need to read the Legislation of the 111 th Congress, 2 nd Session, House Resolution (H.R.) 4555, which when passed, will amend Title 38, United States Code and direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish hospital care, medical services and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune while the water was contaminated.

For a copy of H.R. 4555, one can contact the Carteret County Veterans Services Office at 252-728-8440 and they will gladly provide you with not only a copy of this important document, but with a very informative handout on the subject which addresses what one needs to know on the subject, provides background / history, a list of Frequently Asked Questions, and also how to register.

Lodging in Durham for Appointments at the
VA Medical Center Durham

Did you know that there are rooms available at no cost or lodgings at a discounted rate in Durham for veterans with appointments at the VA Medical Center (VAMC) Durham?

To get a free room in Durham, a veteran must live further than 50 miles from the VAMC and have an appointment no later than 10:00 a.m. the next day. The free rooms are at the Quality Inn and the Administrative Officer on Duty (AOD) can arrange for lodging at another hotel if the Quality Inn is full. The veteran must check in at the AOD’s Office between 3:00 p.m. and 5:25 p.m. the day prior his/her appointment. For more information, or to request a free room, one should call 1-888-878-6890 (ext. 6244).

Another option is the Brookwood Inn, which is directly across the street from the VAMC Durham and has rooms available at a discounted rate. Their rate ranges from $49.99 to $79.99 per night. To reserve a room, one should call 1-888-878-6890 (ext. 6974).

For a handout on this matter, please contact the Carteret County Veterans Services Office at 252-728-8440.