Annville, PA – For the second year in a row, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) helped veterans secure more than $1 billion in compensation and pension benefits earned through their service. Benefits have expanded in recent years, including the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, making it even more important for veterans to connect with DMVA and receive the benefits they have earned while in uniform.
“With the passing of the PACT law two years ago, reaching and signing up eligible veterans for their benefits has been a top priority,” said Keith Graham, executive director of Veterans Programs. “We are grateful to our community partners who have helped us to reach this milestone and assure that veterans and their families are appropriately compensated.”
The PACT, which expands VA health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances is a prime example of a recently passed law that changed eligibility for thousands of veterans in Pennsylvania.
Graham said that DMVA could not have assisted so many veterans if their military paperwork was not in order.
“Veterans having their military paperwork readily available makes the claims process so much quicker and easier,” said Graham. “If for some reason a veteran cannot find their paperwork, they can reach out to our office for assistance in locating their military documents, especially the DD-214 discharge form.”
The DD-214, which is used to verify military service, is an important first step for securing benefits. Having this paperwork is essential when a veteran or their advocate wants to start a benefits review.
The easiest way to manage military documents is to make sure they are filed in a safe place immediately upon leaving the military. Veterans often find that filing their documents for free at their county courthouse of record is an easy way to secure them until needed, which can often be decades into the future. Anyone needing assistance locating their military documentation can count on assistance from the DMVA by calling toll-free 800-547-2838 or e-mailing: RA-REQ@pa.gov.
“Starting off the new year is also a good time for veterans to apply for federal health care and state benefits by visiting their local county director of veterans affairs or area veteran service officer,” said Graham. “This free assistance is a great way to look at what benefits you may be eligible for and to get help applying for those benefits, even if you have applied and been denied in the past.”
Graham noted that there are always new laws or changes to current laws that impact veterans’ benefits. One such new law is Act 27 which exempts 100 percent of a disabled veteran’s benefit payment from being counted as income when determining eligibility for any programs or needs-based benefit provided by Pennsylvania. This includes DMVA’s Veterans Temporary Assistance, Military Family Relief Assistance and Real Estate Tax Exemption programs.
For assistance applying for these programs and others offered through DMVA, a complete list of accredited county directors of veterans affairs and their contact information can be found here County Directors. Contact information for accredited veteran service officers can be found here: Veteran Service Officers.
In addition to connecting with a county director or a veteran service officer, DMVA recommends that every one of Pennsylvania’s nearly 700,000 veterans – the fifth largest veteran population in the nation – should sign up for the DMVA Veterans Registry, a free tool that electronically delivers information about the many state benefits, programs and services available to veterans. Veterans, family members and people who work with veterans can sign up by computer or mobile device at www.register.dmva.pa.gov.
Learn more about the DMVA by visiting us online at www.dmva.pa.gov or follow us at www.facebook.com/padmva or www.twitter.com/padmva.