5 Veteran Benefits Most Veterans Don't Know Exist

By CombatProse · USMC

I’ve been talking to veterans for years now, and the same thing keeps happening. Someone finds out about a benefit they qualified for years ago — maybe even a decade ago — and the look on their face is equal parts gratitude and frustration. “Why didn’t anyone tell me about this?”

Because nobody did. The transition process is a firehose of information, and most of it is the basics. Meanwhile, there are programs sitting quietly on the shelf that could genuinely change someone’s financial situation, their family’s healthcare access, or their ability to start over after service.

Here are five of them. If even one of these applies to you, this was worth your time to read. There’s an entire book dedicated to making sure you know every benefit you’ve earned — You Deserve It by Brian Reese covers over 200 state and federal benefits, including several worth thousands per year.

1. VA Aid & Attendance: For Elderly or Seriously Disabled Veterans

If you or an older veteran in your family needs help with daily activities — dressing, bathing, eating, getting around — and that person served during a wartime period, they may qualify for the VA Aid & Attendance benefit. Keep a veteran benefits reference like Veterans Benefits for You: Get What You Deserve on your shelf — benefits eligibility changes over time, and having a quick guide helps you catch new programs after a rating change.

This is a pension enhancement, not a disability rating. It’s for veterans (or their surviving spouses) who:

Need help with activities of daily living
Are in a nursing home or assisted living facility
Are blind or nearly blind

What it pays: Up to approximately $2,300/month for a veteran, $1,478 for a surviving spouse, or $2,727 for a veteran with a dependent spouse (amounts adjust periodically). These are 2025 approximate figures — always verify at va.gov.

The income and asset thresholds are not as strict as people assume, and many families have been paying full assisted living costs out of pocket without realizing this benefit exists.

To apply, submit VA Form 21-2680 along with your doctor’s statement, medical records, and evidence of care costs. A VSO can walk you through it.

2. Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E / Chapter 31)

Most veterans know the GI Bill. Far fewer know about Chapter 31 — officially called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E), now branded “VA Veteran Readiness.”

Here’s the key difference: the GI Bill pays for school. Chapter 31 is a comprehensive program to help service-connected disabled veterans achieve meaningful employment — or self-employment. It covers:

Tuition, fees, books, and supplies
Monthly housing allowance while in training
Employment assistance and job placement
Business ownership and self-employment track — this one is buried, but it’s real

That last point matters. If you’re service-connected and want to start a business, VR&E can fund your training, provide a business plan consultant, and in some cases provide initial business equipment and supplies. This isn’t a loan — it’s a benefit.

Eligibility requires at least a 10% service-connected disability rating and a determination that the disability creates a barrier to employment. Apply through va.gov or talk to your VSO. The entitlement period is 12 years from your date of separation or the date of your disability rating, whichever is later — so don’t sleep on it. If you pursue this, you’ll want to order an Expanding Organizer File Folder

3. The VA Home Loan: It’s Not a One-Time Thing

I talk to veterans all the time who used their VA home loan on their first house and assume they used it up. That’s not how it works.

The VA home loan benefit is not a one-time use. It can be restored and reused multiple times under the right circumstances:

If you sell your home and pay off the VA loan, your full entitlement is restored
If you keep the home, you may still have remaining entitlement for a second property (relevant for investors or those relocating)
If your loan was assumed by another buyer and certain conditions are met, entitlement can be restored

The advantages are significant: no down payment required, no private mortgage insurance (PMI), competitive interest rates, and limited closing costs. For a 100% P&T veteran, the VA funding fee — normally 2.15% — is waived entirely.

The Certificate of Eligibility (COE) can be obtained through your lender or directly at va.gov. Most VA-approved lenders will pull it for you.

Don’t assume you’re out of options because you’ve used it before. Check your remaining entitlement.

4. CHAMPVA: Healthcare for Your Dependents

This one surprises people every time. If you are rated 100% Permanent and Total (P&T), your dependents — spouse and dependent children — may qualify for CHAMPVA, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

CHAMPVA covers most healthcare services and supplies that are medically necessary: doctor visits, hospitalizations, mental health treatment, prescriptions, and more. It’s not perfect — it’s a cost-sharing program, not full coverage — but it covers 75% of most allowable costs after you meet a $50/year deductible ($100 per family per year), with an annual out-of-pocket cap around $3,000 per family.

For veterans whose dependents don’t have access to affordable employer-sponsored healthcare, CHAMPVA can be a significant financial relief. It applies to:

Spouses of 100% P&T veterans
Dependent children (up to age 18, or 23 if full-time students)

Apply using VA Form 10-10d. Processing takes time, so start the application as soon as you have your 100% P&T rating. More information and the application are at va.gov/health-care/family-caregiver-benefits/champva.

5. State-Level Benefits: The Ones People Leave on the Table

Every state has its own veteran benefit programs, and most veterans have no idea what their state offers. I’m in South Carolina, so I’ll give you some specifics — but I’d encourage you to look up your own state’s Department of Veterans Affairs website.

South Carolina veterans get:

Property tax exemption: 100% P&T veterans are exempt from property taxes on their primary residence. That’s not a discount — it’s a full exemption. If you’re a 100% P&T vet in SC and you’re still paying property taxes, call your county auditor’s office tomorrow.
Free hunting and fishing licenses for disabled veterans
Reduced admissions or free access to SC State Parks
In-state tuition for veterans and their dependents at SC public universities under the Hazel D. McNair Military Scholarship Program
State income tax exemption on military retirement pay

Other states have similar programs — some even more generous. Texas has no income tax and broad property tax exemptions. Florida has significant exemptions for disabled veterans. Virginia has strong education benefits.

How to find yours: Search “[your state] Department of Veterans Affairs benefits” or go to benefits.va.gov/benefits/docs/state-veteran-benefits.asp for a state-by-state overview. Then actually call your state’s DVA office — the website is often incomplete.

The Common Thread

All of these benefits exist because Congress and state legislatures created them. But they’re not automatic. Nobody is going to show up at your door and hand them to you. You have to know they exist, verify your eligibility, and apply.

That’s exactly why CombatProse exists. Share this with a veteran who might need it. The guy who’s been paying property taxes for ten years because he didn’t know about the exemption — that’s money he earned and never got.

Which of these surprised you? Which ones are you already using? Let us know in the comments — and if your state has a particularly good benefit, mention it so other veterans can look it up.

5 Veteran Benefits Most Veterans Don’t Know Exist