Michigan Veterans Not Aware of Benefits or Help

Thousands of Michigan veterans miss out on benefits
The Detroit News
Melissa Nann Burke
March 31, 2015

"I never really took the time to look into it because I was told you had to be a dismembered person in order to get these benefits," said Thomas Kline, a 66-year-old Vietnam veteran in Wayland, who recently began receiving compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Thomas Kline of Wayland, a 66-year-old veteran, didn’t realize he was eligible for VA benefits until last year. He consulted with a counselor in Grand Rapids, who guided him through the process.
(Photo: Katy Batdorff)

Hundreds of thousands of Michiganians who qualify for veteran benefits aren't using them, and many vets don't know they're eligible.

As a result, Michigan ranks among the bottom five states for federal spending per veteran. Veterans' benefits can include health care, monthly disability checks, life insurance, home loans and education through the GI bill. Benefits at the state and local levels include vocational training and the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund.

Only 22 percent of Michigan's estimated 660,800 veterans used their health benefits from the U.S. Veterans Administration in 2013 — the most recent year for which data is available. Roughly 13 percent of Michigan veterans received disability checks, according to federal data.

Officials are trying to reverse the trend by raising awareness of how and where veterans and their families can access the benefits they earned. Advocates have seen progress, they say, but funding, misinformation and reticence by veterans can be a challenge.
read more here