Evening star., 1946-06-09
Veterans Guide
By Moj. Thomas M. NioI

II you weren't disabled while in
the service chances are you haven't
paid any attention to Public Law
Is. 18th Congress.
If you have a service connected
disability for which a pension is
payable, or If you were retired
from active duty because of a
service-connected disability of at
least 10 per cent rating, you're
likely to be eligible for the benefits
of Public Law Is.
You must have discharge given
under conditions other than dis
honorable. and you must have
served after September is, 1910. The
law makes no mention of how long
you must have served.
The law says you're entitled to
up to four years (regardless OF
length of service) of vocational re-
habilitation. That really means free
education. just like you can get
under the GI Bill. But Public 1e
has so many more advantages than
the GI Bill.
The only thing you have to do is
to prove your eligibility.
Suppose you're getting pension
of S46 month, you have an honor
able discharge, and you served some
time after September 16, 1910. Next
you'll have to demonstrate that
you're in need of vocational re-
habilitation.
Generally the Veterans Admin
istration is liberal in deciding that
a disabled veteran is in need OF
vocational rehabilitation.
If you're eligible for Public Law
16 and plan to go to school OF
college or take training on-the- job
you'll be entitled to keep your full
pension and draw the same subsis-
tence ALLOWANCE you'd get if you
were going to school under the Gl
Bill That's not all. The new
method of payments set up by
Congress last December provides fol-
certain minimum payments to vets
who have only small pensions.
Under the GI Bill allowances are
For single vets, with no dependents
S65 a month; for veterans with
dependents Zone or more. $50 q
month.
Let's assume you're getting a
pension of S46 a month and that
you have no dependents. You start
training under Public Law l6. You'll
get the S46, plus SOS subsistence al
lowance. making a total of Sill
a month.
Say you're getting pension OF
$11.50 4 month. That, plus the
subsistence allowance, would amount
to only $3.50 a month. Congress
however, has set the minimum pay
ment (pension plus allowance) al
S105 month for vets with nc
dependents.
A disabled vet who's getting q
pension of Sis month. will still
get the Sis, plus the subsistence
allowance of $65, making a total
of sl80 a month.
The disabled ex-Joe who has only
one dependent is entitled to a
minimum of $115. The educational
subsistence allowance for a veteran
with a dependent is $50. So if this
800 added to his pension is less
than Sis, he'll get the $1l5-the
minimum.
If he has one dependent and a
child the minimum is $125. For
every other child he has, the
minimum is raised seven dollars
And if he also has a dependent
parent, he can tack on an additional
SIS to the minimum.
A Veterans Administration in
struction sheet makes it clear that
any veteran who is eligible for
education under both the GI Bill
and Public Law 16 will get at least
as much, If not more, allowance
under Public 16 as under the GI
Bill.
For education or training under
Public is get VA form 1900, fill
1t out and send it to the nearest
VA regional Office You do not have
to attach a photostatic copy of your
discharge. That's because the VA
already knows you're eligible, since
you've been awarded a pension.
The VA determines whether OF
not you are in need of vocationa.
rehabilitation. It's almost safe te
say that if you're getting a pen
sion, you'll likely be entitled to vo-
cational reha bilitation.
Next step is vocational counseline
Under the BI bill. you don't have tc
ts,ke vocational counseling. If you