By Tom Degun

September 16 - United States disabled military veterans are entitled to Goverman payment of a monthly assistance allowance in order to help their training to make the US Paralympics team and therefore compete in all events sponsored by US Paralympics or the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) including London 2012, it has been announced.

Under section 703 of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, it is proposed to give help any veteran hoping to compete in the Paralympics financial help irrsepctive of how they acquired their disability.

It is the latest initiative to help disabled veterans try to rebuild their lives using Paralympic sport.

In July more than a million dollars is being made available to community-based organisations in the United States to create and expand Paralympic sport and physical activity programmes for disabled veterans and disabled members of the US Armed Forces under a new scheme.

It is estimated that around 70 veterans may qualify for the latest allowance annually while there is around $2 milion of funding in place to support them.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events believes it will be able to pay all applicants based on these figures.

It is the latest initiative to help disabled veterans try to rebuild their lives using Paralympic sport.

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