Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907–1933

"Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards, 1907–1933" is a set of cards held by The National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C. Use these cards to obtain the information necessary to request veterans' pension files. Using these cards you may find veterans not easily found with other indexes. Images of the cards are available online and on microfilm.

= About the Records =

There are approximately two million cards, 5 inches by 8 inches in size. The Bureau of Pensions and Veterans Administration created the cards to record pension payments made between 1907 and 1933. The cards record payments made to Army and Navy invalids who were members of the regular military, and to their widows.

= Record History =

Until about the middle of 1909, records of pension payments were kept in pension agency payment books. In 1907, the method was changed to a card system and basic information for active pensioners was transferred from the payment books to the payment cards.

A major change in the form of the card occurred in 1923, when the payment was made monthly instead of quarterly. The bureau then recorded payments on a new, monthly payment card.

The cards were microfilmed and published by the National Archives as microfilm publication M850, consisting of 2539 rolls of microfilm. In the few instances where a communication was attached to a card, the communication was also reproduced.

Archive.org has digitized each microfilm roll and published them on the Internet.

= Record Description =

Four different card forms were used for Army invalids, Navy Invalids, Army Widow, and Navy Widow.

The form of the four cards is almost identical. On the front of the cards entitled 'Army Invalid' and 'Navy Invalid' are


 * the name of veteran,
 * his certificate number,
 * his unit or arm of Service,
 * the disability for which pensioned,
 * the law or laws under which pensioned,
 * the class of pension or certificate,
 * the rate of pension,
 * the effective date of pension,
 * the date of the certificate,
 * any fees paid,
 * the name of the pension agency or group transferred from (if applicable),
 * the date of death,
 * the date the Bureau was notified,
 * the former roll number,
 * and 'home.'

On the reverse side of the form appear


 * the name of the veteran,
 * his certificate number,
 * and the rate and record of the individual payments.

On the 'Army Widow' and 'Navy Widow' cards, the widow's name replaces the veteran's, and the veteran's name replaces the information about the disability for which pensioned. A block is available on the 'widow' card for recording payments made to minors.

= Using the Records =

The cards are arranged in alphabetical order by surname of the Army or Navy invalid or widow, except that cards with Indian names are alphabetized at the beginning of the respective letter of the alphabet. At the time of this writing, Archive.org has not indexed the images, so the cards are accessed using the same process as on microfilm.

First, use the index below to determine the roll number containing the desired veteran or widow's name. To view the roll on Archive.org, click the roll number. If using microfilm, use the indicated M850 roll number or the FS Library film number.

On Archive.org, click the "Read Online" link found inside the "View the book" box. Cards are organized like a book. To turn the page, click it. To open the book to a different location, click on the edges of the pages visible to the sides of the current pages.

At the time of this writing, Archive.org had not finished publishing all rolls, so some rolls may give errors.

United States, Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records

= Index to Microfilm Rolls =

A wiki article describing this collection is found at:


 * United States, Veterans Administration Pension Payment Cards - FamilySearch Historical Records