With a new year underway, the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs is urging veterans to meet with an accredited professional to ensure they are receiving or maximizing the benefits they have earned through their service and sacrifice.
“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,” said Joel Mutschler, director, 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.”
Mutschler said safeguarding military paperwork, especially the DD-214, which is used to verify military service, is an important first step for securing benefits.
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 contact the DMVA by calling toll-free 800-547-2838 or emailing [email protected].
Mutschler said veterans should also apply for federal healthcare and state benefits by visiting their local county director of veterans affairs or area accredited veteran service organizations to look at what benefits they may be eligible for and to get help applying for those benefits.
A complete list of county directors and their contact information can be found here. Contact information for veteran service officers can be found here.
In addition to connecting with a county director or an accredited veteran service organization, Mutschler recommended that every one of Pennsylvania’s nearly 800,000 veterans sign up for the DMVA Veterans Registry, a free tool that electronically delivers timely 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 register.dmva.pa.gov.
Veterans should never pay for help applying for their benefits.
“If a veteran is asked to pay for assistance applying for their benefits, they should decline immediately,” said Mutschler. “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.”
