Bridging the Gap_Veterans Affairs

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing lifelong healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers and outpatient clinics located throughout the country. Non-healthcare benefits include disability compensation, vocational rehabilitation, education assistance, home loans, and life insurance. The VA also provides burial and memorial benefits to eligible veterans and family members at 135 national cemeteries.


The history and evolution of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are inextricably intertwined and dependent on the history of America's wars, as wounded soldiers are the population the VA cares for. The list of wars involving the United States from the American Revolutionary War to the present totals ninety-nine wars. The majority of the United States military casualties of war, however, occurred in the following eight wars: American Revolutionary War (est. 8000), American Civil War (218,222), World War I (53,402), World War II (291,567), Korean War (33,686), Vietnam War (47,424), Iraq War (3,836), and the War in Afghanistan (1,833). It is these wars that have primarily driven the mission and evolution of the VA. The VA maintains a detailed list of war wounded, as it is this population that comprises the VA care system.[9]

  • Welcome to Veterans Affairs

    Welcome to VA (pdf)

    Apply for VA Health Care

    Veterans Homeless Programs

    Grant & Per Diem Program

  • Veterans Affairs_Apply for Healthcare

    VA health care covers care for your physical and mental health. This includes a range of services from checkups to surgeries to home health care. It also includes prescriptions and medical equipment.


    Here’s what you’ll need to apply:

    • Social Security numbers for you, your spouse, and your qualified dependents.
    • Your military discharge information If you sign in to apply, we may be able to fill in this information for you. If you don’t sign in to apply, we’ll ask you to upload a copy of your DD214 or other separation documents.
    • Insurance cards for all health insurance companies that cover you. This includes any coverage that you get through a spouse or significant other. This also includes Medicare, private insurance, or insurance from your employer.

    We’ll also ask you for this optional information:

    • Last year’s gross household income for you, your spouse, and your dependents. This includes income from a job and any other sources. Gross household income is your income before taxes and any other deductions.
    • Your deductible expenses for last year These include certain health care and education costs. These expenses will lower the amount of money we count as your income.

     Apply for VA health care (PDF)

  • Veterans Affairs_Most Common Forms

    For filing of claims, making changes in benefits, and obtaining a DD214 can be found here.


    For those veterans on prison yards or in shelters where only 'veteran status' is required, the Service Verification Letter is a quick fix.


    VA Benefit Summary Letter

    VA form 20-10206 Freedom of Information Act

    Standard Form 180

    Apply for a Discharge Upgrade

  • Veterans Affairs Forms_Authorizations & Releases

    Whether Veterans Justice Project or a veteran’s friend, family or financial proxy; the Veterans Affairs has a number of forms that MUST be completed prior to having either VJP or a separate veteran representative to speak with the VA on that veteran’s behalf.

  • Veterans Affairs Forms_Claim for Disability

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  • Veterans Affairs Forms_End of Life

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  • Veterans Affairs Forms_Pension Benefits

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  • Veterans Affairs Forms_Financial Services

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THE PACT ACT-VETERANS AFFAIRS Intent to File for the PACT Act (Burn Pits, Agent Orange, and other Toxins)

What does it mean to have a presumptive condition for toxic exposure?

To get a VA disability rating, your disability must connect to your military service. For many health conditions, you need to prove that your service caused your condition. But for some conditions, we automatically assume (or “presume”) that your service caused your condition. We call these “presumptive conditions.” We consider a condition presumptive when it's established by law or regulation.


If you have a presumptive condition, you don’t need to prove that your service caused the condition. You only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption.

Welcome to Veterans Affairs

The history and evolution of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are inextricably intertwined and dependent on the history of America's wars, as wounded soldiers are the population the VA cares for. The list of wars involving the United States from the American Revolutionary War to the present totals ninety-nine wars. The majority of the United States military casualties of war, however, occurred in the following eight wars: American Revolutionary War (est. 8000), American Civil War (218,222), World War I (53,402), World War II (291,567), Korean War (33,686), Vietnam War (47,424), Iraq War (3,836), and the War in Afghanistan (1,833). It is these wars that have primarily driven the mission and evolution of the VA. The VA maintains a detailed list of war wounded, as it is this population that comprises the VA care system.[9]

Most Common VA Forms

For filing of claims, making changes in benefits, and obtaining a DD214 can be found here. For those veterans on prison yards where only veteran status is required, the Service Verification Letter is a quick fix.

Authorization & Releases

Veterans Justice Project will not request information or services on the veteran's behalf without properly completed authorizations and/or releases signed by the veteran and provided to VJP for processing and filing. The VA and VJP are fierce protectors of veteran's rights and authorizations are mandatory.

Disability Claims

Obtaining all necessary information for filing a claim can be challenging for any veteran, much less for an incarcerated veteran. The forms listed are for obtaining that information, but must be accompanied required authorizations and releases.

Notice of Intent to File a Claim

VA form 10-10EZ

VA form 10-10EZ Instructions

VA form 21-526EZ

VA form 21-526EZ Instructions


Veterans Pension Benefits

The Veterans Pension program provides monthly payments to wartime Veterans who meet certain age or disability requirements, and who have income and net worth within certain limits. Find out if you’re eligible for this benefit.

VA form 21P-527EZ

VA form 21P-527EZ Instuctions


Financial Benefits & Services

A veteran that is receiving VA Disability has their disability reduced to 10% on day sixty-one from the time they enter prison. Unless the veteran notifies the VA of imprisonment, the VA may continue to pay that claim, sometimes for months resulting in an overpayment that needs to be paid back.

Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment

The VR&E Program operates under the mandate that for those Veterans who are unable to gain or secure employment due to their service- connected disabilities, the Nation they protected has a responsibility to help them build a new career.

Veteran's Survivor Benefits

A VA Survivors Pension offers monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits set by Congress.

End of Life Benefits

Hospice is a benefit that the VA offers to qualified Veterans who are in the final phase of their lives, typically six months or less. This multi-disciplinary team approach helps Veterans live fully until they die. The VA also works very closely with community and home hospice agencies to provide care in the home.

Veterans Affairs' forms are always updating so it is imperative to make sure the veteran is using the most updated information, especially for incarcerated veterans. If there is any doubt, please free to ask any questions or request forms and/or documents here:

Veterans Justice Program Outreach

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