Veteran Benefits for New Hampshire

• New Hampshire Income Taxes: New Hampshire has no individual income taxes. Distributions received from the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) are not taxed.
• New Hampshire Property Tax Credits and Exemptions for Veterans, their Spouse, or Surviving Spouse: New Hampshire offers several property tax credits for Veterans, their spouses, or Surviving spouse. New Hampshire statutes authorize a standard deduction and establish an additional amount that local municipalities may adopt. Municipal tax collectors administer all property taxes; residents should contact their local tax collector for more information and to see which credits they are eligible for.
• Veterans Organization Tax Exemption: Property owned and operated by national Veterans’ organizations are exempt from taxes.
• Standard and Optional War Time Veteran Tax Credit: Wartime Veterans, their spouse, or Surviving spouses are offered a standard property tax credit of $50. Cities and towns may vote to adopt a higher tax credit ranging from $51 to $750. 

  This property tax credit is available to:

  • Veterans who served 90 or more days in the U.S. Armed Forces during a wartime period and received an honorable discharge, their spouse or Surviving spouse, or
  • A veteran who was discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces due to a service-connected disability, their spouse or Surviving spouse, or
  • Surviving Spouse of a Service member who was killed in the line of duty
• Surviving Spouse of War Time Casualty Tax Credit: The Surviving spouse of a Veteran who was killed in a designated combat zone while serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces is offered a standard property tax credit of $700, cities and towns may vote to adopt a higher tax credit ranging from $701 to $2,000
• Tax Credit for Permanent and Total Disabled Veterans: Disabled Veterans with a service-connected, 100% permanent, and total disability rating from the VA are eligible for a standard property tax credit of $700. Cities and towns may vote to adopt a higher tax credit ranging from $701 to $4000.
• Tax Exemption for Permanent and Total Disabled Veterans who Receive Assistance from the VA: The home of a disabled Veteran who received a discharge other than dishonorable that was acquired or modified with assistance from the VA is exempt from all property tax. Veterans must also meet one of the following requirements to be eligible:
  • Service-connected 100% permanent and total disability rating or declared individually unemployable or
  • Service-connected blindness, or
  • Paraplegic or a double amputee due to service in the U.S. Armed Forces
  • Surviving spouse of an Eligible Veteran

Sales Tax:

There is generally no sales tax in New Hampshire, with the following exceptions:

• Prepared meals, room rentals (less than 185 days), motor vehicle rentals: 9%
• Telecommunications services: 7%
• Electricity: $.00055 per megawatt-hour
• Gasoline Tax: 42.23 cents/gallon (includes all state, local and federal taxes)
• Diesel Fuel Tax: 48.23 cents/gallon (includes all state, local and federal taxes)
• Cigarette Tax: $1.78/pack of 20

Recreation

• New Hampshire Free or Reduced Fee Lifetime Hunting and Fishing Licenses for Disabled Veterans: The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department offers free or reduced fee lifetime Fish and Game Licenses for eligible Veterans.
• New Hampshire Department of Fish and Game Benefits for Active Duty Service Members: New Hampshire resident Service members serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces stationed outside New Hampshire can apply for a free special license to hunt and fish while on leave.
• Free Admission to New Hampshire State Parks for New Hampshire Service Members and Disabled Veterans: New Hampshire Veterans with any service-connected disability from the VA are not charged a fee for day-use admission to New Hampshire state parks. Any additional fees for using ski lifts, food service, campgrounds, etc. still apply.

  To be eligible, Veterans must have either New Hampshire Disabled Veteran license plates or a letter from the VA certifying they have a service-connected disability.

  • Service members serving in an active or reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces and Service members retired from the New Hampshire National Guard, in pay grades E-1 through E-6, are authorized free admission to New Hampshire state parks.

New Hampshire Military & Veteran Miscellaneous Benefits

• Free Copies of New Hampshire Public Records for Veterans: Copies of New Hampshire public records are free to Veterans and their dependents when required to determine eligibility for VA benefits
• New Hampshire Vietnam War Bonus: New Hampshire offers a bonus of $100 to Service members who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for 90 days or more between August 5, 1964, and August 15, 1973 or those who served in Vietnam between July 1, 1958, through August 5, 1964, and earned the Vietnam Service Medal or the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal. To be eligible, the Veteran must have been a resident of New Hampshire at the time of enlistment and received an honorable discharge. Claims made after August 22, 1977, must be approved by the Adjutant General, the Governor, and the Executive Council.
• New Hampshire Persian Gulf War Service Bonus: New Hampshire offers a bonus of $100 to Service members who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces between August 2, 1990, and November 15, 1995, and earned the Southwest Asia Service Medal. To be eligible, the Veteran must have been a resident of New Hampshire at the time of enlistment and received an honorable discharge. This program expired on August 31, 2002, but some provisions allow for acceptance of applications after that date. Veterans who received a similar Persian Gulf bonus from another state are not eligible.
• New Hampshire Global War on Terrorism Operations Service Bonus: New Hampshire offers a bonus of $100 to Service members who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces on or after September 11, 2001, and a date to be determined by the Secretary of Defense, and earned the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Iraqi Campaign Medal or the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. To be eligible, the Veteran must have been a resident of New Hampshire at the time of enlistment and received an honorable discharge or is still serving in the U.S. Armed Forces.
• New Hampshire Veteran’s and Dependent Families Relief: Honorably discharged Veterans who served during wartime and their families who have become unable to support themselves are eligible to receive assistance from the town or city where they live.

Education Programs

• New Hampshire National Guard Tuition Assistance: New Hampshire National Guard members may take courses tuition-free on a space-available basis in state-supported postsecondary institutions. To be eligible, New Hampshire National Guard Service members must meet the following requirements:
  • An active member of the New Hampshire National Guard and has completed advanced individual training or has been commissioned as an officer
  • Enrolled in a state-supported postsecondary vocational school, technical school, college or university
  • Used all federal educational assistance, not including VA educational benefits and National Guard scholarship grants

  In addition, New Hampshire National Guard Service members may transfer their education benefits to their Spouse upon completing their initial mandatory service obligation of at least six years. Spouses may use the transferred tuition waiver at a New Hampshire Community College. 

   Service members will incur an additional service obligation after the date the benefit is transferred.

• Free Tuition for Children of New Hampshire Resident Service Members Declared Missing-in-Action or Prisoners of War: The Child of a resident Service member in the U.S. Armed Forces who was declared missing in action or a prisoner of war in Southeast Asia after February 28, 1961, is entitled to free tuition at a school in the New Hampshire Community College System. The Child of the Service member is eligible for as long as the parent is listed as missing or captured.

   

• Free Tuition for Children of New Hampshire Resident Disabled Veterans: The Children of resident disabled Veterans are eligible for free tuition at a New Hampshire Community College System school. 
• Free Tuition for Children of New Hampshire Resident Service Members Killed-in-Action or who Died from a Service-Connected Disability: The Children of resident Veterans who died during wartime service or died from a service-connected disability that is a result of that wartime service can receive a scholarship for up to $2,500 per year for four years. This scholarship may be used at New Hampshire state-supported postsecondary institutions.
• New Hampshire Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (MIC3): The purpose of this compact is to remove barriers to educational success imposed on children of military families because of frequent moves and deployment of their parents by:
  • Facilitating the prompt enrollment of children of military families and ensuring that they are not placed at a disadvantage due to difficulty in the transfer of educational records from the previous school district or variations in entrance or age requirements
  • Facilitating the student placement process through which variations in attendance requirements, scheduling, sequencing, grading, course content, or assessment do not disadvantage children of military families. Facilitating the qualification and eligibility for enrollment, educational programs, and participation in extracurricular academic, athletic, and social activities
  • Facilitating the on-time graduation of children of military families
  • Providing for the enforcement of administrative rules implementing the provisions of this compact
  • Providing for the uniform collection and sharing of information between and among member states, schools, and military families under this compact
  • Promoting coordination between this compact and other compacts affecting military children
  • Promoting flexibility and cooperation between the educational system, parents, and the student to achieve academic success for the student
• New Hampshire Purple Star School Program for Military-Friendly Schools: The New Hampshire Purple Star School program recognizes schools with a significant commitment to students and families connected to the U.S. Armed Forces.
  • For a school to qualify for the Purple Star Award, they must appoint a school liaison specially trained to handle the unique challenges experienced by military families. This liaison will ensure that other teachers at their school are aware of special considerations that students from military families can benefit from. Each school will also have a dedicated page on their school website featuring resources for military families.

Housing: The following are the sites for Veterans Homes

New Hampshire Veterans Home (NHVH), Located in Tilton, New Hampshire, is an intermediate and long-term care facility that cares for eligible New Hampshire Veterans. The NHVH also offers hospice and palliative care. The home is a 250-bed facility, with 100 beds assigned to residents with dementia or cognitive impairment.

New Hampshire State Veterans Home at Tilton

Some of the services offered include:

• Nursing care
• Physical therapy
• Dietary services
• Social work services
• Spiritual care
• Recreational activities

Who is eligible for care at the NHVH? To qualify for admission, Veterans must meet the following requirements:

• Honorably discharged from an active or reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces, there is no requirement for service in combat or to have a service-connected disability.
• A resident of New Hampshire for at least one year before the date of application or had New Hampshire listed as their “home of record” on discharge documents
• No minimum age requirement
• NHVH must be able to meet the Veteran’s care needs
• Veterans must not have the potential to harm themselves or others
• A Veteran’s assets are used to determine their financial contribution to room and board. There is a one-year financial look-back period. A house is not counted as an asset if occupied by the applicant’s spouse.

Employment and Job Training: Veterans Preference

• New Hampshire State Employee Leave for Military Service: New Hampshire state employees serving in a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces are eligible for 15 days of military leave with pay per year. This leave can be used for military drills, training, or other temporary duties.
  • Service members who use all 15 days of military leave with pay are eligible for an additional 30 days with partial pay
• New Hampshire, State Employment Veterans, Hiring Preference: New Hampshire offers state employment hiring preferences to Veterans, Disabled Veterans, and their spouse, or un-remarried Surviving spouse when hiring for:
  • State Liquor Commission Employees – Veterans who received an honorable discharge from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces after serving at least 90 days 
  • New Hampshire Veterans Home Commandant and Employees – Veterans who received an honorable discharge from service in the U.S. Armed Forces 
  • State and Local Government Employees – Veterans who received an honorable discharge from active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces after serving at least 90 days; un-remarried Surviving spouses of wartime Veterans; spouses of totally disabled, resident wartime Veterans

   

• New Hampshire Private Employer Veterans Hiring Preference: Privately owned companies in New Hampshire may establish a Veterans preference employment policy. Any preferential hiring policy must be in writing and applied uniformly regarding all hiring and promotions.
• New Hampshire Veteran Reemployment to Previously Held Position in State Employment: State employees who enter active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces are placed in an inactive status and must be rehired to the same or similar position within 90 days of receiving an other than dishonorable discharge.
• New Hampshire Veterans Peddler’s License Fee Exemption: Veterans with a service-connected disability and the un-remarried Surviving spouse of an eligible disabled Veteran are exempt from fees for a Peddler’s License.
• Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible Spouses for New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES) Programs: Veterans and eligible spouses are prioritized at NHES locations for employment, training, and placement services in all state workforce programs funded by the Department of Labor.

  This means that those Veterans or eligible spouses receive access to that program or service either earlier than others who are not eligible, or if resources are limited, the Veteran or eligible spouse receives access to the service or resource instead of or before others.

   

• Who is eligible for Priority of Service for Veterans and Eligible Spouses for NHES Programs?

  Veterans: Veterans who served on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and were released or discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. This includes reserve component Service members who serve on federal active duty (other than for training).

  Spouses: To be eligible, a spouse must meet one of the following requirements:

  • Surviving spouse of a Service member who died from a service-connected disability
  • Spouse of a Service member declared missing in action or a prisoner of war
  • Spouse of a Service member who has a permanent, total service-connected disability rating from the VA
  • Surviving spouse of a Veteran who had a service-connected disability

   

• Veterans Priority for New Hampshire and Federal Training Opportunities: Qualified Veterans will be granted priority for training funded in whole or in part by the state or the federal government.
• Federal Employment Veteran’s Hiring Preferences:  Federal law mandates that Veterans, especially those with disabilities or those who served during specific time periods or in military campaigns, are granted preference over non-veterans when it comes to Federal civil service hiring and retention during workforce reductions. In various scoring processes for examinations and interviews, Veterans may be eligible for an additional 5 or 10 points.
• 5-point Hiring Preference: Five points are added to the examination score or rating of a Veteran who served:
  • During a war, or
  • During the period April 28, 1952, through July 1, 1955, or
  • For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976, or
  • During the Gulf War from August 2, 1990, through January 2, 1992, or
  • For more than 180 consecutive days, other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning September 11, 2001, and ending on August 31, 2010, the last day of Operation Iraqi Freedom, or
  • In a campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal has been authorized. Any Armed Forces Expeditionary medal or campaign badge, including El Salvador, Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia, Somalia, and Haiti, qualifies for preference

  10-point Compensable Disability (CP) Preference:  Ten points are added to the examination score or rating of a Veteran who served at any time and who has a compensable service-connected disability rating of at least 10% but less than 30%.

  10-Point 30% Compensable Disability Preference (CPS): Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of a Veteran who served at any time and who has a compensable service-connected disability rating of 30% or more.

  10-Point Disability Preference (XP): Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of:

  • A veteran who served at any time and has a present service-connected disability or is receiving compensation, disability retirement benefits, or pension from the military or the VA but does not qualify as a CP or CPS, or
  • Veteran who received a Purple Heart

  10-Point Derived Preference (XP): Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of spouses, Surviving spouses, or mothers of Veterans. Both a mother and a spouse (including a Surviving spouse) may be entitled to preference based on the same Veteran’s service if they both meet the requirements. However, neither may receive preference if the Veteran is living and is qualified for Federal employment.

  Ten points are added to the passing examination score or rating of the spouse of a disabled Veteran who is disqualified for a federal position along the general lines of their usual occupation because of a service-connected disability. Such a disqualification may be presumed when the Veteran is unemployed and:

  • Is rated by appropriate military or VA authorities to be 100% disabled and/or unemployable, or
  • Has retired, been separated, or resigned from a civil service position because of a disability that is service-connected in origin, or
  • Has attempted to obtain a civil service position or other position along the lines of their usual occupation and has failed to qualify because of a service-connected disability

  Preference may be allowed in other circumstances but anything less than the above warrants a more careful analysis.

  A campaign medal holder or Gulf War Veteran who originally enlisted after September 7, 1980, (or began active duty on or after October 14, 1982, and has not previously completed 24 months of continuous active duty) must have served continuously for 24 months or the full period called or ordered to active duty. The 24-month service requirement does not apply to 10-point preference eligible Veterans separated for disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, or to Veterans separated for hardship or other reasons under Title 10 U.S.C. 1171 or 1173.

  Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA): USERRA protects civilian job rights and benefits for Veterans and members of reserve components. USERRA also protects Service member rights and benefits by clarifying the law, improving enforcement mechanisms, and adding Federal Government employees to those employees already eligible to receive Department of Labor assistance in processing claims.

  Absence from Work for Military Duty: USERRA establishes the cumulative length of time that an individual may be absent from work for military duty and retain reemployment rights for five years. Exceptions to the five-year limit, include initial enlistments lasting more than five years, periodic National Guard and U.S. Armed Forces Reserve training duty, and involuntary active duty extensions and recalls, especially during a time of national emergency. USERRA establishes that reemployment protection does not depend on the timing, frequency, duration, or nature of an individual’s service if the basic eligibility criteria are met.

  Disability Accommodation: USERRA provides protection for disabled Veterans, requiring employers to make reasonable efforts to accommodate the disability. Service members recovering from injuries received during service or training may have up to two years from the date of completion of service to return to their jobs or apply for reemployment.

  Return to Work without Loss of Seniority:  USERRA provides that returning Service members are reemployed in the job that they would have attained had they not been absent for military service, with the same seniority, status, and pay, as well as other rights and benefits determined by seniority. USERRA also requires that reasonable efforts (such as training or retraining) be made to enable returning Service members to refresh or upgrade their skills to help them qualify for reemployment. USERRA also provides that while an individual is performing military service, they are deemed to be on a furlough or leave of absence and are entitled to the non-seniority rights accorded to other individuals on non-military leaves of absence.

  Extension of Health and Pension Plans: Health and pension plan coverage for Service members is provided for by USERRA. Individuals performing military duty of more than 30 days may elect to continue employer-sponsored health care for up to 24 months; however, they may be required to pay up to 102% of the full premium. For military service of less than 31 days, health care coverage is provided as if the Service member had remained employed. USERRA clarifies pension plan coverage by making explicit that all pension plans are protected.

  Who is eligible for USERRA Benefits? Veterans, U.S. Armed Forces Reserve or National Guard Service members who leave a position for training or active military service are eligible.

  The Department of Labor, through the Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS), helps all who have claims under USERRA, including Federal and Postal Service employees.

Burials and Memorials

Please note that your preference regarding burial in a national cemetery and use of a headstone provided by VA should be documented and kept with your paperwork and medical records.

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) pays tribute to eligible Veterans and their family members by providing a final resting place and a lasting memorial to commemorate the Veteran’s dedicated service to the nation.

The burial benefits encompass a gravesite in any of our open cemeteries with available space, the opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government-furnished headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate, all at no cost to the family. Some Veterans may also meet the criteria for a burial allowance. Cremated remains are interred or inurned in national cemeteries with the same honors and respect as casketed remains.

Burial benefits extend to eligible spouses and dependents, including burial alongside the Veteran and perpetual care of the interment site. The name and relevant dates of birth and death of the spouse or dependent are inscribed on the Veteran’s headstone at no expense to the family. Importantly, spouses and qualified dependents are eligible for burial even if they pass away before the Veteran and are not required to be interred in the same national cemetery as the Veteran.

National Cemeteries include:

Boscawen: New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery

New Hampshire VA Benefit Resources

New Hampshire provides Veterans with a Regional Benefits Office and VA Medical Centers.

New Hampshire VA Regional Benefits Office

• Manchester: Manchester Regional Office

New Hampshire VA Medical Centers

• Manchester: Manchester VA Medical Center

Important information for New Hampshire Veteran Benefits:

For Veterans applying for VA benefits for the first time, you must submit a copy of your DD 214 (discharge paperwork). This will provide your discharge status, full name, social security number, branch of service, and dates for which you served. Honorable and general discharges qualify a Veteran for most VA benefits.

You should always keep your paperwork and medical records in a safe place where you and your family can access them. It is imperative to have it in a location where it cannot be destroyed or tampered with, which includes a safe.

Your eligibility for most VA benefits is based upon discharge from active military service under conditions other than dishonorable. Active service means full-time service as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, the Environmental Services Administration, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Any Veteran discharged from the military under the conditions of “Dishonorable” due to bad conduct discharges issued by general courts-martial may bar VA benefits. Veterans in prison and parolees may be eligible for certain VA benefits. VA regional offices can clarify the eligibility of prisoners, parolees, and individuals with multiple discharges issued under differing conditions.

*This information is accurate as of November 2023

 

New Hampshire Veteran Benefits

If you are a disabled Veteran in New Hampshire and are VA rated 90% or less, you may be eligible for additional benefits. Contact Veterans Guardian for a free consultation with no obligation. Let us review your claim to determine whether you qualify for additional benefits.