November 11, 2021 - A new report by the U.S. Census Bureau shows almost one-half of veterans (46.7%) received some sort of military service-related cash or noncash benefit in 2017. In that year, there were over 19.9 million veterans, which represented 6.2% of the overall population in the United States. The report, Benefits Received by Veterans and Their Survivors, discusses the benefits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides, in conjunction with other federal government programs, to those who leave military service.

This report uses data from the 2018 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), a nationally representative panel survey that collects information on the short-term dynamics of employment, income, household composition, and eligibility and participation in government assistance programs in calendar year 2017.

Highlights from the report:

• Nearly all veterans had health insurance in every month (94.9%) with coverage through a variety of public and private health insurance sources.
• Among veterans with a mortgage, about one-third (32.1%) have a loan secured through the VA.
• The median monthly value of school-related expenses covered by the GI Bill was $1,547.
• Nearly 3.9 million veterans (19.5%) received disability compensation payments, almost 1.5 million veterans (7.3%) received military retirement benefits and more than 600,000 veterans received pension payments.
• There were some 450,000 “survivor” households receiving VA or military benefits in SIPP — meaning a household without a veteran that received benefits. Recipients of survivor benefits can include a veteran’s spouse, children or parents.

SIPP is a leading source of information on topics related to economic well-being, family dynamics, education, wealth and assets, health insurance, child care and food security. Each SIPP panel follows individuals for several years, providing monthly data that measure changes in household and family composition and economic circumstances over time. Visit the SIPP Website for more information.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau