New York state benefits
Alternative Veterans Exemption: Extra Exemption Equal to Half Your Rating
Any rating- Veteran who served during a defined period of war (or received an expeditionary medal) with a VA or DoD service-connected disability rating
- Extra exemption equal to one-half of your rating applied to assessed value (a 40% rating = 20%), on top of the 15% wartime and 10% combat-zone parts
- Each part is capped by the dollar limits your municipality sets; it applies to municipal and school taxes (school only if the district adopted it), not special ad valorem levies or special assessments
- Must be your primary residence. An unremarried surviving spouse who holds title and lives there can keep it
Full Property Tax Exemption for Veterans Rated P&T (Where Offered)
P&T- Veteran with a permanent and total disability as a result of military service who meets all the alternative veterans exemption rules (item 1), including an honorable discharge
- A local option: a county, city, town, village or school district may offer a full exemption from property taxes, special ad valorem levies and special assessments
- Must be the veteran's primary residence
$5 Hunting, Fishing & Trapping Licenses (40%+)
40%+- New York resident military veteran with a 40% or more service-related disability
- Your first hunting, fishing or trapping license each calendar year costs $5; the others that year are free
- Free bowhunting and muzzleloading privileges (base hunting license required) and preference for Deer Management Permits
Access Pass: Free State Park Entry (40%+)
40%+- New York resident veteran with a 40% or greater service-connected disability
- Free vehicle entry to most state parks and DEC day-use areas, free golf greens fees and pool entry, and discounted camping and cabins at most State Park and DEC campgrounds
- You must be present when the pass is used. Some concessionaire-run places don't accept it
No Registration Fees on a VA-Allowance Vehicle
Other rules- Disabled veteran who got the vehicle under the federal VA automobile allowance (Title 38, Chapter 39)
- One vehicle only: a passenger car, suburban, or auto truck or light delivery car of 20,000 lbs or less unladen, used only for passengers
- A rating alone does not qualify. If you replace the vehicle, new paperwork is needed
Military Pension: Exempt from NY Income Tax
Other rules- Military retirement pension paid to you as a retiree, or to your beneficiary
- Exempt from New York State, New York City and Yonkers income taxes
- VA benefits excluded from federal income are also not taxed by New York
Blind Annuity: $145.29 a Month (2026)
Other rules- Legally blind wartime veteran (20/200 or worse in the better eye with correction, or a field of 20 degrees or less) who lives in and is domiciled in New York
- Blindness does not need to be service-connected. Generally 90+ days of active duty (fewer if discharged for a service-connected disability)
- An unremarried surviving spouse of an eligible veteran can apply. The 2026 rate is $145.29 a month
MERIT Scholarship for Severely Disabled Service Members & Families
Other rules- Child, spouse or financial dependent of a service member who became severely and permanently disabled from injury or illness while performing military duties (combat or not), and the member too
- A doctor must find the disability prevents any work for pay; the member must have been a NY resident when disabled (also covers those who died or are missing in action)
- Covers cost of attendance up to the SUNY average; no income limit; full-time study (12+ credits a term)
Federal benefits to look into
CHAMPVA: health coverage for your spouse and kids
P&TIt's for family members, not the veteran: the spouse or dependent child of a veteran rated P&T from a service-connected disability. It's a cost-sharing program: VA shares the cost of covered care with the family. Not free. Family members eligible for TRICARE can't get CHAMPVA.
DEA (Chapter 35): school money for your spouse and kids
P&TChapter 35 / DEA education benefits are available to the spouse and children of a veteran who is P&T due to a service-connected disability. For school or training that started on or after Aug 1, 2018, DEA pays up to 36 months of benefits.
Social Security: faster disability decisions
100% + P&TSSA expedites disability claims from veterans rated 100% P&T. Say "veteran rated 100% P&T" (or enter "Veteran 100% P&T" in the online Remarks). It doesn't guarantee approval; SSA's own rules still apply.
Dental insurance for CHAMPVA families (VADIP)
P&TCHAMPVA covers dental only in limited medical cases; enrollees can buy dental insurance at reduced cost through VADIP.
Your Benefit Summary Letter (proof of your rating)
All veteransYou can download your Benefit Summary Letter (sometimes called an award letter) on VA.gov.
VA dental care (Class IV)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)Per VA, you qualify for any needed dental care if you have a service-connected disability rated 100% disabling, or you're paid at the 100% rate because of TDIU. A temporary 100% rating does not qualify.
DoD ID card and base privileges (100%)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)A 100% disabled veteran (DAV) and eligible family members can get a DoD Uniformed Services ID card. It gives commissary, exchange and MWR privileges and base access. It is not TRICARE.
Base retail access for all service-connected veterans
Any ratingAll service-connected veterans can use commissaries, exchanges and MWR retail facilities, in person and online, per VA's matrix.
Federal student loan discharge (TPD)
100% (or paid at 100% for TDIU)Veterans whom VA has determined have a service-connected disability rated 100% or are rated totally disabled based on individual unemployability (TDIU) can have eligible federal student loans discharged.
No VA home loan funding fee
10%+Veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability are exempt from the VA home loan funding fee, at any compensable rating, not just 100%.
America the Beautiful Access Pass
Other rulesA free, lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability. It doesn't have to be 100% or service-connected.
Military Lifetime Pass (federal lands)
All veteransVeterans (and Gold Star families) can get a free lifetime pass to federal recreation lands. No disability is needed.