The Palmer & Slay team is honored to serve as a resource for veterans in the Brandon, Mississippi area who need assistance tapping into all of the benefits they are eligible for. We regularly help veterans and their families apply for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), appeal the denial of benefits, and incorporate veteran-specific benefits into their estate plans.
Although the military does a better job informing veterans about the many benefits they are eligible for today than they did in the past, figuring out how to take advantage of all the benefits offered is still a daunting task. Our experienced team of attorneys is here to help you and your family determine what benefits you may be eligible for, and pull together the necessary paperwork to get you the support you deserve.
Disability Benefits
Disability benefits are available for military veterans who were disabled during their service or as a result of their service. In order to qualify, veterans must have a service-related disability rating of 10 percent or more, and have been discharged any way other than dishonorably.
We have helped several veterans in Rankin County and Scott County pull together the paperwork necessary to prove their service to the country and the long-term injuries that resulted from it qualify them for benefits. We also appealed the denial of previous applications for benefits.
Because we are an estate planning firm, we can also advise you if it is possible for your family to continue to receive benefits after your death.
Paying for Long-Term Care
As the cost of long-term care continues to skyrocket, many veterans in the Brandon, Mississippi area are struggling to pay for the care they need. Fortunately, there are many programs benefiting veterans, and their spouses, that our firm has helped clients apply for.
If you are a veteran or a widow of a veteran, you may be able to obtain tax free income from the VA to help pay for the cost of living in a nursing home or rehab facility, or the cost of assisted living or in-home nursing care. Only around 5% of the people who are eligible for this money receive it because few people realize they qualify for it.
Beyond this, many veterans can qualify for Medicaid and end up paying very little out of pocket for long-term care.
Burial and Memorial Benefits
When a Veteran dies, his or her loved ones can request a flag to drape over the casket and a note of recognition from the President. The VA also provides free headstones or grave markers to Veterans. But as anyone who has dealt with the military can imagine, it takes some paperwork and advance planning to actually get these benefits.
The same is true if a veteran wants to be buried in a military cemetery or have his or her military service recognized during a memorial service or funeral.
Our firm is proud to have helped secure plots at the Mississippi’s State Veterans Memorial Cemeteries at Newton and Kilmichael for several heroes from our area.
We have also worked with many clients to craft estate plans that clearly spell out their end of life wishes so their loved ones know they want to have an honor guard and someone to play Taps at the gravesite.
Estate Planning Is About More Than The End Of Life
At Palmer & Slay, we use the estate planning process to help veterans tap into benefits that can improve their quality of life right away. Whether this means applying for disability benefits, making a plan for long-term care, securing life insurance, or applying for a pension or VA-backed financing, our team is ready to lend a hand.
Whether you know exactly what resources you need, or you are not sure what you may qualify for, the Palmer & Slay team is here for you. Please contact us today to schedule a free meeting where we can discuss what VA benefits you or your loved one may be eligible for. It is our privilege to serve and honor our veterans in this way.