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24% of Pennsylvania’s veterans are getting VA disability compensation, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and many are still trying to access benefits. If you’re not sure what you’re entitled to receive, based on your rating or your family’s situation, this guide is for you. 

The state supplements federal VA benefits with its own programs, including real estate tax exemptions, state pensions for certain severely disabled veterans and other types of financial assistance, educational gratuity of children of qualifying veterans, and more.  

This guide explains which benefits are available for disabled veterans in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who is eligible, and how to access support and resources.

Tax Exemptions and Financial Assistance

Do Disabled Veterans Pay Property Taxes in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania’s Disabled Veterans’ Real Estate Tax Exemption (RETX) exempts qualifying veterans from paying real estate tax on their primary residence. To qualify, the veteran must:

  • Be a Pennsylvania resident with an honorable or under honorable conditions discharge
  • Have served during a period of war as defined by the VA 
  • Own and occupy the property as a principal dwelling 
  • Have a 100% permanent and total service-connected disability, total disability individual unemployability (TDIU), service-connected blindness, paraplegia, or loss of two or more limbs

Effective January 1, 2025, the income limit was adjusted to $114,637 per year. Veterans exceeding that threshold may still qualify if their monthly expenses are greater than their household income. The exemption also extends to un-remarried surviving spouses after the veteran’s death. 

Apply through your County Director of Veterans Affairs or email Ra-retx@pa.gov (do not include personally identifiable information). 

Financial Assistance Programs

  • Veterans Temporary Assistance (VTA): Provides up to $1,600 in a 12-month period for food, shelter, fuel, clothing, utilities, health care, and other essential needs for veterans facing financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances such as job loss, illness, or disaster. 
  • Amputee and Paralyzed Veterans Pension: A monthly pension of $150 for Pennsylvania residents who have at least a 40% disability rating in each limb and lost, or lost the use of, two or more limbs due to a service-connected injury. 
  • Blind Veterans Pension: A monthly pension of $150 for Pennsylvania residents whose service-connected injury resulted in vision loss meeting VA standards (acuity of 3/60 or 10/200 equivalent, or visual field restricted to 20 degrees or less). 
  • Veterans’ Trust Fund: Grants to veterans service organizations and county directors that in turn provide direct assistance with housing, food, training, and recovery services. 

Contact your County Director of Veterans Affairs to apply for any of these programs and email RA-MVVeteransPension@pa.gov for pension inquiries. Find out more about Pennsylvania veterans financial assistance programs. 

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Transportation Benefits

How to Get a Disabled Veteran License Plate in Pennsylvania 

Pennsylvania offers two disabled veteran registration plates through PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services: 

  • Disabled Veteran Plate: For veterans with any service-connected disability, certified by their service branch or the VA. This plate does not confer disability parking privileges. 
  • Severely Disabled Veteran Plate: For veterans with a 100% service-connected disability rating. This plate provides 60 minutes of extended parking beyond posted local limits and access to designated disability parking spaces. A motorcycle decal with the international disability symbol is also available. 

Pennsylvania also offers 53 distinctive veteran and military specialty plates. Apply through PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services with a DD-214 and VA certification letter or discharge document showing disability status.

Do Veterans Pay Sales Tax on Vehicles in Pennsylvania? 

Yes. There is no sales tax exemption on the purchase of a motor vehicle for disabled veterans. Veterans pay the standard 6% vehicle sales tax (plus applicable local taxes) when purchasing a vehicle in Pennsylvania. 

However, the federal VA’s Automobile Allowance and Adaptive Equipment (AA&AE) program provides a one-time allowance for eligible veterans to purchase or modify a vehicle for their disability. This is a federal benefit, not a Pennsylvania state tax exemption. 

Education Benefits

Do Disabled Veterans Get Free College in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania does not offer a state-funded tuition waiver specifically for disabled veterans. However, veterans applying for state financial aid through PHEAA receive special processing. 

The agency disregards the veteran’s Student Aid Index and any Pell Grant eligibility, resulting in the highest possible state grant based on the school’s allowable costs. Veterans may receive up to $800 per year if attending an approved out-of-state institution in a reciprocal state. 

Apply using the FAFSA at studentaid.gov and indicate your veteran status to receive PHEAA’s special processing. 

Do Children of Disabled Veterans Get Educational Benefits?

Yes. The Pennsylvania Educational Gratuity Program provides up to $500 per academic term, paid directly to the institution, for up to eight terms across four academic years ($4,000 total). To qualify: 

  • The veteran parent must be 100% permanently and totally service-connected disabled, or have died in service during a period of war 
  • The child must be ages 16 to 23, a Pennsylvania resident for at least five years, and enrolled at an approved Pennsylvania institution 
  • The child must demonstrate financial need

Apply through your County Director of Veterans Affairs with the veteran’s DD-214, the child’s birth certificate and proof of Pennsylvania residency, and financial documentation. 

Additional programs exist for children of fallen or captured service members. The Postsecondary Educational Gratuity Program (PEGP) covers full tuition, fees, and room and board at Pennsylvania public colleges for children of qualifying public safety officers who died in the line of duty. 

Employment Benefits

Veterans’ Hiring Preference in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania grants a 10-point preference to veterans who pass a competitive civil service examination for Commonwealth positions. The preference applies to honorably discharged veterans who served during a period of war or armed conflict, as well as to Reserve and National Guard members who completed active duty. 

Spouses of veterans with a permanent and total disability (as classified by the VA) and surviving spouses of deceased service members receive the same 10-point preference. Contact the Governor’s Office of Administration at 717-783-6655 or ra-cs-vetpreference@pa.gov for documentation requirements.

Recreation Benefits

All 124 Pennsylvania state parks are free to enter, no day-use or entrance fees are charged to any visitor. People with disabilities may receive a $4.50 per night camping discount at state park and state forest campgrounds. 

Do Disabled Veterans Get Free Fishing Licenses in Pennsylvania?

Effective August 29, 2025, all Pennsylvania resident disabled veterans with a 100% VA disability rating receive a free lifetime fishing license (annual renewal is no longer required). Find out more. 

Resident disabled veterans with a service-connected disability rating of 60% to 99% may purchase a reduced-fee resident annual fishing license for approximately $2.97. 

All qualifying veterans also receive a free Combination Trout/Lake Erie Permit. Initial licenses are available at county treasurers, the PFBC Harrisburg office, or the six regional law enforcement offices. Renewals can be completed online at Pennsylvania HuntFishPA. 

Do Disabled Veterans Get Free Hunting Licenses in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania resident disabled veterans are eligible for free hunting and furtaker licenses if they have a service-connected disability incurred during a war or armed conflict, consisting of: 

  • Loss of one or more limbs, or loss of the use of one or more limbs, OR 
  • Total disability as certified by the Veterans Administration (100% physical disability or total compensation as documented by the VA) 

Applicants must be otherwise mentally and physically fit and meet all other Game and Wildlife Code requirements. Apply through any County Treasurer or Game Commission office with military discharge papers and, if claiming total disability, a VA disability certification.

Qualifying veterans may also purchase Resident Disabled Veteran Antlerless Deer Licenses and may access additional accommodations such as vehicle use permits on game lands. See Permits for Hunters with Disabilities for details.

Health Care Benefits

VA healthcare in Pennsylvania is provided through nine medical centers across the state, organized under VISN 4 (VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network). Each facility serves veterans in its region and coordinates care with community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) throughout the state.

VA Medical Centers in Pennsylvania

  • Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center – 3900 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104 
  • Coatesville VA Medical Center – 1400 Black Horse Hill Road, Coatesville, PA 19320 
  • Lebanon VA Medical Center – 1700 South Lincoln Avenue, Lebanon, PA 17042 
  • Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center – 1111 East End Boulevard, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 
  • VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive Campus – University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15240 
  • VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, H. John Heinz III Campus – 1010 Delafield Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15240 
  • Butler VA Medical Center – 325 New Castle Road, Butler, PA 16001 
  • James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center – 2907 Pleasant Valley Boulevard, Altoona, PA 16602 
  • Erie VA Medical Center – 135 East 38th Street, Erie, PA 16504 

In addition to the main medical centers, Pennsylvania veterans can access care at community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) throughout the state. Find VA locations near you. 

State Veterans Homes

Pennsylvania operates six State Veterans Homes providing domiciliary care, personal care, memory care, and skilled nursing care (not all levels are available at every facility). Find out more.

  • Delaware Valley Veterans’ Home (Nursing Care, Memory Care) – 2701 Southampton Rd., Philadelphia, PA 19154 
  • Gino J. Merli Veterans’ Center (Nursing Care, Memory Care) – 401 Penn Ave., Scranton, PA 18503 
  • Hollidaysburg Veterans’ Home (all four levels of care) – 500 Municipal Dr., Hollidaysburg, PA 16648 
  • Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home (all four levels) – 560 East Third Street, Erie, PA 16507 
  • Southeastern Veterans’ Center (along the Schuylkill River) – One Veterans Dr., Spring City, PA 19475 
  • Southwestern Veterans’ Center (near Pittsburgh) – 7060 Highland Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15206 

Burial and Survivor Benefits

Pennsylvania counties provide burial allowances for eligible veterans. As of August 16, 2024, financial need is no longer a requirement. Applications must be filed within one year of death. Many counties also provide a headstone or grave marker allowance. 

Pennsylvania does not operate a state veterans cemetery open to the general veteran public: the cemetery at the Pennsylvania Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home in Erie is restricted to residents of that facility. Instead, Pennsylvania veterans and their eligible family members may be interred at three active national cemeteries in the state: 

  • Indiantown Gap National Cemetery – 60 Indiantown Gap Road, Annville, PA 17003  (home to the Pennsylvania Veterans’ Memorial) 
  • National Cemetery of the Alleghenies – 1158 Morgan Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017 (serving the Pittsburgh region) 
  • Washington Crossing National Cemetery – 830 Highland Road, Newtown, PA 18940 (serving the Philadelphia region)

At these national cemeteries, eligible veterans receive for free a gravesite, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Pennsylvania’s Burial Honors Program funds veterans service organizations (such as American Legion and VFW posts) that provide graveside military honors (flag presentation, Taps, and an honor detail). 

Surviving family members of veterans who die from a service-connected disability often qualify for federal Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) and other benefits. Learn more about VA survivor benefits.

Federal Benefits Available to Pennsylvania Veterans

  • Medical care, including mental health services and counseling 
  • Monthly tax-free compensation payments based on disability rating (calculate it here)
  • Special compensation, Aid & Attendance and other financial benefits 
  • Home loans and housing benefits 
  • Vocational rehabilitation and employment services 
  • Education benefits through the GI Bill 
  • Survivor benefits 
  • Federal hiring preference 

Eligibility for some of these benefits depends on the disability rating percentage. Use the links below to see what federal benefits Pennsylvania veterans can get with a rating of 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, etc.

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits

Veterans with a 100% disability rating receive the highest level of federal VA benefits, including:

  • Full monthly VA compensation
  • Full VA healthcare coverage
  • Dental care
  • Adaptive equipment grants

See all federal benefits for a 100% disabled Pennsylvania veteran →

100% Disabled Veteran Benefits for Spouse and Dependents

Spouses and family members of 100% disabled veterans may also be eligible for several benefits:

  • CHAMPVA healthcare  
  • DIC eligibility  
  • Education benefits  
  • Property tax exemption continuation  

Benefits for Toxic Exposure

Pennsylvania veterans and veterans who served at a military base with toxic contamination and developed disabilities may be eligible for compensation and VA benefits. In Pennsylvania, such military bases include: 

If you served at a base in a different state, find yours on the Military Base Toxic Exposure Map or contact us to evaluate your claim. Hill & Ponton has decades of experience helping veterans get compensation for conditions caused by exposure to dangerous substances.

Getting VA Disability in Pennsylvania

Several local and national resources can help Pennsylvania veterans navigate the VA disability claims process, from initial application through appeals.

How to Apply for VA Benefits in Pennsylvania – Free Guide

Attorney Matthew Hill has written THE book on how to get VA disability compensation and benefits. Get it here free of charge. We also offer a free downloadable version for easy, immediate access.

Legal Resources for Disabled Veterans

Attorneys Specialized in VA Disability Law

Our VA-accredited lawyers proudly represent Pennsylvania veterans who were denied or underrated by the VA, with no upfront costs. Contact us for a free evaluation. Even if we don’t take your case, we’ll point you in the right direction.