Veteran’s Services

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Mission Statement:

Seneca County Veterans Service Agency is committed to providing professional services for eligible Seneca County veterans and their dependents with those benefits to which they may be entitled at the federal, state and county levels.

Veteran Service Officer:

All SCVSA Service Officers are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through various organizations.  Our Officers are here to assist you in navigating the bureaucracy of the VA, and our services are free.

We will help with gathering the information necessary to support a claim, file the claim, and track the claim through the VA system. We can also assist with filing appeals for denied claims.  We strongly recommend that you make use of the services provided by our Veterans Service Officers.  Our expertise can help you avoid the pitfalls and delays that missing paperwork or improperly filled out claim forms can cause.

Resources

Burial and Memorial

• Burial Allowance
• Headstone / Grave Markers / Medallions
• Burial Flags
• Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery
• Burial in a National Cemetery
• Presidential Memorial Certificates

Education

• GI Bill Comparison Tool
• Post 9/11 GI Bill
• Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty)
• Montgomery GI Bill (Select Reserve)
• Post 9/11 GI Bill Transfer of Benefits
• Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP)
• Yellow Ribbon Program
• NYS Yellow Ribbon Schools
• Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E)
• Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
• Veterans Upward Bound
• Veteran Integration to Academic Leadership (VITAL)

Employment

• Finger Lakes Works
• NYS Job Bank
• NYS Department of Labor
• USA Jobs

Financial

• Compensation (Disabled)
• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
• VA Pension
• Survivor Pension Benefit
• Chase Bank Military Survivor Program

Legal

• Veteran Advocacy Project
• The Veterans Consortium
• Syracuse Law School, Veterans Legal Clinic

Military, Veteran, and Family Outreach Programs

• Soldier On
• House of Concern Food Pantry
• Harmony Food Pantry
• Tyre Reformed Church Food Pantry
• Lake Country Christian Church Food Pantry
• Ovid Federated Church Food Pantry
• Sheen Housing
• Seneca County Weatherization Program
• Coaching into Care
• Oasis Adaptive Sports
• Seneca County Meals on Wheels Program
• Heroes with Hearing Loss
• Make The Connection

Military Retirees

• Defense Finance and Accounting System (DFAS)
• Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS)
• Tricare
• FEDVIP

VA Medical

• My HealtheVet

Veteran Appreciation

• NYS Alternate Veteran Property Tax Exemption
• Driver License
• License plate
• Honor Flight Syracuse
• Honor Flight Rochester

Veteran Groups

• VFW Post 6433 Waterloo
• American Legion Post 435 Waterloo
• VFW Post 1323 Seneca Falls
• American Legion Post 366 Seneca Falls
• VFW Post 6200 Ovid
• American Legion Post 463 Ovid

Women Veterans

• Center for Women Veterans (CWV)
• Women Veterans Health Care
• American Women Veterans

Services

Federal

• Burial Benefits: U.S. Flag, Headstone / Marker for unmarked graves. Presidential Memorial Certificate, monetary allowance (veterans who were receiving VA Compensation, Pension or died at VA Medical Center at time of death; or died of a service-connected disability).
• CHAMPVA / CHAMPUS / TRICARE: Healthcare for families of 100% service-connected veterans and families pf military retirees.
• Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC): Monthly benefits paid to eligible survivors of service members who died while in the military while on active duty, active duty for training or inactive duty training.  Veterans who died of a service-connected disability, or veterans who did not die as a result of service-connected disability, but were 100% service-connected for at least 10 years before the time of death.  No income limit.
• Education Benefits: Monthly benefits (based on period of military service) paid to veterans who are attending a VA approved school.  Spouses and children of permanent and total disabled veterans are also eligible.
• Medical and Dental Benefits: Assistance in completing forms for medical care given by VA Medical Centers.  Eligible based on the amount of military time, service-connected disabilities and/or income.  Prescriptions cannot be filled unless prescribed by VA physician.
• Non-Service Connected Pension: Monthly payment paid to wartime veterans who are totally and permanently disabled (or over 65) and have income under the established income limits.
• Service-Connected Compensation: Monthly benefit paid to veterans for their disabilities caused or aggravated by military service.
• Widow’s Death Pension: Monthly payment made to widow(er)s of wartime veterans who have income under the established limits.
• NPRC: Assistance in obtaining Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) / Service Treatment Records (STR) records. 

New York State

• New York State Real Property Tax Exemption: Assistance in applying for a NYS Alternative Veterans Property Tax Exemption for wartime veterans owning property in
  NYS.  Town of Seneca Falls residents who were Cold War veterans will qualify for town property tax exemption.
• New York State Lifetime Liberty Pass: Assistance with applying for the pass for NYS Parks for veterans who qualify.  Veterans must be NYS resident with 40% or greater disability to be eligible for this benefit.
• New York State Reduced Fee Hunting and Fishing License: Provide letters to veterans with 40% or greater VA disability who are also NYS residents so they may purchase the license for $5.00.
• New York State Blind Annuity: The Blind Annuity Program benefit is for legally blind wartime veterans, who live and domiciled in NYS.  Blindness need not be service-connected disability to qualify.