The County of San Francisco Office of Veterans Services can assist local Veterans, and the dependents of every deceased Veteran, in presenting and pursuing claim against the United States, and in establishing the Veterans right to any privilege, preference, care or compensation provided for by the laws of the United States, or of the state of California.
The VA has toll free numbers for the convenience of veterans and dependents:
Benefits Information 1-800-827-1000
Life Insurance 1-800-669-8477
Debt Management 1-800-827-0648
Mammography Hotline 1-888-492-7844
Tele. Dev. for Deaf (TDD) 1-800-829-4833
CHAMPVA 1-800-733-8387
Headstones/Markers 1-800-697-6947
Gulf War Helpline 1-800-749-8387
Sexual Trauma Hotline 1-800-827-1000
For copies of your military service records you may contact:
National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100
You can request replacement for lost or stolen medals from the National Personnel Records Center:
National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100
Disability Compensation: A monthly monetary benefit paid to veterans who are disabled by injury or disease incurred in or aggravated during military service.
Disability Pension: A monetary benefit paid to veterans of a period of war who are permanently and totally disabled for reasons not the result of their own willful misconduct and not related to their military service. This benefit is income-dependent.
Original Claim: The very first claim for disability benefits (compensation or pension) filed by a veteran. All original claims must be filed on VA Form 21-526.
Claim for increase: A claim for increased compensation for a disability already found to be service-connected.
New Claim: A claim for compensation for a disability not part of the original claim. Also known as a supplemental claim.
Reopened Claim: A claim asking for reconsideration of an issue previously considered and finally disallowed by VA (after more than one year has passed).The type of claim determines how much development is required by VA and/or the nature of the supporting evidence the veteran must submit in support of the claim. The processing time for a claim varies depending on the type of claim and the supporting evidence provided by the veteran.
Vet Center Services include: Bereavement Counseling, Group Readjustment Counseling, Individual Readjustment Counseling, Job Counseling Referral, Marital and Family Counseling, Sexual Trauma counseling and Substance abuse information and referral.
505 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-441-5051
415-441-5092 Fax
http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/facility.asp?ID=523
Other Helpful Websites for Veterans
Online Veterans Benefits
NPRC – Military Service Records
Vet Benefits
VA Benefits Fact Sheets
The Appeals Process
San Francisco VA Medical Center
California Department of Veterans Affairs
For more frequently asked questions, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs website. You can also view a list of additional local resources here.