South Carolina State Veteran's Benefits The state of South Carolina provides several veteran benefits. This section offers a brief description of each of the following benefits. Veteran Housing Benefits Veteran and Active Duty Financial Assistance Benefits Veteran Employment Benefits Veteran Dependent Education Benefits Other State Sponsored Veteran Benefits South Carolina Veteran Housing Programs Specially Adapted Housing Provides for the exemption of state, county, and municipal taxes on the residence of veterans who have lost the use of their lower extremities or who has paralysis of one lateral half of the body resulting from injury to the motor centers of the brain. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. State Veterans Nursing Homes There are two facilities in South Carolina: the E. Roy Stone Jr., Pavilion, which is located in Columbia, and the Richard Michael Campbell Veterans Nursing Home in Anderson, S.C. Admission to these facilities is limited to veterans who have been separated from the U.S. Armed Forces under honorable conditions and qualify as South Carolina residents who are in need of skilled or intermediate nursing home care. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. South Carolina Financial Assistance Benefits Admissions Tax Exemption Provides for the exemption of admissions taxes to athletic contests in which junior American Legion athletic teams are participants unless the proceeds are given to individual players in the form of salary or otherwise. Income Tax Exemption on Military Retirement Pay Any person retired from the uniformed services or their surviving spouse, shall be allowed an exemption from the S.C. State Income Tax of $3,000 until age 65. At age 65 $10,000 of retirement pay is exempt. Property Taxes - Homestead Exemption All persons who have been declared permanently and totally disabled by the Social Security Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, other state or federal agencies, are eligible for a homestead exemption in an amount set by the General Assembly. This also applies to persons over age 65. Property Tax Exemption Provides that the dwelling house in which a veteran resides who has been rated as permanently and totally disabled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs may be tax exempt. The tax exemption may be transferred when purchasing another dwelling. Tax Exemption for Compensation, Pension, Disability Retirement Pay and VA Payments Provides that federal tax exempt moneys received from pension or compensation provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, or disability pay from the Armed Forces will not be included in SC tax. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. Parking Fee Exemption Provides for an exemption of municipal parking meter fees when a veteran's vehicle bears a disabled veteran ("V" tag), Purple Heart or Medal of Honor license plate. Active Duty Pay Relevant to the SC Department of Revenue & Taxation Non-resident armed services personnel who are legal residents of other States stationed within South Carolina by virtue of military orders, are not subject to South Carolina income tax on their service pay. They are, however, subject to tax on any other income earned in South Carolina by spouses of service personnel. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. South Carolina Employment Benefits Veterans Preference Preference will be granted to eligible members for employment and/or an appointment in public departments or public works operating on a merit system. Eligible members: Must be Honorably discharged from the Armed Forces of the U.S. Must possess the skills and knowledge required for the position involved. Veterans Reemployment Rights Employees of the State/any political subdivision thereof, on or after June 25, 1950 has been, or will be, commissioned, enlisted/selected for service in the Armed Forces of the U.S. shall be entitled to a leave of absence from his/her duties as an employee of the State/any political subdivision thereof, without loss of seniority or efficiency or register rating. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. South Carolina Education Benefits Education Assistance (Fee tuition for certain veteran's children) Provides for free tuition to the children of certain war veterans attending South Carolina state supported colleges and universities as well as state supported post high school technical education institutions. Certain residency requirements apply. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. Other South Carolina State Veteran Benefits Credit of State Retirement for Military Service A person leaving employment with the State for military duty, may continue with the State's Retirement Program if he/she continues to make payments based on the salary he/she was receiving when employed by the State. An employee of the State with two or more years of credited service with the South Carolina Retirement System may also purchase additional credit, up to six years, for militaryservice towards his/her State retirement. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. Free Hunting & Fishing Licenses Provides for free hunting/fishing license to veterans who are totally disabled. License must be applied for directly from SC Department of Natural Resources showing proof of disability. State Parks Totally Disabled Persons Provides that any South Carolina resident who is a permanently and totally disabled veteran may enter any state park at a reduced rate upon presentation of supporting disability documentation. The veteran may also apply for a reduced fee "Palmetto Passport." Certain services may require an additional fee. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. Special License Plates Upon establishing proof of eligibility to entitlement, the S.C. Department of Public Safety may issue special motor vehicle license plates to the following: National Guard National Guard Retirees Purple Heart Recipients Disabled Veterans U.S. Armed Forces Retirees Ex-Prisoners of War Medal of Honor Recipients Pearl Harbor Survivors Normandy Invasion Survivors Marine Corps League Presentation of the State Flag to Families of Deceased Members of the South Carolina National Guard Provides that the State Adjutant General's Office shall present to the family of each deceasedmember of the South Carolina National Guard a flag of the State of South Carolina, appropriate for use as a burial flag, upon application of a member of the family of the deceased. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. Recording of Discharges A certified copy of the recorded discharge may be obtained upon request. Any person desiring a certified copy of any discharge or certificate of lost discharge, may apply to the County Clerk of Court or the County Veterans Affairs Officer in which the discharge or certificate of lost discharge is registered and shall be furnished a certified copy. Fees for furnishing a certified copy of discharge or DD Form 214 may be established by each county, but may not exceed fifty cents. Marriage, Birth, Death and Divorce Verification Provides for the verification of marriage, birth, death, and divorce records without cost when such is required by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the S.C. Division of Veterans Affairs, the County Veterans Affairs Offices, or any out of state Veterans Affairs entities. Visit the South Carolina Veterans Affairs website for contact information and benefits assistance. Subject: IMPORTANT VET INFO: YOUR DD 214 On-Line DD-214 Access Info - you can now access your DD-214 on-line. Please pass this information on to retired military personnel you may know. Pass to Every Vet - MILITARY RECORDS FYI. The National Personnel Records Center has provided the following website for veterans to access their DD-214 online: http://vetrecs.archives.gov This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes. Please see the details below. Point of contact is Lyn Krout DSN 458-1755 or commercial 410-306-1755 The VA and Planning for Your Final Days Are you a person who planned ahead and prepared legal documents such as a durable power of attorney for health care, a living will, and a power of attorney for your other personal/financial affairs? Well, if you have contact with any VA services, you would probably be well served by filling out the VA’s specific legal documents to make things really official. You see, the VA is federal and your legal documents are based in state law. That can make things confusing depending on where you signed your state documents, what your state of residence was at the time of signature, your state of residence when you are patient, or where your treatment as a patient is administered. We military retirees are a mobile group. The VA Advanced Directive for Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and a Living Will is VA form 10-0137. The VA power of attorney forms to appoint a Veteran Service Office or an individual as your representative to handle a VA claim or appeal are VA form 21-22 and VA form 21-22a respectively. All are available on-line, just Google the form numbers or go by your VA office or Veteran Service Office (VSO). Find a local VSO to ask specific questions. Disability Division CRSC web page Retirees with questions about the CRSC can call the Air Force Contact Center toll free at 1-800-616-3775, commercial (210) 565-5000 or DSN 665-5000. For additional information and a copy of the application form, go to https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/crsc/. NPRC initiates online records request procedures. The National Personnel Records Center is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180 which can be downloaded from the online web site. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing time. Also, because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized Veterans and next of kin may access this application at http://vetrecs.archives.gov Photocopying of Military Identification Cards Recent incidents regarding the photocopying of military identification cards and common access cards (CAC), by commercial establishments to verify military affiliation or provide government rates for service, have been reported. Personnel are reminded that the photocopying of US Government Identification is a violation of Title 18, US Code Part I, Chapter 33, Section 701 and punishable by both fine and/or imprisonment. Many military members, family members and DoD employees are unaware of this law. Please pass to the lowest level and include in training for force protection, information security and OPSEC. Criminal elements and terrorist organizations place U.S. government identifications as a high value logistical element when planning acts against the U.S. military. Although commercial establishments are not prohibited from asking for military/government identification, many government personnel and commercial establishments are unaware of the prohibition on duplication of government identification. Unfortunately, there are no safeguards in place to ensure a government identification card won’t be counterfeited or “cloned” based on a photocopy by a commercial establishment. It is recommended that military/DoD personnel provide a state drivers license or other form of photo identification to be photocopied if an establishment insists on a photocopy of the traveler’s identification. *NOTE: This does not apply to medical establishments (i.e. doctor’s office, hospitals, etc…) who are allowed take a copy for the purpose of filing insurance claims; and other government agencies in the performance of official government business. The Veterans Benefit That Far Too Many Vets Overlook Aid and Attendance provides nearly $2,000 a month for a qualified veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with everyday activities. But just one-third of elderly veterans are receiving their full health care benefits, according to the government. Aid and Attendance is among the most overlooked benefits offered, in part because the required disability does not necessarily have to be tied to combat injuries. It's apparently one of the toughest supplements to secure as well. Former servicemen or their spouses who think they qualify will need a shoebox full of documentation: discharge/separation papers, a Social Security award letter, verification of net worth (which is not supposed to exceed $80,000, excluding home and car), and proof of income. Click here for details of the eligibility standards. Gathering all that paperwork is worth the hassle. The Department of Veterans Affairs told DailyFinance it had no estimate for how many veterans are eligible for Aid and Attendance, but it did encourage candidates -- or their caregivers -- to be thorough when applying. And if it takes a plea to an elected official to hurry things up, go right ahead. "While Congressional inquiries may help to resolve difficult situations, our experience is that many delays can be avoided by filing a complete claim or by seeking the assistance of a VA-accredited representative in preparing the claim," a Veterans Affairs spokesperson wrote in an email. But VeteranAid.org, a veterans advocacy website that promotes Aid and Attendance while trying to simplify the process, warns applicants that some VA employees might give the wrong information, so choose carefully. To get the ball rolling, veterans can download this application. Surviving spouses should download this one. The forms will most likely go to the local VA branch. ELIGIBILITY FOR THE AID & ATTENDANCE PENSION (http://www.veteranaid.org/eligibility.php ) Any War-Time Veteran with 90 days of active duty, 1 day beginning or ending during a period of War, is eligible to apply for the Aid & Attendance Improved Pension. A surviving spouse (marriage must have ended due to death of veteran) of a War-Time Veteran may also apply. The individual applying must qualify both medically and financially. To see the periods of war that have been qualified by Congress, Click Here. To qualify medically, a War-Time Veteran or surviving spouse must need the assistance of another person to perform daily tasks, such as eating, dressing, undressing, taking care of the needs of nature, etc. Being blind or in a nursing home for mental or physical incapacity, or residing in an assisted living facility also qualifies. Eligibility must be proven by filing the proper Veterans Application for Pension or Compensation. This application will require a copy of DD-214 (see below for more information) or separation papers, Medical Evaluation from a physician, current medical issues, net worth limitations, and net income, along with out-of-pocket Medical Expenses. To qualify financially, an applicant must have on average less than $80,000 in assets, EXCLUDING their home and vehicles. To request a copy of a DD-214 visit www.vetrec.archives.gov. For more general information about the Aid & Attendance Pension, please see our FAQ Section. VA Benefits Book Available Veterans of the United States armed forces may be eligible for a broad range of programs and services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These benefits are legislated in Title 38 of the United States Code. The 2011 VA Benefit booklet contains a summary of these benefits effective Jan. 1, 2011. The 2011 VA Benefits book is now available online at the VA website.