5 questions. Personalized benefits checklist. The average veteran is missing at least 3.
Veterans, service members, and their families are eligible for a wide range of benefits — VA disability compensation, free healthcare, the GI Bill and VR&E, VA home loans, dependent education and healthcare, state property tax exemptions, federal hiring preference, and military service buyback toward FERS pensions — but no single agency tells you which ones apply to your specific situation. The benefits system is fragmented across the VA, DoD, OPM, and fifty separate state agencies, and recent legislation has expanded eligibility for millions of veterans without notifying them: the PACT Act of 2022 added 20+ presumptive conditions for post-9/11 toxic-exposure veterans (the VA estimates ~5 million are eligible to file), and the Camp Lejeune Justice Act is paying $100K–$550K+ settlements for veterans, families, and civilians stationed there 1953–1987. A 70% disabled veteran with two kids who served in Iraq, plans to buy a home, and wants to use the GI Bill may simultaneously qualify for PACT-based rating increases, TDIU (paid at the 100% rate), Chapter 35 DEA for the kids, a VA loan with no funding fee, state property tax exemption, and federal hiring preference — with no notification that any of it exists. The Benefits Finder Quiz takes six questions about your rating, family, housing, employment, education, and exposure history and returns a personalized checklist with direct links to the free calculators or VA.gov forms for each.
The Benefits Finder Quiz applies federal eligibility rules from the VA, DoD, OPM, and state-level VA offices to your five answers. Each benefit in the checklist references the specific rule that triggered it — for example, CHAMPVA appears only for veterans rated 100% P&T (or 100% TDIU) with dependents per 38 CFR § 17.270, and the Chapter 35 DEA benefit appears only for veterans with permanent total disability or rated TDIU per 38 USC § 3501.
Dollar estimates use 2026 VA compensation rates (effective December 1, 2025, after the 2.8% COLA), 2026 Chapter 35 DEA rates (~$1,600/month at full-time enrollment), the Kaiser Family Foundation's 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey for civilian-equivalent healthcare comparisons, and OPM's 2026 GS pay tables for federal employment estimates. State property tax exemptions and other state-level benefits are surfaced through the State Benefits Stacker tool, which runs each veteran's exact rating, home value, and income against all 50 states.
The "You may be missing" section flags benefits that veterans at your profile most often overlook based on Reddit, Facebook, and reader-submitted feedback — usually CHAMPVA (most 100% P&T veterans don't realize their families are covered), TDIU (most 60–90% veterans don't realize they may already qualify for 100%-rate pay), federal buyback (most transitioning veterans never deposit their military service into FERS), and Chapter 35 (most veteran parents never apply for their kids).
This is an educational estimator, not a legal eligibility determination. Always verify with your regional VA office, an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO), or your agency's HR specialist.
Eligibility depends on your disability rating, family situation, housing plans, employment, and education plans. Veterans with any service-connected rating qualify for VA healthcare and disability compensation. Veterans rated 100% Permanent & Total (P&T) qualify for CHAMPVA family healthcare, Chapter 35 DEA dependent education benefits, full state property tax exemptions in many states, and free VA dental. Veterans rated 60–90% who can't work full-time may qualify for TDIU (paid at the 100% rate). Veterans buying a home qualify for VA loans regardless of rating. Veterans pursuing federal employment qualify for veterans' preference and military service buyback toward FERS pension.
Total Disability Individual Unemployability (TDIU) lets veterans rated 60–90% who cannot maintain substantially gainful employment receive compensation at the 100% rate. To meet scheduler criteria, you need one disability rated at 60%+ OR a combined rating of 70%+ with at least one condition at 40%+. Marginal employment (under ~$14,000/year in 2026) does not disqualify you. TDIU also opens access to CHAMPVA and Chapter 35 — the same family-protecting benefits as 100% P&T.
Yes. CHAMPVA provides healthcare for the spouse and children of a 100% P&T (or 100% TDIU) veteran with a $3,000/year catastrophic cap. Chapter 35 (DEA) provides ~$1,600/month for 36 months of education for each eligible dependent — worth $57,000+ per child. Dependents are also factored into your monthly disability compensation rate at 30%+. The Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program covers tuition, books, and a monthly stipend.
Yes — every state offers some property tax relief for disabled veterans, but the rules vary widely. Texas, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and Maryland offer full exemptions for 100% disabled veterans. Other states offer partial exemptions starting at 10%–50% disability ratings or for specific groups (Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients, surviving spouses). Some states have age, income, or home-value caps. Use the State Benefits tool to see what your specific state offers.
The PACT Act of 2022 dramatically expanded presumptive service-connected conditions for veterans exposed to burn pits, airborne hazards, and other toxins. If you served in any post-9/11 combat zone (Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, etc.), in the Gulf War '90–'92, in Vietnam (Agent Orange presumptions extended), or with other qualifying exposures, conditions on the PACT Act list are automatically presumed service-connected — you don't have to prove the link. The list includes hypertension, sinusitis, asthma, multiple cancers, and dozens more. The VA estimates ~5 million veterans are eligible. Filing under PACT often raises ratings significantly.
If you, your spouse, or your children spent at least 30 days at Camp Lejeune between August 1953 and December 1987 and developed a qualifying condition (multiple cancers, Parkinson's disease, kidney disease, and others), you may be eligible to file a claim under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. Settlements range from $100,000 to $550,000+ and are paid by the U.S. Department of Justice through the Eastern District of North Carolina — completely separate from VA disability compensation. Congressional filing deadlines apply; do not delay.
Take this Benefits Finder Quiz. It asks 6 questions about your rating, family, housing, employment, education plans, and toxic-exposure history, then returns a personalized checklist of every benefit you may be missing — with direct links to free calculators or VA.gov forms. The average veteran is missing at least 3 benefits they've already earned.