According to the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the new year is the perfect time to make sure veterans are utilizing benefits they earned through service and sacrifice by meeting with an accredited professional, LowerBuckTimes reported.
“Veterans deserve every benefit they are eligible for, but don’t think they qualify or don’t think about revisiting their benefits to see if anything has changed that could work in their favor,” stated Joel Mutschler of the Bureau of Veterans Programs, Initiatives, Reintegration, and Outreach.
“A benefits review is simple and convenient, often taking place by phone or virtually. There are hundreds of accredited veteran service officers and numerous veteran service organizations across the commonwealth. Together, we are happy to serve veterans by walking them through the review process at no cost.”
By serving, veterans usually earn a variety of benefits that they should take advantage of to the fullest.
To qualify for these benefits, Muttschler said safeguarding military documents, such as the DD-214, is essential.
It is the easiest to organize military records when they have filed away in a safe place as soon as you leave the military.
Documents can often be filed for free with their county courthouse of records until they’re needed, which can often be decades down the road.
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DMVA can be reached at 800-547-2838 or [email protected] for assistance with finding military documentation.
In addition to applying for federal healthcare, Mutschler urged veterans to contact their county director for veterans affairs or local veteran service organizations to find out what benefits they might be eligible for and how to apply.
Here is a listing of the county directors along with their contact information. You can find contact information for veterans services officers here.
Aside from connecting veterans with a county director or an accredited veteran service organization, Mutschler suggested that everyone in Pennsylvania’s nearly 800,000 veteran community register for the complimentary DMVA Veterans Registry, which provides veterans with timely updates on benefits, programs, and services available to them.
At register.dmva.pa.gov, veterans, family members, and people working with veterans can register using a computer or mobile device.
Veterans wouldn’t be charged for assistance when applying for benefits.
“If a veteran is asked to pay for assistance applying for their benefits, they should decline immediately,” Mutschler said.
“There are more than 200 accredited veteran service officers in Pennsylvania working with the DMVA, county offices, and several veterans service organizations who will provide the review process at no cost. These veteran advocates are highly trained in the regulations and processes for reviewing benefits and provide the best advice.”
