As a social media administrator for VA’s Benefits Administration, I read thousands of comments (yep, all of them) each week from thousands of people scattered across the country. It’s no surprise that the most-talked about VA benefit is VA compensation, but it is sometimes surprising that the words we use to talk about this benefit are different from the words used by those in our social media community. Even more surprising is that many don’t fully understand the intent, purpose or process behind this benefit.
That’s on us, I guess, that we need to reach more of you to better explain what compensation is, how it works, and who can get it. In general terms, this blog intends to do just that. Or, more loosely: here’s the skinny, the straight talk, with no PR, no spin, no BS.
Ready?
So, what is compensation?
It’s money, obviously. But there’s more to it than that. People often say it’s their “monthly check,” their “service-connected payment,” “their disability payment,” or even simply their “benefits.” These are actual words I often see, but even they don’t effectively describe what compensation is, nor do they accurately portray which specific benefit—among dozens VBA administers—they’re referring to.
There are several types of VA compensation, but I’ve learned that most people are most often referring to disability compensation. When referring to disability compensation, people most often say “my claim,” “my money,” “my benefits,” or “my check.” Sometimes they even say “my pension,” which is, itself, an entirely different
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