| VETERANS BENEFITS |
| More Education is Always an Option |
More job skills lead to more job opportunities,
and The WorkSource can help you find financial
aid for education. One example is the Pell
Grant, a federal grant awarded only to undergraduate
students who have not earned a bachelor’s
or professional degree. A number of other
education benefits are also available to veterans
who qualify, such as those provided through
the Montgomery GI Bill and the Hazelwood Act
for Texas veterans.
www.gibill.va.gov
www.tvc.state.tx.us
(PDF) |
|
| Home Financing |
The Texas Veterans Land Board offers
veterans low interest loans for land, homes
and home improvements. For more information,
go to www.tvc.state.tx.us/vlb.htm.
Also, the Texas State Veterans Cemetery
(TSVC) can help with burial cost for veterans.
Contact TSVC at www.texasveterans.org
for more information. |
|
| Tax Exemption |
| Disabled veterans who meet certain requirements,
their surviving spouses and the spouses and
minor children of a person who dies on active
duty in the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible
for property tax exemptions on the appraised
value of their property. For more information,
contact www.tvc.state.tx.us/morebens.htm. |
|
| Counseling and Advocacy |
| The Texas Veterans Commission provides
free, professional benefits counseling and
advocacy through state and county veterans
service officers. They can assist you in applying
for numerous VA benefit programs and health
care services. Call the Texas Veterans Hotline
at 1-800-252-VETS (8387) for more information.
|
|
| Priority Health Care for Disabled
Veterans |
| All veterans with service-connected
medical problems will receive priority access
to health care from the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) under a new directive.
The new directive provides that all veterans
requiring care for a service-connected disability,
regardless of the extent of their injury,
must be scheduled for a primary care evaluation
within 30 days of their request for care.
If a VA facility is unable to schedule an
appointment within 30 days, it must arrange
for care at another VA facility, at a contract
facility or through a sharing agreement.
The directive covers hospitalization and
outpatient care. It does not apply to care
for medical problems not related to a service-connected
disability. However, veterans needing emergency
care will be treated immediately.
The new provision is an extension of rules
that took effect in October 2002 for severely
disabled veterans. Under the earlier rule,
priority access to health care went to veterans
with disabilities rated at 50 percent or
more. For the severely disabled, the priority
includes care for non-service-connected
medical problems. |
|
| E-laws |
| The U.S. Department of Labor has developed
several laws and online guides to help employees
and employers understand their rights and
responsibilities under numerous federal employment
laws. E-laws are detailed online at www.dol.gov/elaws. |
|
| The Veterans’ Preference Advisor |
| The advisor allows veterans to examine
the preferences for which they might be entitled
with regard to federal jobs. It was developed
by the Veterans’ Employment and Training
Service. |
|
| The Uniformed Services Employment
and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) |
| USERRA provides reemployment protection
and other benefits for veterans. In addition,
USERRA helps veterans understand employee
eligibility and job entitlements, employer
obligations, and benefits available to veterans
through the act. If you have any additional
questions about veterans benefits, The WorkSource’s
veterans counselor will be happy to assist
you. |
|
Whether
you left the armed forces 10 days ago or 10 years ago, your employment
needs receive our immediate attention. The WorkSource staff includes
many veterans who are able to help you with the process of re-entering
the civilian workforce.
