---
kind: "section"
citation: "38 U.S.C. § 1513"
title: "38"
title_heading: "Veterans’ Benefits"
number: "1513"
heading: "Veterans 65 years of age and older"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/38/1513"
units:
  - "Part II — General Benefits"
  - "Chapter 15 — Pension for Non-Service-Connected Disability or Death or for Service"
  - "Subchapter II — Veterans’ Pensions"
---

# §1513. Veterans 65 years of age and older

- (a) The [Secretary](/usc/38/101.md?p=1) shall pay to each [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) of a [period of war](/usc/38/1101.md?p=2) who is 65 years of age or older and who meets the service requirements of [section 1521 of this title](/usc/38/1521.md) (as prescribed in [subsection (j)](/usc/38/1521.md?p=j) of that section) [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) at the rates prescribed by [section 1521 of this title](/usc/38/1521.md) and under the conditions (other than the permanent and total [disability](/usc/38/1701.md?p=1) requirement) applicable to [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) paid under that section.
- (b) If a [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) is eligible for [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) under both this section and [section 1521 of this title](/usc/38/1521.md), [pension](/usc/38/101.md?p=15) shall be paid to the [veteran](/usc/38/1101.md?p=1) only under [section 1521 of this title](/usc/38/1521.md).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 107–103, title II, § 207(a)(1), Dec. 27, 2001, 115 Stat. 991; amended Pub. L. 109–233, title V, § 503(2), June 15, 2006, 120 Stat. 416.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

Prior sections 1513 to 1520 were renumbered sections 3113 to 3120 of this title, respectively.

### Amendments

2006—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–233 inserted “section” after “prescribed by”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Pub. L. 107–103, title II, § 207(c), Dec. 27, 2001, 115 Stat. 991, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [enacting this section and amending sections 1521 and 1522 of this title] shall take effect as of September 17, 2001.”