TN 1 (11-01)

A. Policy

In order to qualify for special veterans benefits (SVB), an individual must:

• have been age 65 or older on December 14, 1999, the date title VIII was enacted into law;

• be a WW II veteran, as defined in VB 00102.001B.2.;

• have been eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), as defined in VB 00102.001B.1., for December 1999, the month in which title VIII was enacted into law;

• file an application for SVB;

• be eligible (as defined in VB 00102.001B.1.) for SSI for the month in which he or she files an application, or protective filing, for SVB; and

• not have other benefit income (as defined in VB 00102.001B.3.) that equals or exceeds 75 percent of the current SSI Federal benefit rate.

B. Definitions

1. Eligible for SSI

For title VIII purposes, an individual is considered "eligible for SSI" for a month if the individual is on the Supplemental Security Record (SSR) and the individual's entitlement has not been terminated. It does not include individuals whose:

• entitlement was not timely terminated (e.g., they did not report their departure from the United States and thus, should have been terminated after 12 consecutive months of ineligibility), or

• SSI benefits are subject to a penalty under the administrative sanctions provisions (as explained in GN 02604.400 through GN 02604.460) of the law; or

• SSI claim was disallowed.

NOTE: This definition is broader than that given the term "eligible" in the title XVI program. It includes individuals in current payment status, as well as most of those in the various suspension and nonpayment statuses, as long as there was at least one month of SSI eligibility (C0I, E01, E02), i.e., the claim was not denied.

See VB 00205.020 for a detailed discussion of eligible for SSI.

2. WW II Veteran

This is a person who meets the following requirements:

a. Type of service

• Served during WW II in the active military, naval or air service of the United States; during WW II at any time during the period beginning on September 16, 1940 and ending on July 24, 1947; or

• Served during WW II in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, while the forces were in the service of the U.S. Armed Forces pursuant to the military order of the President dated July 26, 1941, including among the military forces organized guerrilla forces under commanders appointed, designated, or subsequently recognized by the Commander in Chief, Southwest Pacific Area, or other competent authority in the U.S. Army. This military service must have been rendered at any time during the period beginning July 26, 1941 and ending on December 30, 1946; and

b. Type of discharge

Was discharged or released from the above service under conditions other than dishonorable after service of 90 days or more, or because of a disability or injury incurred or aggravated in the line of active duty.

See VB 00205.050 for a detailed discussion of the military service requirement.

3. Other benefit income

Any recurring payment received by a qualified individual, such as an annuity, pension, retirement or disability benefit, but only if a similar payment was received by the individual from the same or a related source, during the 12-month period preceding the month in which the individual files an application for SVB. This benefit income includes any veterans' compensation payment, worker's compensation, old-age, survivors or disability insurance benefit, railroad retirement or pension, and unemployment insurance benefit. These payments are not limited to benefits from U.S. sources, but also include those from sources in other countries.

Recurring payment means a regular periodic payment; it can also include lump-sum payments made at the request of the individual or as an administrative convenience or practice in lieu of more frequent payments.

See VB 00205.100 through VB 00205.130 for a detailed discussion of other benefit income.