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

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 DATA NH Office of Veterans Services Productivity Data Number of Clients by Fiscal Year Dollars Recovered/Maintained by Fiscal Year

RECOVERY TYPES

FEDERAL BENEFITS

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 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 – (NH only) – U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – NH Veterans Home –

USEFUL CONTACTS (Cont.) NH Veterans Cemetery – VA Medical Center (Manchester) –

OUR WEBSITE

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