Most of the veterans in the country know of only the basic health care and education benefits that are available to them through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): which are Tricare and the GI Bill.­­­ Indeed these two benefits alone can be considered to be substantial, however there are other numerous programs that help offer many more benefits to the veterans and their families. This undiscovered benefits are also available within the health care and education programs. Just like the two major benefits, these benefits are meant to improve the lives of the veterans and at the same time ease their financial burden of medical care or other expenses.

Here are the 10 veterans benefits most veterans don’t know exist:

1. The Long-term Care: it’s known to be expensive, however most of the time you will find it necessary. Even though, through the Aid and Attendance program, majority of the veterans qualify to get financial support that is meant to cover expenses of nursing homes, assisted living programs and other long-term care options. Aging couples (both veterans) can receive even up to $25,020 annually, the amount caters for a large portion of the long-term care costs. While the surviving spouses of the veterans qualify to receiving as much as $13,560 annually.
2. The Caregiver Support: If any one volunteers to look after an ailing Veteran at home, the VA Department provides a caregiver support program. The program does not entail monetary support to the volunteers but then they offer a free support line together with a caregiver support coordinator to assist the caregiver navigate military benefits and the stress of care giving.
3. The Death Benefits: when a veteran passes on, the remaining family members have few unique benefits that are made available to them. The family can request for a U.S. flag to be draped over the casket of the deceased and a Presidential Memorial Certificate to honor the deceased loved ones service to the country. Apart from that the Department of Veterans Affairs also offers free headstones or grave markers.
4. The Certification Programs: Apart from getting credits that the veteran can use to get a college degree, the GI Bill provides up to $2,000 financial support to cover the educational cost or any other vocational training programs that a veteran might decide to take part in. It’s the best benefit for veterans who want to change careers or pick a career that doesn’t need college qualification.
5. The Transferring GI Bill Credits: the unused credits through the GI Bill might be transferred to the living spouses and dependents of the veterans. There are some service limits that are required in order to transfer the benefits.
6. The Free Tax Preparation: the veterans and their family members have access to free tax preparation services. These services can be accessed through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance offices on the military bases. The individuals working in the offices will have expertise in working with the complicated nature of military-related tax issues.
7. The Life Insurance: getting the common life insurance is a big challenge to many veterans, especially those who have injuries that they got during their time of service. However, through the Servicemembers’ and Veterans’ Group Life Insurance program, veterans can qualify for a life insurance cover up to $400,000. The program also has very competitive premium rates.
8. The Mortgage Help: the other challenging issue that affect like 90% of the veterans in the country is paying their mortgage payments. Well veterans can check if they are eligible for repayment assistance through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The options that are available for help are: special repayment plans, loan forbearance and loan modification programs. The other benefits are available for veterans who have VA loans and for the homeless veterans.
9. The VA Foreclosures: the VA department keeps a recorded list of homes that are serviced by VA loans and have gone into foreclosures. Veterans can look up at the list of the VA acquired properties and then buy the houses at a discounted rate. Well you don’t need to be a veteran to check the properties however all properties qualify for VA financing.
10. The American Corporate Partners: this program connects veterans to the top companies hence improve their networking. This helps the veterans in securing jobs after their time of service, especially in the private industry. The veterans can also receive mentorship sessions and additional career development services.