Do you have to wear a prosthetic, take special medicine for a skin condition or use an orthopedic device?  Did you know you could be eligible for extra money each year to help offset the cost of replacing your ruined clothing through the VA Clothing Allowance?

You must have already applied for service-connected disability and be receiving compensation.

Here are is the information directly from the VA on their website:

Note: The current clothing allowance rate is $795.21. 

Here is how to get your yearly payment. You will need to apply by August 1 of the year you are applying for.  In special occasions, you’ll be able to get more than one payment. Again here are the exact requirements from VA.GOV

At least one of these must be true:

• You have more than one prosthetic or orthopedic device, or
• You have more than one skin medicine, and/or
• Your device or skin medicine affects more than one type of clothing.

Receiving more than one clothing allowance is possible. For example, if you have more than one prosthetic that has damaged clothing, you can apply for two payments.

Damages from clothing have to be permanent and not something that can be removed. For example, a stain that can be removed through dry cleaning does not count.

Most payments are received between September 1st and October 31st of the current year.  

How to apply

Now here is the most important part,  how to and where to apply. You will need to fill an application for Annual Clothing Allowance (VA form -10-8678) and give this form to your prosthetic representative at your local VA medical center.  

You can send in your application by either mailing, faxing or delivering your application to your local VA Hospital or Clinic. Do not email your application in.

You will need to reapply for this annually if you plan on applying for more than one clothing allowance. If you are not planning on needed a clothing allowance more than once, you do not have to worry about reapplying.

Before you begin to apply, gather together all the necessary information. This would include your medical records, and supporting documents to file. Include the article of clothing that was damaged, your disability, when it was issued, and how this has changed your life.

Similarly, you could also be eligible to qualify for a vehicle allowance. If you have had loss of a limb or severe physical disability, you could be eligible for a one-time vehicle allowance to help pay for a specially equipped vehicle.

This is a one-time payment of no more than $21,058.69

In conclusion, after applying for your VA compensation allowance, if a service-connected prosthetic or medication ruins your clothing, you can be eligible for clothing allowance compensation.