Veterans of Foreign Wars Women’s Forum Ms. Pamela Liverman Benefits Assistance Service

1. Veterans of Foreign Wars Women’s Forum Ms. Pamela Liverman Benefits Assistance Service August 24, 2010

2. Agenda Topics • Benefits Assistance Service • Overview of Women Benefits • Women Veterans • Benefits Usage by Women Veterans • Compensation and Pension • Pre-discharge Claims • Women Veterans Coordinator • Benefits Unique to Women Veterans • Military Sexual Trauma • Overview of Program Updates • Compensation and Pension • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment • Education • eBenefits

3. Benefits Assistance Service (BAS) • BAS is VBA’s newest line of business and it works to transform outreach and public contact activities through a client-centered approach by • Ensuring that VBA provides timely, accurate, and pertinent information and benefit assistance to Veterans, servicemembers, survivors, and dependents • Establishing policy and procedures for client-centered outreach, direct services, social media, marketing, and web-content tools. • Ensuring that VBA uses all avenues to reach its clients and general public regarding benefits and services. • Websites • Facebook • Twitter

4. Overview of Women Benefits • Women Veterans • There are 1.8 million Women Veterans, representing 8 percent of the U.S. Veteran population • Over 250,000 Women Veterans are receiving compensation or pension benefits • Approximately 15 percent of all awards of service connection since 2002 have been to Women

5. Overview of Women Benefitscont’d • Benefits Usage by Women Veterans • Compensation benefits: 243,484 • Pension benefits: 11,683 • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits: 21,000 • Loan Guaranty benefits: 37,289 with $2.7 billion in loans • Insurance • SGLI/TSGLI (Female Service member’s covered) – 450,634 • FSGLI (Male Service members’ w/female spousal coverage) – 931,454 • FSGLI (Female Service members’ w/male spousal coverage) – 172,546 • VGLI (Female Veterans covered) 57,964

6. Overview of Women Benefitscont’d • Compensation and Pension • Disability resulting from injury or disease incurred in or aggravated by active service • Disability may be rated from 0% to 100%, Payments made for 10% to 100%. • Special Monthly Compensation (such as aid & attendance, loss of limb, eyesight) • Payments are tax-free

7. Overview of Women Benefitscont’d • Pre-discharge Claims • Women Servicemembers can submit claims for service connection prior to their discharge from active duty • Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) • Between 60-180 days of separation from active duty • Requires completion of VA examination • Includes National Guard and Reservists • MEB/PEB where DES Pilot not available • Quick Start • Less than 60 days remaining on active duty • Includes National Guard and Reservists • MEB/PEB where DES Pilot not available • BDD and Quick Start are available at all locations where VA excepts claims

8. Overview of Women Benefitscont’d • Women Veterans Coordinator (WVC) • Every VA Regional Office has designated a Women Veterans Coordinator (WVC) to provide outreach and claims assistance to Women Veterans • WVCs collaborate with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office (SAPRO) to obtain documentation for claims based on military sexual trauma (MST) • Acts as a point of contact for VA and other service providers for Women Veterans with special needs. Women Veterans who have experienced sexual trauma while on active duty should be referred to the RO WVC.

9. Overview of Women Benefitscont’d • Benefits Unique to Women Veterans • Unique disability compensation evaluation criteria for Women Veterans are provided in the VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities • Benefits are provided to the children of Women Veterans who served in Vietnam for disabilities due to covered herbicide-related birth defects • Special monthly compensation is paid to Women Veterans who suffer a service-connected loss of 25 percent or more of breast tissue from mastectomy or radiation treatment • Special monthly compensation is also paid for service-connected loss, or loss of use, of a creative organ

10. Overview of Women Benefitscont’d • Military Sexual Trauma • VBA provides compensation payments for service-connected disabilities that are related to MST • VA provides counseling and appropriate care and services to overcome trauma due to MST

11. Overview of Program Updates • Compensation and Pension • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) regulation • Agent Orange presumptive listing—in process • Persian Gulf War presumptive listing—in process

12. Overview of Program Updates • Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment • Special training for counselors on diverse needs • Array of services available, including: • employment services, • independent living assistance, • vocational and adjustment counseling, • adaptive equipment and • limited childcare • Outreach efforts: • Coming Home to Work (CWTW) program • VetSuccess on Campus pilot

13. Overview of Program Updates • Education • Post 9/11 GI Bill Fall enrollment status • Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) • Yellow Ribbon Program • Fry Scholarship

14. Overview of Program Updates • eBenefits • “One-stop shop” benefits-related online tool for Wounded Warriors, Veterans, Service members, families of Service Members, and others who care for them • Creates a personalized workspace giving quick access to online tools: • Apply for benefits • Check status of claim • See payment history • Request and obtain (e.g., DD 214, Certificate of Eligibility, etc) • Upcoming features: • Integrate with Tricare on-line and My HealtheVet • Update personal information (e.g., address & EFT)

15. Enhance Advocacy • Increase presence at every communication forum (VSO’s conventions, Women Advisory Council, etc) • Unique Pamphlet for Women Veterans • Revamping the Transition Assistance Program • Enhance collaboration efforts with Federal and state agencies (DoD, SSA, DoL, etc.)

16. Enhance Advocacy cont’d

17. Enhance Advocacy cont’d

18. Questions?