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Little-Known Benefit Could Help Disabled Or Senior Veterans

(CBS) - A Bucks County attorney who specializes in veterans benefits says there's a little known benefit that can go a long way to helping hundreds of thousands of vets or their surviving spouses.

It's called the VA Pension Benefit and attorney Richard Newman says it's for veterans who have a chronic disability or are 65 or older. The benefit provides up to $1,950 a month from the Veterans Administration which he says can help pay for things like long-term and assisted care. The money is available for the rest of the veteran's life.

Newman says, "They will have to do annual recertifications to make sure that they are still below the financial eligibility threshold requirements, but assuming that they are then those benefits will continue indefinitely."

In addition to the income guidelines, a veteran must have served actively for at least 90 days and at least one day during wartime. The government believes there are about 150,000 people receiving the benefit, but thousands more are eligible.

Reported by Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio

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