DISABLED VETERANS’ REAL ESTATE TAX EXEMPTION

Any honorably discharged Veteran who is a resident of Pennsylvania shall be exempt from the payment of all real estate taxes levied upon any building, including up to five acres of land upon which it stands, provided that all eligibility criteria is met.

VETERANS’ TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE

Provides temporary financial aid to Veterans and their beneficiaries who reside in Pennsylvania for the necessities of life (food, shelter, fuel, clothing, and medical expenses). If eligible, a Veteran or their beneficiary can qualify for an amount not to exceed $1,600 in a twelve month period.

VETERANS REGISTRY

The PA VETERANS’ REGISTRY— www.register.dmva.pa.gov — is an online application that allows veterans, family members and people who work with veterans to connect with DMVA to request information related to the valuable state benefits, programs and services offered. All registrants’ information will be shared with other Commonwealth of Pennsylvania agencies to facilitate local connections. By connecting with DMVA, registrants can also opt-in to receive timely communications such as newsletters, press releases and program updates. The PA VETERANS’ REGISTRY is DMVA’s first step in a long-term strategy to achieve a higher level of communication with our veterans as well as our partners who support them

MILITARY AWARDS FOR VALOR

America has a time-honored tradition of recognizing the acts of valor performed by Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. The lists included at http://valor.defense.gov. Share in this tradition and honor those individuals awarded our nation’s most prestigious valor awards.

VETERANS MOBILE OUTREACH

Accredited Veterans Service Officers will provide information and assistance to Veterans and family members who may be eligible for benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Such benefits might include service-connected disability compensation, improved pensions, death pensions, VA health care benefits, burial benefits, education benefits, vocational rehabilitation and much more. To request a van for your event, please complete the Van Request Form and submit it six months but not less than 45 days prior to your event using the email, fax number or address listed on this page. Every effort will be made to fulfill your organization’s request; however, due to demand we cannot guarantee every request. If alternate dates are available, please indicate this on the form. Requests with less than a 30-day turnaround will be handled on a space available basis only. We will notify you as soon as possible if we can grant your request. To park and set up the Mobile Veterans Outreach Van an area of 40 feet by 15 feet is required. To avoid the need of running the generator a 30-AMP electrical service is required (RV connection) if possible.

BLIND VETERANS’ PENSION

Provides for a pension of $150 per month.

Eligibility:

• Served in the military honorably
• Resident of Pennsylvania upon entering the military
• Suffered a service-related injury or incurred a disease which resulted in loss of vision:
• Visual acuity with the best correcting lens is 3/60 or 10/200 or equivalent, or less normal vision in the better eye
• Includes circumstances where the widest diameter of the visual field of the better eye has contracted to an angular distance of not greater than 20º 

AMPUTEE AND PARALYZED VETERANS’ PENSION

Provides for a pension of $150 per month. Eligibility:

• Served in the military honorably
• Resident of PA upon entering the military
• Suffered a service-connected injury or disease resulting in the loss or loss of use of two or more extremities
• At least 40% disability compensation rating or higher in each limb as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

EDUCATIONAL GRATUITY

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania provides financial assistance (up to $500 per term/semester up to eight semesters) to children of honorably discharged Veterans who have service-connected disabilities and served during a period of war or armed conflict or children of Veterans who die or died in service during a period of war or armed conflict.

Veteran Eligibility:

• Died in service during a period of war or armed conflict, or
• Honorable Discharge
• Served during established war service dates as determined by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
• Veteran must have a 100% permanent and total service connected disability rating by the U.S. Dept. of Veterans

Affairs Child Eligibility:

• Must be between the ages of 16 and 23, living within Pennsylvania five years prior to application and must attend an approved school within the state
• Applicant must demonstrate a financial need

VETERANS SERVICE OFFICER SUPPORT

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs offers support to Veterans with their claims for state and federal benefits as well as supporting County Veterans Services Officers with their claims for Veterans benefits. Veterans may call any of our field offices to speak with an accredited Veterans Service Officer

THE PENNSYLVANIA VETERANS’ MEMORIAL

The Pennsylvania Veterans’ Memorial is located at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Lebanon County, to honor Pennsylvania Veterans of all eras

PENNSYLVANIA VETERANS’ HOMES

Pennsylvania offers its eligible Veterans or surviving spouses’ residency in one of the six extended-care facilities throughout the state. The varying levels of care provided include personal care, skilled nursing care, and memory care.

Eligibility:

• Honorable Discharge
• Served in the U.S. or PA Armed Forces
• Resident at time of entry or current resident of Pennsylvania

MILITARY FAMILY RELIEF ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (MFRAP)

Provides emergency financial assistance to eligible PA service members and their eligible family members and must have a direct and immediate financial need because of circumstances beyond their control.

Eligibility: The program applies to Pennsylvania residents who:

• Serve 30 or more consecutive days of active duty with the U.S. Armed Forces or its reserve components
• Serve 30 or more consecutive days of active duty or state active duty in the PA Army or Air National Guard
• Are a member in good standing of any reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the PA National Guard, for a period of three years after release from a tour of active duty, authorized under Title 10 or Title 32, U.S. Code (other than active duty for training), of 30 or more consecutive days duration, when the need for assistance is directly related to the member’s performance of active duty
• Are a member in good standing of the PA National Guard for a period of three years after release from a tour of state active duty of 30 or more consecutive days duration, when the need for assistance is directly related to the member’s performance of state active duty
• Are a former member of the U.S. Armed Forces of the United States or its reserve components, including the PA National Guard for a period of four years after a medical discharge for a medical disability incurred in Line of Duty and the reasons arising to the discharge did not exist prior to the member’s military service, and meets the other requirements as shown in the Guidelines, Para 4 v. 1 through 6

PA VETCONNECT

PA VETCONNECT is an exciting new Regional Outreach Initiative that will be launched in early 2020 by the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), Pennsylvania is home to nearly 800,000 veterans – the 4th largest veteran population in the nation. As DMVA serves these veterans of Pennsylvania, we are consistently evaluating how to connect with every veteran in the commonwealth. DMVA recognizes the need to provide coordinated outreach, case management, and referral services for veterans in need. While DMVA, through its Office of Veterans Affairs, provides several programs and benefits for veterans, there are still areas where we need to collaborate with other departments, agencies, and community partners to fully address the needs of our veterans’ community. These areas include, but are not limited to, unemployment, homelessness, mental wellness, substance use disorders (SUD), post-traumatic stress, and traumatic brain injuries. We hope to address these gaps through creative inter-agency coordination and community partnerships. DMVA has observed that there are many communities and organizations that are available and willing to assist veterans with many different services. One-stop customer service will provide a more focused and efficient method of informing service members, veterans, and their families of the available resources within defined regions. Our dedicated staff will establish and maintain relationships in communities for each region. Outreach coordinators will engage with County Directors of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Service Organizations, and other stakeholders to foster collaboration and participate in work groups with these organizations to identify and establish veterans’ services and programs

THE PENNSYLVANIA VETERANS’ TRUST FUND (VTF)

The mission of the Veterans’ Trust Fund (VTF) is to assist and support Pennsylvania Veterans and their families. The VTF issues grants to statewide charitable organizations that assist Veterans, Veterans Service Organizations and County Directors of Veterans Affairs to assist Veterans in need of shelter and necessities of living. Learn more at www.vtf.pa.gov.

HONORING OUR VETERANS LICENSE PLATE

You don’t need to be a Veteran to show your support of Veterans by purchasing the ‘Honoring Our Veterans’ license plate. This plate is available for motorcycles, passenger cars and light trucks up to 10,000 pounds and costs $35. Fifteen dollars from the sale of each license plate goes to the Veterans’ Trust Fund.

The Honoring Our Women Veterans registration plate became available on February 21, 2019. Fifteen dollars from every “Honoring Our Women Veterans” registration plate sold will benefit the Veterans Trust Fund, which will be used for programs and resources that assist women veterans. To apply for this registration plate, please complete Form MV-914 (PDF), “Application for Honoring Our Veterans Registration Plate.”

DRIVER’S LICENSE/ID CARD VETERANS DESIGNATION

The Veterans Designation on Pennsylvania driver’s licenses and ID cards clearly identifies the bearer as a Veteran, who honorably served their Nation and this Commonwealth.