Disabled Veterans Programs: U.S. Eligibility and Benefit Types Compared
With Five Other Countries (Chapter Report, 11/24/93, GAO/HRD-94-6).
The United States offers benefits specifically for disabled veterans and
their survivors in more program areas than any of the five other nations
GAO studied--Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, and the United
Kingdom. Major differences exist, however, in the kinds of benefits
offered, the eligibility requirements for benefits, and the methods used
to compute benefits. Countries without special programs for disabled
veterans often help these men and women via programs that serve the
general population. In fact, Germany and the United Kingdom run most of
their special veterans programs through general social service agencies
rather than a separate veterans agency like the United States,
Australia, Canada, and Finland have. Countries differ in the extent to
which a veteran's disability must be service-connected for the veteran
to receive benefits. Most foreign countries require that a disability
be closely related to the performance of military duty to qualify for
disability benefits; no such link is required in the United States. The
upshot is that the United States provides benefits for some disabilities
that other countries do not. In a July 1989 report (GAO/HRD-89-60), GAO
recommended that Congress consider tightening the U.S. criteria.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: HRD-94-6
TITLE: Disabled Veterans Programs: U.S. Eligibility and Benefit
Types Compared With Five Other Countries
DATE: 11/24/93
SUBJECT: Veterans disability compensation
Eligibility criteria
Eligibility determinations
Disability benefits
Military compensation
Veterans benefits
Comparative analysis
Policy evaluation
Foreign governments
Employee survivors benefits
IDENTIFIER: VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Program
DOL Homeless Veterans Reintegration Projects Program
Job Training Partnership Act Program
Australia
Canada
Finland
Germany
United Kingdom
JTPA
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