NEW HAMPSHIRE OFFICE OF VETERANS

SERVICES

OUR MISSION

To assist veterans who are residents of this state or their dependents to

secure all the benefits to which they may be entitled under any state or

federal laws or regulations

RSA 115:6

N H O F F IC E O F V E T E R A N S S E R V IC E S O R G A N IZA T IO N A L C H A R T

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MEET OUR STAFF

Mary Morin – Director

Jamie Tessier – Administrative Officer

Jerry Avery – Seacoast Area

Brian Toney – Northern Area

Carter Higginbotham – Central/Eastern Areas

Dianna Camac – Southern/Manchester Areas and Women Veterans Issues

MEET OUR STAFF (cont.)

• All retired from active duty military– Over 120 years military experience

• All branches of service– Except Coast Guard (currently)

• All disabled veterans– As determined by U.S. Department of Veterans

Affairs

• All New Hampshire Residents

MEET OUR STAFF (cont.)

• All trained, recognized, and accredited by

- US Department of Veterans Affairs

- National Veterans Legal Services Program

To legally represent veterans up to and including the BVA and CAVC

OUR TASKINGS• Assisting New Hampshire’s 135,000 Veterans

and Their Families– U.S.Dept.Veterans Affairs – Compensation, Pensions,

Education, and Healthcare

• Governor/Legislator/State/Local Inquiries– Citizens Services– Statistics

• Legislative Testimony• Veteran/Dependent Referrals

OUR TASKINGS (cont.)• NH Department of Motor Vehicle Assistance

– Veteran’s License Plates

• Department of Administrative Services Assistance – Senority Credits

• Veteran/Dependent Referrals

• NH Department of Revenue Assistance– Property Tax Credits and Exemptions

OUR TASKINGS (cont.)

• New Hampshire

Veterans Home

• New Hampshire

Veterans Cemetery

PRODUCTIVITY DATANH Office of Veterans Services

Productivity Data

Number of Clients by Fiscal Year

Dollars Recovered/Maintained by Fiscal Year

0

10

20

30

40

50

FY99

FY00

FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10 Dollars in

Millions

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

FY99

FY00

FY01

FY02

FY03

FY04

FY05

FY06

FY07

FY08

FY09

FY10

RECOVERY TYPES

NH Office of Veterans Services Recovery Chart 07/08 Thru 06/09

Burial Allowance

Comp

Pension - Improved

Pension - 306

Pension - Protected

Death Comp

Death Pension - Improved

Death Pension - 306

Death Pension - Protected

DIC

DIC Special Allowance

Educ - CH 30

Educ - CH 32

Educ - Ch 35

Voc Rehab (CH 31)

RECOVERY TYPESNH Office of Veterans Services Recovery Chart 07/09

Thru 06/10

Burial Allowance

Compensation

Pension - Improved

Pension - 306

Pension - Protected

Death Compensation

Death Pension - Improved

Death Pension - 306

Death Pension - Protected

DIC

DIC Special Allowance

Educ - CH 30

Educ - CH 35

Educ - Section 901

Voc Rehab (CH 31)

FEDERAL BENEFITS

U.S. Departm ent o f Veterans Affairs F low Chart

C o m p e n sa tion

D IC

E d uca tion

H o m e Lo a ns

P e ns ion

Veterans Benefit Adm inistration(VBA)

L o n g T e rm C a re

H e a lth C a re

Veterans Health Adm inistration(VHA)

U.S . Departm ent of Veterans Affairs(DVA)

DISCHARGE TYPES

• 3 Administrative Types– Honorable– General (under honorable conditions)– Under Other Than Honorable Conditions

• 2 Punitive Types– Bad Conduct Discharge– Dishonorable Discharge

ADMINISTRATIVE - HONORABLE

• Honorable– The honorable characterization is appropriate

when the quality of the Service member’s service generally has met the standards of acceptable conduct and performance of duty for military personnel, or is otherwise so meritorious that any other characterization would be clearly inappropriate.

ADMINISTRATIVE - GENERAL

• General (under honorable conditions)If a Service member’s service has been honest and faithful, it is appropriate to characterize that service under honorable conditions. Characterization of service as general (under honorable conditions) is warranted when the positive aspects of the Service member’s conduct or performance of duty outweigh negative aspects of the Service member’s conduct or performance of duty as documented in their service record.– AKA “General” “Under Honorable Conditions”

ADMINISTRATIVE - UOTHC

• Under Other Than Honorable Conditions

- This characterization is authorized only if the Service member has been afforded the opportunity to request an Administrative Board action, except as provided in paragraph 12 of Enclosure 3 (separation in lieu of trial by courts-martial).

PUNITIVE DISCHARGES

• Provided only by military court-martial

– Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD)– Dishonorable Discharge (DD)

VBA

• Compensation

• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation

• Home Loan Guarantee

• Pension

• Education

• Vocational Rehabilitation

VBA -COMPENSATION

• Awarded for injury/medical condition caused by or aggravated by military service– Service-connection rates range from 0% -

100%

• Two types of 100% ratings– Based on “permanent and total” disability– Based on “employability”

VBA - DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY

COMPENSATION

• If death of veteran is service-connected, families will be entitled to:– Monthly compensation– Education benefits– Higher burial benefits– Military access benefits (DoD)

VBA - HOME LOAN GUARANTEE

• VA Guarantees Home Loans

• If veteran is rated over a certain percentage some fees are waived

VBA - PENSION

• Non-Service Connected Improved Pension– Based on means (can be affected by Medicaid)– Surviving spouses can qualify– Veteran must have

• 90 Days in service

• 1 of the 30 days: during a wartime period

• Discharge type that is better than “under other than honorable conditions”

VBA - EDUCATION

• Vocational Rehabilitation– If service-connected over 20%– Tuition, books, materials, and fees paid– Evaluation for program required

• GI Bills – Numerous Types– Chapter 1506 and 1507 - Guard and Reserves– Chapter 30 - New GI Bill (can be transferable)– Chapter 31 – Vocational Rehabilitation

VHA

• Health Care

• Adaptive Equipment and Housing

• Long Term Care

• Pharmacy Benefits

VHA – BENEFIT GROUPS• Group 1

– SC Disabilities rated over 50%

• Group 2– SC Disabilities between 30% - 40%

• Group 3– SC Disabilities between 10% - 20%– POW’s, PH Recipients– Voc Rehab Participants– Discharged for SC Disabilities by DoD

VHA – BENEFIT GROUPS (cont.)

• Group 4– A/A and HB Veterans – Catastrophically disabled veterans– May have co-pays

• Group 5– Based on lowest means– NSC Pension Recipients– SC rated at 0%

VHA – BENEFIT GROUPS (cont.)

• Group 6– SC rated 0%– Radiation/Agent Orange Exposures

• Group 7– NSC and SC rated 0% based on means– Will pay co-pay

• Group 8– Higher income, SC 0% and NSC (variable)

NH STATE BENEFITS

• Property Tax Credit– Standard = $50 , Optional = $51 - $500– Qualifiers– Surviving spouse may qualify

• Property Tax Credit Permanently and Totally Disabled– $700 - $2000– Surviving spouse may qualify– Qualifiers

NH STATE BENEFITS (cont.)

• Wartime Era Bonuses– WWII, Korea, Vietnam, PGW, GWOT– $100– Qualifiers

• License Plates and fees– POW’s, PH Recipients, PH Survivors, Vets,

Gold Star Mothers– Some fees exempt– Qualifiers

NH STATE BENEFITS (cont.)

• State Park Admission– Service-connected, NH Guard, Reserves– No fee for day use– Fees charged for other than entry

• State Veterans Home

• State Veterans Cemetery

USEFUL CONTACTS

• NH Office of Veterans Services– 1-800-622-9230 (NH only)– 603-624-9239

• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs– 1-800-827-1000

• NH Veterans Home– 603-527-4400

USEFUL CONTACTS (Cont.)

• NH Veterans Cemetery– 603-796-2026

• VA Medical Center (Manchester)– 603-624-4366

OUR WEBSITE

WWW.NH.GOV/NHVETERANS

QUESTIONS

ANSWERS