Yet, despite this seeming roller-coaster of bad news, I am hopeful for our Michigan Veterans in 2015. The two year old Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA), led by Director Jeff Barnes, has achieved progress on several fronts. And while some will argue progress has been slow, you have to start somewhere.
For starters, Michigan has seen a 10 percent increase in the number of Veterans signing up for benefits, and per-capita income for veterans receiving federal funds has increased by approximately $1,020 per veteran.
That puts the state at 48th among the states and territories in federal veterans expenditures. Clearly, there is much room left to grow, but we should not forget that Michigan ranked 53rd in the category at one point.
A pilot program, known as Veterans Community Action Teams (VCATs), which Governor Snyder’s administration has funded, has fostered beneficial collaboration with local organizations, allowing them to better serve Veterans. These VCATs connect various service providers in their area of expertise assist the Veteran. Previously, these isolated organizations had no contact and no knowledge of each other’s skillsets. The MVAA’s pilot programs in Detroit and Grand Rapids were successful enough to have the program expanded to four more communities in 2015, followed by another four in 2016.
Also, the legislature took positive action in 2014 to reverse the negative trend of rising unemployment among veterans, which ticked up to 10.6 percent in 2013 from 7.9 percent in 2012. The most recent bills ease licensing requirements in certain professions that can fast-track veterans and allow them to apply their military experience toward those credentials.
Some estimates show some 80,000 skilled jobs are available in Michigan. Meanwhile, there will be anywhere from 30,000-50,000 veterans returning home in the next five years. The training our Veterans receive from the military is the best in the world. Let’s tap into that potential. I call on the legislature, the MVAA, and Governor Snyder to continue efforts to ensure our Michigan Veterans have their particular skillsets matched for these skilled jobs so that they can be plugged into these positions. We can accomplish this goal by continuing to foster collaboration.
Lastly, Michigan leads the nation in “Veterans Treatment Courts,” which help reintegrate veterans into their communities. In 2012, Michigan had just six of these courts; today, the number is 20. Combining drug court and mental health court principles, these courts have yielded tremendously positive results toward helping veterans overcome addictions and other mental conditions.
So I look forward to the next 12 months with optimism. One New Year’s Resolution all of us – citizens, policymakers, and elected representatives – should have is to do right by our Veterans.
Brigadier General Carol Ann Fausone (ret.)
General Fausone began her military career in the U.S. Air Force, and ended her service as the first female Brigadier General in the Michigan National Guard’s history. Today, she continues to help veterans and their families nationwide with her husband, Jim, at Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC.
Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC fights for veterans rights. We fight to make sure you get the benefits you deserve from the Department of Veterans Affairs. To learn more or contact an attorney about your PTSD, TBI, Mental Health, Sexual Assault, Hearing Loss and Tinnitus, TDIU, Medical Malpractice, or Aid and Attendance claim, visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com/ or call 800.693.4800
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Good news for Michigan veterans and surviving spouses with the announcement that there will be a cost of living (COLA) increase for 2015. This means that Michigan veterans benefits for 2015 will have the same increase for 2015 as those who receive Social Security.
The COLA for 2015 is 1.7%, which means the VA Benefit for 2015 will increase from 2014.
Michigan VA Benefit 2015 award numbers.
| Type of Veteran | VA Benefit Amount |
| Surviving Spouse | $1,149 |
| Single Veteran | $1,789 |
| Married | $2,120 |
VA Benefit for a Married Veteran for 2015 is $2,120
The VA Benefit for a married veteran in 2015 will be $2,120. That mean that if a veteran is married and needs home care, assist living or nursing home care in Michigan, then that married veteran can receive up to $2,120 per month to help pay that cost of care. To qualify as a married veteran, the veteran needs to have served 90 days active duty, one day during a period of conflict, and cannot be dishonorably discharged. If those requirements are met, then the married veteran needs to be paying more long-term care costs then income coming in from social security or pension. If you have a family member who is a married veteran that meets those requirements, call our law office, regardless of assets, to see if we can get you qualified for the Michigan veterans benefits for a married veteran.
VA Benefit for a Single Veteran for 2015 $1,789
The VA benefit for a veteran in 2015 will be $1,789 per month, tax free. The same requirements hold. That is, the veteran needs to have served 90 days active duty, one day during a period of war, and cannot be dishonorably discharged. Then the same VA income test applies, more long-term care costs than income from social security or pension. There’s also an asset test, just like if you were a married veteran, but that’s where we, as a Michigan VA Accredited attorney, come in to walk you through the process necessary to get qualified for your Michigan Veterans benefits.
VA Benefit for a Surviving Spouse of a Veteran in 2015 is $1,149
If you are a surviving spouse of a veteran living in Michigan in 2015, then you can receive up to $1,149 per month to help pay your long-term care costs. To qualify, the veteran the surviving spouse was married to needs to have served 90 days active duty, one day during a period of conflict and cannot be dishonorably discharged. If the veteran meets those requirements, then the surviving spouse also needs to have long-term care costs that meet or exceed her income. If all those requirements are met, then the surviving spouse of a veteran may receive up to $1,149 per month, tax free to pay her long-term care costs.
Do You Need Help With Your Michigan VA Benefits? Call our Michigan VA Accredited Attorney
Do you need help qualifying for the Michigan VA Benefit? Give our office a call or submit your information in the contact form on this page and we’ll follow up with you.
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