Annual clothing allowance

What it is

A yearly payment for Veterans with a service-connected disability who use a prosthetic or orthopedic device (such as a brace, wheelchair or crutches) or a doctor-prescribed skin medication for a service-connected skin condition that stains or damages outer clothing.

How much

$1,053.19 per allowance, effective 1 December 2025, per VA's current special benefit allowance rates page. The rate can change each year, so check that page for the current figure before you count on it.

Who qualifies

Both must be true: the device or medication is for a service-connected condition, and it damages your clothes. VA also says you need at least one of these: more than one device, more than one skin medication, or a device or medication that affects more than one type of clothing.

How to apply, step by step

1. If you have not yet filed a disability compensation claim, VA says to complete that first (see the Official pages below).
2. Fill out VA Form 10-8678, Application for Annual Clothing Allowance, or use the online option on VA's clothing allowance page.
3. Send it one of these ways VA lists: online, by mail to Department of Veterans Affairs, Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444, to the prosthetic representative at your local VA medical center, or by fax to the number printed on the form.
4. Payment is made once a year between 1 September and 31 October.

Traps

• VA's page says that if you received a payment in 2022 or 2023, you no longer need to apply every year; you do need to apply for any additional allowance. VA's older benefits.va.gov page still says to reapply each year. Call the benefits hotline to confirm what your file needs.
• VA says applications are accepted year-round, but to be paid in a given year you must establish eligibility by 1 August of that year.

Where to call and where to go

Phone

• VA benefits hotline: 1-800-827-1000 (TTY: 711). Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET. Number source: VA accrued benefits fact sheet; hours source: Helpful VA phone numbers.
• Veterans Crisis Line, 24/7: 988, then select 1. Source: Helpful VA phone numbers

Official pages

• VA: clothing allowance (apply online here)
• VA Form 10-8678
• VA: current special benefit allowance rates
• Find your local VA medical center (prosthetic representative)
• How to file a VA disability claim

Free accredited help

• Find an accredited representative (attorney, claims agent or Veterans Service Organization representative). VA says a VSO representative's help on VA claims is always free.