USC Subchapter I

in effect

38 U.S.C. § 1501 Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter— (1) The term “Indian Wars” means the campaigns, engagements, and expeditions of the United States military forces against Indian tribes or nations, service in which has been recognized heretofore as pensionable service. (2) The term “World War I” includes, in the case of any veteran, any period of service performed by such veteran after November 11, 1918, and before July 2, 1921, if such veteran served in the active military, naval, or air service after April 5, 1917, and before November 12, 1918. (3) The term “Civil War veteran” includes a person who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War, and the term “active military or naval service” includes active service in those forces. (4) The term “period of war” means the Mexican border period, World War I, World War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam era, the Persian Gulf War, and the period beginning on the date of any future declaration of war by the Congress and ending on the date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or concurrent resolution of the Congress.

38 U.S.C. § 1502 Determinations with respect to disability

(a) For the purposes of this chapter, a person shall be considered to be permanently and totally disabled if such person is any of the following:(1) A patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of disability. (2) Disabled, as determined by the Commissioner of Social Security for purposes of any benefits administered by the Commissioner. (3) Unemployable as a result of disability reasonably certain to continue throughout the life of the person. (4) Suffering from—(A) any disability which is sufficient to render it impossible for the average person to follow a substantially gainful occupation, but only if it is reasonably certain that such disability will continue throughout the life of the person; or (B) any disease or disorder determined by the Secretary to be of such a nature or extent as to justify a determination that persons suffering therefrom are permanently and totally disabled. (b) For the purposes of this chapter, a person shall be considered to be in need of regular aid and attendance if such person is (1) a patient in a nursing home or (2) blind, or so nearly blind or significantly disabled as to need or require the regular aid and attendance of another person. (c) For the purposes of this chapter, the requirement of “permanently housebound” will be considered to have been met when the veteran is substantially confined to such veteran’s house (ward or clinical areas, if institutionalized) or immediate premises due to a disability or disabilities which it is reasonably certain will remain throughout such veteran’s lifetime.

38 U.S.C. § 1503 Determinations with respect to annual income

(a) In determining annual income under this chapter, all payments of any kind or from any source (including salary, retirement or annuity payments, or similar income, which has been waived, irrespective of whether the waiver was made pursuant to statute, contract, or otherwise) shall be included except—(1) donations from public or private relief or welfare organizations; (2) payments under this chapter; (3) amounts equal to amounts paid by a spouse of a veteran for the expenses of such veteran’s last illness, and by a surviving spouse or child of a deceased veteran for—(A) such veteran’s just debts, (B) the expenses of such veteran’s last illness, and (C) the expenses of such veteran’s burial to the extent such expenses are not reimbursed under chapter 23 of this title; (4) amounts equal to amounts paid—(A) by a veteran for the last illness and burial of such veteran’s deceased spouse or child, or (B) by the spouse of a living veteran or the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran for the last illness and burial of a child of such veteran; (5) payments regarding reimbursements of any kind (including insurance settlement payments) for expenses related to the repayment, replacement, or repair of equipment, vehicles, items, money, or property resulting from—(A) any accident (as defined by the Secretary), but the amount excluded under this subparagraph shall not exceed the greater of the fair market value or reasonable replacement value of the equipment or vehicle involved at the time immediately preceding the accident; (B) any theft or loss (as defined by the Secretary), but the amount excluded under this subparagraph shall not exceed the greater of the fair market value or reasonable replacement value of the item or the amount of the money (including legal tender of the United States or of a foreign country) involved at the time immediately preceding the theft or loss; or (C) any casualty loss (as defined by the Secretary), but the amount excluded under this subparagraph shall not exceed the greater of the fair market value or reasonable replacement value of the property involved at the time immediately preceding the casualty loss; (6) profit realized from the disposition of real or personal property other than in the course of a business; (7) amounts in joint accounts in banks and similar institutions acquired by reason of death of other joint owner; (8) amounts equal to amounts paid by a veteran, veterans’ spouse, or surviving spouse or by or on behalf of a veteran’s child for unreimbursed medical expenses, to the extent that such amounts exceed 5 percent of the maximum annual rate of pension (including any amount of increased pension payable on account of family members but not including any amount of pension payable because a person is in need of regular aid and attendance or because a person is permanently housebound) payable to such veteran, surviving spouse, or child; (9) in the case of a veteran or surviving spouse pursuing a course of education or vocational rehabilitation or training, amounts equal to amounts paid by such veteran or surviving spouse for such course of education or vocational rehabilitation or training, including (A) amounts paid for tuition, fees, books, and materials, and (B) in the case of such a veteran or surviving spouse in need of regular aid and attendance, unreimbursed amounts paid for unusual transportation expenses in connection with the pursuit of such course of education or vocational rehabilitation or training, to the extent that such amounts exceed the reasonable expenses which would have been incurred by a nondisabled person using an appropriate means of transportation (public transportation, if reasonably available); (10) in the case of a child, any current-work income received during the year, to the extent that the total amount of such income does not exceed an amount equal to the sum of—(A) the lowest amount of gross income for which an income tax return is required under section 6012(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, to be filed by an individual who is not married (as determined under section 7703 of such Code), is not a surviving spouse (as defined in section 2(a) of such Code), and is not a head of household (as defined in section 2(b) of such Code); and (B) if the child is pursuing a course of postsecondary education or vocational rehabilitation or training, the amount paid by such child for such course of education or vocational rehabilitation or training, including the amount paid for tuition, fees, books, and materials; (11) payment of a monetary amount of up to $5,000 to a veteran from a State or municipality that is paid as a veterans’ benefit due to injury or disease; and (12) lump-sum proceeds of any life insurance policy on a veteran, for purposes of pension under subchapter III of this chapter. (b) Where a fraction of a dollar is involved, annual income shall be fixed at the next lower dollar.

38 U.S.C. § 1504 Persons heretofore having a pensionable status

The pension benefits of subchapters II and III of this chapter shall, notwithstanding the service requirements of such subchapters, be granted to persons heretofore recognized by law as having a pensionable status.

38 U.S.C. § 1505 Payment of pension during confinement in penal institutions

(a) No pension under public or private laws administered by the Secretary shall be paid to or for an individual who has been imprisoned in a Federal, State, local, or other penal institution or correctional facility as a result of conviction of a felony or misdemeanor for any part of the period beginning sixty-one days after such individual’s imprisonment begins and ending when such individual’s imprisonment ends. (b) Where any veteran is disqualified for pension for any period solely by reason of subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary may apportion and pay to such veteran’s spouse or children the pension which such veteran would receive for that period but for this section. (c) Where any surviving spouse or child of a veteran is disqualified for pension for any period solely by reason of subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary may (1) if the surviving spouse is so disqualified, pay to the child, or children, the pension which would be payable if there were no such surviving spouse or (2) if a child is so disqualified, pay to the surviving spouse or other children, as applicable, the pension which would be payable if there were no such child.

38 U.S.C. § 1506 Resource reports and overpayment adjustments

As a condition of granting or continuing pension under section 1521, 1541, or 1542 of this title, the Secretary— (1) may require from any person who is an applicant for or a recipient of pension such information, proofs, and evidence as the Secretary determines to be necessary in order to determine the annual income and the value of the corpus of the estate of such person, and of any spouse or child for whom the person is receiving or is to receive increased pension (such a child is hereinafter in this subsection referred to as a “dependent child”), and, in the case of a child applying for or in receipt of pension under section 1542 of this title (hereinafter in this subsection referred to as a “surviving child”), of any person with whom such child is residing who is legally responsible for such child’s support; (2) may require that any such applicant or recipient file for a calendar year with the Department (on such form as may be prescribed for such purpose by the Secretary) a report showing—(A) the annual income which such applicant or recipient (and any such spouse or dependent child) received during the preceding year, the corpus of the estate of such applicant or recipient (and of any such spouse or dependent child) at the end of such year, and in the case of a surviving child, the income and corpus of the estate of any person with whom such child is residing who is legally responsible for such child’s support; (B) such applicant’s or recipient’s estimate for the then current year of the annual income such applicant or recipient (and any such spouse or dependent child) expects to receive and of any expected increase in the value of the corpus of the estate of such applicant or recipient (and for any such spouse or dependent child); and (C) in the case of a surviving child, an estimate for the then current year of the annual income of any person with whom such child is residing who is legally responsible for such child’s support and of any expected increase in the value of the corpus of the estate of such person; (3) shall require that any such applicant or recipient promptly notify the Secretary whenever there is a material change in the annual income of such applicant or recipient (or of any such spouse or dependent child) or a material change in the value of the corpus of the estate of such applicant or recipient (or of any such spouse or dependent child), and in the case of a surviving child, a material change in the annual income or value of the corpus of the estate of any person with whom such child is residing who is legally responsible for such child’s support; and (4) shall require that any such applicant or recipient applying for or in receipt of increased pension on account of a person who is a spouse or child of such applicant or recipient promptly notify the Secretary if such person ceases to meet the applicable definition of spouse or child.

38 U.S.C. § 1507 Disappearance

Where a veteran receiving pension under subchapter II of this chapter disappears, the Secretary may pay the pension otherwise payable to such veteran’s spouse and children. In applying the provisions of this section, the Secretary may presume, without reports pursuant to section 1506(a) of this title, that the status of the veteran at the time of disappearance, with respect to permanent and total disability, income, and net worth, continues unchanged. Payments made to a spouse or child under this section shall not exceed the amount to which each would be entitled if the veteran died of a non-service-connected disability.

38 U.S.C. § 1508 Frequency of payment of pension benefits

(a) Except as provided under subsection (b) of this section, benefits under sections 1521, 1541, and 1542 of this title shall be paid monthly. (b) Under regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, benefits under sections 1521, 1541, and 1542 of this title may be paid less frequently than monthly if the amount of the annual benefit is less than 4 percent of the maximum annual rate payable to a veteran under section 1521(b) of this title.