From the Veterans Office: New column to highlight benefits available to Hull veterans and families
/By Paul Sordillo
Hull Veterans Service Officer
This is the first in a series of monthly columns by Hull Veterans Service Officer Paul Sordillo that will highlight information and benefits of interest to local veterans and their families.
My name is Paul Sordillo, and I am your Veterans Service Officer. I retired from the Coast Guard after 29 years and have been the Hull Veteran Officer since April of 2018. I am also a resident.
Many people believe I am a representative of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), but I’m not. I am a town employee responsible for administrating state benefits commonly known as Chapter 115. I do assist and help veterans and surviving spouses with applying for Veterans Affairs benefits from the federal government. I also plan and coordinate Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies.
Towns in the Massachusetts Bay Colony started providing assistance to needy veterans in their communities following the French and Indian War (1754-1763). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts started providing assistance after the Revolutionary War. Not until the start of the Civil War did the state formalize the assistance, establishing Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 115 and the Department of Veterans Services. The Department of Veterans Services was established as an executive office on March 1, 2023 and is now known as the Executive Office of Veterans Services.
Let’s talk Chapter 115. This benefit is for veterans and the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran (if the spouse was married to the veteran at the time of his or her death, he or she is considered an eligible dependent). Children and parents might also qualify to receive benefits.
There are strict eligibility requirements, as Chapter 115 is means-tested with income and asset limits. The following amounts are good until June 30, 2025: the maximum monthly income allowed for an individual is $2,510, and for a couple, it is $3,407. Additional family members would change these amounts. However, applicants whose income is slightly above allowable limits may be eligible for medical benefits at a “spend down” adjustment amount. Asset limits are $8,400 for and individual and $16,600 for a couple. Note that even if your income is higher than the specified amounts, you still may qualify for reimbursements of medical expenses. Get in touch with the veterans office by phone at 781-925-0305, or email psordillo@town.hull.ma.us, for more information or visit mass.gov/veteran-benefits
I will continue with more articles in regards to available benefits, both federal and state.
To contact Paul Sordillo, Hull’s Veterans Service Officer, for more information about the topics discussed in this column, or other benefits available to local veterans, call 781-925-0305 or email psordillo@town.hull.ma.us.
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