GOVERNMENT SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC POLICY ON THE REHABILITATION AND REINTEGRATION OF WAR VETERANS AFTER INJURIES: THE US CASE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/inclusive_economics.11-1Keywords:
socio-economic policy, reintegration, labour market, training and retraining, veteran, social support, financing, persons with disabilitiesAbstract
Introduction. Unfortunately, today in Ukraine there is a growing number of demobilised military personnel who, due to injuries sustained, are forced to change their usual way of life and profession. An important component of creating a favourable environment for the physical rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans into civilian life after the war is the formation of a sound socio-economic policy to support veterans. Purpose. This article is devoted to studying the experience of implementing state policy on socio-economic support for war veterans in the United States in order to justify measures to improve the existing socio-economic policy of support for veterans in Ukraine. Methods. The research method is monographic. The data sources were the official websites of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the Ukrainian Ministry of Veterans Affairs, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Finance. Results. The United States is one of the countries with the most experience and developed practices in various forms of support for its military personnel. Such support is provided both at the federal level and at the level of individual states. The US Department of Veterans Affairs oversees all aspects of veteran support. It includes the Veterans Benefits Administration, the Veterans Health Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration. The main areas of support are: healthcare; disability compensation payments; funding for education and training in colleges and training programmes; careers and employment; pensions; housing assistance; life insurance; burials and memorials. A number of state-funded research, development and rehabilitation centres have been established and are currently operating in the United States. Ukraine does not yet have such extensive experience in supporting veterans. Unfortunately, the possibilities for financing the implementation of relevant policies are also limited. Conclusion. The return of veterans to civilian life and entry into the labour market often requires them to retrain and acquire new knowledge and practical skills in professions that are accessible to them. Therefore, one of the main directions of the state's socio-economic policy should be to create opportunities for veterans to acquire such skills, which will ultimately contribute to the acceleration of the country's economic recovery.
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