The V.E.T.S. Advantage
Edition: Wednesday, September 30, 2026
An educational email by Hill & Ponton.
Thanks for reading & enjoy!
What do V.E.T.S. want to know?
Inside, you can find…
🎖️ VALOR - Real stories about real veterans fighting for VA disability benefits.
⚖️ EXPERTS - VA insider knowledge from members of our staff.
🗺️ TACTICS - Tips and tricks to navigate your VA disability claim effectively.
🦅SUPPORT - Additional resources to help you stay on the right path towards the benefits you deserve.
A lot of veterans think their monthly disability payment is all they are entitled to, but there is often more available. The payment can go up if a spouse is added to the claim, and it can increase again for each child. Surviving spouses might qualify for a monthly income for life, and dependent children can get up to 45 months of education benefits. Sadly, many families miss out on these benefits because they are never made aware of them.
Have you looked into what your family would receive?
🎖️ VALOR
Thomas Hudner: A Crash Landing for a Rescue
On Dec. 4, 1950, at the tail end of the Korean War, Navy pilot Thomas Hudner saw his wingman's plane crash behind enemy lines near the Chosin Reservoir. Ensign Jesse Brown, the Navy's first Black aviator, was trapped in the wreckage as the temperature dropped far below freezing. Hudner crash-landed his own plane nearby and tried to free Brown with his bare hands in the snow until a rescue helicopter arrived. Despite their efforts, Brown unfortunately did not survive.
Hudner was awarded the Medal of Honor for his selfless actions, and he spent many years after that tragic day honoring Brown's memory. In 2013, he even traveled to North Korea to try to bring Brown's remains home. Today, both men are remembered in the Navy with the frigate USS Jesse L. Brown and the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner, which are named after them.
Read Thomas Hudner's full story at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society below.
Get the Facts on Your Conditions Now
Select any condition below, and we'll send a detailed information packet to your email, covering your diagnosis and how it may affect your VA claim.
What do you need help with right now?
Take the First Step Toward Your VA Benefits—For FREE!
Navigating the VA disability claims process can be tough, but you don’t have to do it alone. Our expert-written guide, The Road to VA Compensation Benefits, breaks it down with clear steps and actionable advice to help you succeed.
Request your FREE copy today (a $17.99 value), and we’ll mail it straight to your door.
⚖️ EXPERTS
What Your Family Is Actually Entitled to After You're Gone
The Monthly Payment Most Surviving Spouses Never Apply For
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, known as DIC, is one of the least-discussed benefits in the VA system and one of the most significant. It's not a one-time payment or a short-term bridge. It's a permanent, recurring income stream for the person you leave behind.
What it pays: In 2026, DIC pays surviving spouses $1,612.75 per month, tax-free, for life.
The standard path: The death generally needs to be service-connected, meaning a condition tied to military service contributed to the veteran's passing.
The lesser-known path: If a veteran was rated at 100% disability for at least 10 continuous years immediately before death, the surviving spouse may be eligible regardless of whether the cause of death was service-connected.
Who should know this rule: Veterans living with PTSD, respiratory conditions, or any combination of rated disabilities that reaches 100% combined. It changes the calculus entirely.
The remarriage condition: Benefits stop if the surviving spouse remarries before age 57. Remarrying at 57 or older leaves eligibility intact.
The complete guide to DIC benefits breaks down the eligibility criteria in full, including how parents and children may also qualify in certain circumstances.
What a 100% Rating Means for the Spouse Who's Still Living
A 100% rating doesn't just affect the veteran today. It opens doors for the spouse right now, before any loss occurs. Spouses of 100% disabled veterans may be eligible for:
Health coverage: CHAMPVA.
Education: Certain education benefits.
Family programs: Other programs built specifically around the family unit.
Understanding what's already available while the veteran is still here is the kind of planning that holds up when it matters. This guide on benefits for spouses of 100% disabled veterans is one of the clearest overviews available.
The Education Benefit That Can Be Claimed Retroactively
Chapter 35, formerly known as the Dependents' Educational Assistance program, can put money back in a family's pocket even after the school year has started.
What it provides: Up to 45 months of education benefits for eligible dependents and surviving spouses.
What it covers: College, vocational training, and apprenticeships.
Who qualifies: Dependents of veterans who died from a service-connected condition, or who were permanently and totally disabled due to service.
The retroactive window: Payments may be retroactive for up to 12 months prior to the application date. A family member who was already in school, or who qualified but didn't know to apply, may be able to recover a year's worth of benefits by filing now.
Why timing matters: The retroactive window closes the longer you wait, which makes this one of the more time-sensitive opportunities in the system.
A full explanation of Chapter 35 and how retroactive payments work is worth reading before assuming eligibility has passed.
One Thing You Can Do Today
Pull up the VA's survivors benefits page and confirm whether the veteran in your family has an active 100% rating on file. If so, the 10-year clock for DIC eligibility may already be running. Knowing where that clock stands costs nothing and could mean everything.
If you’re facing challenges with your claim and need assistance, reach out for a free case evaluation.
Think your VA disability rating doesn’t fully reflect your condition? Don’t go it alone. Our dedicated team exclusively helps veterans with VA disability cases and is ready to advocate for your rightful benefits.
Call us at (855) 494-1298 to speak with our team now, or send a request for a free case evaluation today, and we’ll reach out within 30 minutes during business hours to get started.
🗺️ TACTICS
Mere Minutes That Could Change What Your Family Receives From the VA
Many veterans think their VA benefits end when they pass away. This video explains which benefits can be transferred, which cannot, and what steps your family should take to claim what they are entitled to.
In just 13 minutes, you will have a better understanding of survivor benefits than most VA counselors usually provide.
🦅SUPPORT
Additional Resources & Tools
Dupixent Linked to Rare Skin Cancer
Were you prescribed Dupixent (dupilumab) and later diagnosed with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma (CTCL)?
Recent studies have linked long-term Dupixent use to an increased risk of CTCL, a rare skin cancer. If you took Dupixent for at least one month and were diagnosed with CTCL—or a subtype like Mycosis fungoides or Sézary syndrome—after your first dose, you may be eligible to file a claim.
Find out if you qualify. The case review is free and confidential.
Act now. Contact us today at (855) 494-1298 to learn more about your options or to begin your claim. You’ve served your country; let us serve you.
Feeling overwhelmed by the VA?
We invite you to take our new FREE course, Master the VA Disability Claims Process, that offers advice, tips and tricks from our team, plus our VA Disability Calculator to see how your rating measures up.
This course covers every step of the VA disability claim process and answers the questions veterans ask most often. Best of all—it’s FREE!
Please note that you will need to create a free account for the course, and it will also allow you to take additional courses we plan to offer!
