Financial Benefits and Resources

Benefit Category: Federal

The Office of Servicemember Affairs

Servicemembers should be able to accomplish their mission without worrying about illegal or harmful financial practices. The Office of Servicemember Affairs is here to ensure that military personnel and their families have a voice at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Military life can have some extra challenges that can sometimes have powerful financial repercussions.

Servicemembers, veterans, and their families…

Are an attractive target for both good and bad lenders:

• Many lenders know the UCMJ requires you to maintain good finances.
• You are easy to find, so lenders are confident they can collect debts you owe.
• Your military pay represents a steady income that could be garnished.
• Military families often start young, leading to big money management decisions by first-time decision makers.

Face unique risks:

• Deployments, change of duty stations, and emergencies lead to unplanned and unique financial difficulties without adequate resources to resolve them.
• Your loyalty to your service leads marketers to tie their pitches to the military, a strategy called “affinity marketing.”
• Frequent relocation can mean unforeseen expenses and a lack of familiarity with the local environment.

Consumer Help

• Phone: (855) 411-CFPB (2372)
• TTY/TDD: (855) 729-CFPB (2372)
• Fax: (855) 237-2392
• 180+ languages available
• 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern, Monday–Friday

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

• P.O. Box 4503
• Iowa City, Iowa 52244
• Or submit a complaint.

Other Useful Information

• CFPB Mortgage Help
• CFPB for Students and Young Americans
• CFPB for Older Americans
• Ask the CFPB-Answers to Common Questions
• The CFPB Blog

Benefit Category: Nevada

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

SNAP helps low-income Nevadans meet their nutritional needs.

Benefits are issued on EBT cards and can only be used to buy food products at grocers, farmers markets and other USDA-approved vendors.

To help determine whether you might qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits, visit the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Welfare and Supportive Services website.

To apply for SNAP, complete the Application for Assistance and/or contact your local County Social Service Office.

Meals on Wheels

Meals on Wheels is the most recognized name brand of senior nutrition programs. But other senior meal programs by various names are in many communities in the U.S.and around the world and often go by names other than Meals on Wheels (a generic term generally reserved for home delivered meal programs). While Meals on Wheels programs are delivered to the home, seniors may also find congregate meal programs at local senior centers, churches, or community centers.

Many communities have both Meals on Wheels and congregate senior meal programs through senior centers available to local residents. You should always contact your local meal program directly to find out what services are offered.

Search meal program locations to find one near you . If you don’t find one exactly in your town, search nearby towns. If you still don’t find one, contact us and we will attempt to find one for you.

Whether it’s a”Meals-on-Wheels” program, a senior nutrition program, a public senior meal program or a private meal program, all are important and contribute to senior nutrition and health.

The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program

The WIC program can provide food support for some supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant women, and to infants and children up to age five. Learn how to apply for WIC.

Free and reduced price school meals might also be available to your children. Learn how to apply for free and reduced price school meals.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Through TEFAP, USDA provides food to State agencies, which in turn provide the food to local agencies – such as food banks, food pantries, and soup kitchens.  Veterans who are undergoing difficult economic times may qualify to receive TEFAP foods for household distribution, and may certainly receive meals in congregate settings.

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Veterans who live on Indian reservations or other approved areas may be eligible to participate in FDPIR. If interested, contact your Indian Tribal Organization or State agency.

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

CSFP works to improve the health of low-income seniors 60 years of age and older, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, other new mothers up to one year postpartum, infants, and children up to age six, by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA foods.  Veterans may qualify for CSFP foods, if the program is available in their area.

*Individuals may not participate in CSFP and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children at the same time.

The National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

The National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs provide nutritious low cost or free meals to children attending participating schools and snacks at certain afterschool care programs.

For all Service Members:

Any in-kind benefit, such base housing, is not considered income.

Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance (FSSA) – By law, the FSSA is not counted as income in determining eligibility for free and reduced-price meals.

Department of Defense overseas schools are eligible to participate in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; this extends the availability for free and reduced-price meals to children in families stationed overseas.

Summer Food Service Program (SFSP)

During the school year, many children receive free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch through the School Breakfast and National School Lunch Programs. What happens when schools let out? The SFSP is designed to feed children breakfast and/or lunch during the summer at feeding sites that can include schools, churches, community centers, summer camps, Indian reservations, and more.

Other Resources

• http://www.feedourvets.org/
• http://www.foodpantries.org/st/nevada

Benefits Category: Nevada (see Veterans Appreciation: License Plates)

Special Veterans License Plates

The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles offers several distinctive license plates for veterans that include:

• Ex-Prisoner of War
• Disabled Veteran
• Purple Heart
• Veteran
• Pearl Harbor Survivors & Veterans
• Congressional Medal of Honor, and many others.

Applications for special plates can be obtained at your local DMV Office or by calling (775) 684-4750 in Carson City. http://www.dmvnv.com/platesveterans.htm

Benefit Category: Federal

Chase Bank Military Survivor Program

The goal of the Chase Bank Military Survivor program is to offer debt forgiveness to surviving family members and beneficiaries for the debt of military customers who have been killed in combat action or died in a combat theater of operations since January 1, 2011.

If a service member was liable for debt, the balances may be waived for most existing Chase mortgages, credit cards, auto loans, student loans and other consumer or business debt.

NDVS compiled a list of additional Survivor Resources.

Please visit the USDA Rural Development website to learn more: https://www.rd.usda.gov/topics/buy-build-or-repair-home 

Benefit Category: Federal

Disability Compensation

Is a tax free monetary benefit paid to Veterans with disabilities that are the result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. Compensation may also be paid for post-service disabilities that are considered related or secondary to disabilities occurring in service and for disabilities presumed to be related to circumstances of military service, even though they may arise after service. Generally, the degrees of disability specified are also designed to compensate for considerable loss of working time from exacerbations or illnesses. Learn More

Tools

• VA Disability Rating Calculator
• VA Disability Compensation Calculator
• Combined VA Disability Rating & Compensation Calculator
• Understanding the VA Disability Application Process
• Veteran Service Organizations 

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

Is a tax free monetary benefit generally payable to a surviving spouse, child, or parent of Servicemembers who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training or survivors of Veterans who died from their service-connected disabilities. DIC for parents is an income based benefit. Learn More

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC)

Is an additional tax-free benefit that can be paid to Veterans, their spouses, surviving spouses and parents. For Veterans, Special Monthly Compensation is a higher rate of compensation paid due to special circumstances such as the need of aid and attendance by another person or a specific disability, such as loss of use of one hand or leg. For spouses and surviving spouses, this benefit is commonly referred to as aid and attendance and is paid based on the need of aid and attendance by another person. Learn about special monthly compensation benefit rates.

Pension

VA helps Veterans and their families cope with financial challenges by providing supplemental income through the Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension benefit programs.

VA offers two broad categories of Pension benefit programs:

• Veterans Pension: Tax-free monetary benefit payable to low-income wartime Veterans. Learn More
• Survivors Pension: Tax-free monetary benefit payable to a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse and/or unmarried child(ren) of a deceased Veteran with wartime service. Learn More

Veterans and survivors who are eligible for Pension benefits and are housebound or require the aid and attendance of another person may be eligible to receive additional monetary amounts.

Eligibility Requirements

Pension benefits are needs-based and your “countable" family income must fall below the yearly limit set by law. Veterans must have least 90 days of active duty, including one day during a wartime period. If the active duty occurred after September 7, 1980, you must have served at least 24 months or the full period that you were called up (with some exceptions). You must also be:

• Age 65 or older with limited or no income, OR
• Totally and permanently disabled, OR
• A patient in a nursing home receiving skilled nursing care, OR
• Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, OR
• Receiving Supplemental Security Income

The Veteran must have met the service requirements above for surviving spouses and children applying for the Survivors Pension. Learn More

Read the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension Benefits pamphlet (PDF) to learn about what Veterans and their families should know when applying.

Visit the US VA website or contact your Veterans Service Officer for more information.

Related Resource(s)

• Changes in Certain Social Security Services
• Retirement Planning and Pensions for Veterans
• X-Ray Requirement for Compensation Exams (February 2014)
• Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ)
• Pre-Discharge Compensation Claim
• Veteran's Application for Compensation and/or Pension (VA Form 21-526EZ)
• Military Disability Made Easy

Benefit Category: Federal

Home Loan Guaranty

The VA provides a home loan guaranty benefit and other housing-related programs to help you buy, build, repair, retain, or adapt a home for your own personal occupancy. Read more about the Home Loan Guaranty.

Read about VA Loan Programs.

Read about VA Life Insurance Benefits.