Veteran Benefits In Louisiana
Louisiana VA benefits are available under the state Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA), an organization working to advocate for servicemembers and their families. LA veterans benefits include education, employment and burial services. Federal veterans administration benefits include health care, disability compensation and pensions.
The veterans benefits administration also helps servicemembers to find affordable housing opportunities in the state. Additional veterans assistance programs include nursing home care through any of the state’s five Veterans’ Homes. To learn more about obtaining veterans benefits by state and federal agencies and to learn how to obtain these benefits, review the information below.
Disability Benefits for Veterans in Louisiana
Eligible service members may apply for VA disability pay, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) or Special Monthly Compensation (SMC).
To apply for these veterans benefits, claimants must complete an Application for Disability Compensation and Related Compensation Benefits (Form 21-526EZ), or they must complete Form 21-534EZ to apply for payments under DIC. To make SMC VA disability claims, veterans must complete VA Form 21-2680.
Additionally, Louisiana disabled veterans benefits are available to National Guard members with service-related disabilities, or to the surviving beneficiaries of National Guardsman killed in action. To apply for VA disability through the National Guard Death and Disability Benefit, contact 504-278-8369.
In addition to VA disability compensation, service members may obtain disabled veteran life insurance, depending on the type of coverage they need.
Available life insurance for disabled veterans includes Service-Disabled Veterans’ Insurance (S-DVI), Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI), Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection (TSGLI), and Veterans’ Mortgage Life Insurance (VMLI).
Other VA life insurance policies include Family Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (FSGLI), a policy available to the spouses and children of military members, or Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI). To apply for Veterans life insurance, veterans may visit an LDVA office for assistance.
Health Insurance Benefits for Veterans in Louisiana
Federal VA health care is available to eligible military members, including those who served in the navy or air force. In some cases, veterans qualify for enhanced VA medical benefits, especially those who receive VA Medicaid benefits or disability compensation.
As such, those who qualify for VA health insurance receive medical services such as the following:
- Preventative care
- Inpatient hospital procedures
- Emergency aid
- Mental health assistance
- Home health care
- Assisted living
- Prescription medications
- Access to LDVA Veterans’ Homes
Servicemembers may apply for veterans health insurance in person at a local veteran medical facility, or they may apply online. Alternately, veterans may apply for benefits by telephone at 1-877-222-8387.
Servicemembers may also obtain an application (Form 10-10EZ) and mail it to the following address:
Health Eligibility Center 2957 Clairmont Road, Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30329-1647
Pension Benefits for Veterans in Louisiana
Louisiana VA pension programs are available to eligible servicemembers and their surviving family members. Through these veterans pension benefits, low-income veterans or surviving dependents receive tax-free payments as supplemental income.
To apply for VA pension benefits in LA, claimants must complete VA Form 21P-527EZ to apply as a servicemember, or Form 21P-534EZ to request payments as a surviving family member.
Additional pension benefits include Aid and Attendance (A&A) or Housebound benefits. If you wish to apply for these benefits, you must submit medical evidence to the Pension Management Center (PMC) at the address below:
Department of Veterans Affairs Claims Intake Center Attn: Milwaukee Pension Center P.O. Box 5192 Janesville, WI 53547-5192
The LDVA offers additional benefits for veterans in need of financial support. These veteran pension benefits in Louisiana include the Military Family Assistance Fund (MFA). To receive benefits under the MFA, veterans may apply online through the LDVA website or they may download and complete a paper application.
Housing Benefits for Veterans in Louisiana
Louisiana VA housing is available through the LDVA’s five statewide Veterans’ Homes in Bossier City, Jackson, Monroe, Jennings and Reserve.
Through the LA veterans housing assistance program, veterans in need of short or long-term medical care receive benefits such as rehabilitative therapy, skilled nursing assistance, mental health treatments and pharmacy services.
To apply for VA housing assistance, veterans must complete an LDVA Veterans Home Application for Admission and submit it along with a Request for Medical Information.
Note: To learn more about the veterans housing assistance program, including eligibility requirements, call 1-877-GEAUX-VA.
Note: In addition to housing assistance for veterans in need of skilled nursing care, the LDVA provides servicemembers with additional housing benefits, including homestead exemptions. Federal VA housing benefits include telephone counseling to prevent VA Foreclosures, or loan assistance. To apply for a VA home loan or to learn about reducing current VA mortgage rates, contact the Loan Guaranty Office at 1-877-827-3702.
Education Benefits for Veterans in Louisiana
Several VA education benefits are available to veterans and their eligible family members to take advantage of, including grants, scholarships and work study programs.
However, many of these VA school benefits are only available under the GI bill or other educational assistance programs such as the Montgomery Bill or Post-Vietnam Era Veterans’ Educational Assistance Program (VEAP). For instance, LA veterans education benefits include the following:
- The VA work study program
- In-state tuition status
- Dependents’ Educational Assistance under Title 29
- Survivors and Dependents Education under Chapter 35
- Licensing and certification
- Apprenticeships and on-the-job-training
To obtain post 911 GI bill benefits or to receive assistance under the Montgomery GI bill, veterans must complete an Application for Education Benefits (Form 22-1990) and submit it to the following address:
VA Regional Office P.O. Box 8888 Muskogee, OK 74402-8888
Employment Benefits for Veterans in Louisiana
Service members searching for Louisiana VA jobs services may take advantage of the many employment resources available to them, including programs such as Veteran’s Corner, LAVETBIZ, Hero2Hired and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.
Other VA employment programs include services under the State and Federal Civil Service and Business and Career Solution Centers.
To learn more about available jobs for veterans, contact the Louisiana Economic Development (LED) or the state Workforce Commission (LWFC).
Funeral Benefits for Veterans in Louisiana
Louisiana VA death benefits include military funeral honors and interment at any of the four Veterans Cemeteries in the state. Additionally, VA burial benefits include gravesites, headstones or markers, perpetual care and the opening and closing of the grave.
Surviving family members may apply for veterans burial benefits online or by completing a Veterans Cemeteries Interment Application and submitting the form by fax or email.
Additional veterans death benefits include the Veterans Honor Medal. To apply for the Honor Medal, veterans or surviving family members must apply online through the LDVA’s website, or they may complete a paper application. Applicants must send forms and military discharge papers to the following address:
Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs ATTN: Honor Medals Administrator P.O. Box 94095 Baton Rouge, LA 70804