Veterans who live in assisted living communities and nursing homes in New York will receive help accessing benefits they earned through their military service under a new pilot program announced by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo.
For the first time in its 70-year history, the state’s Division of Veterans’ Affairs will hire veterans benefits advisers specifically to help veterans in such settings, including homes for veterans operated by the state Department of Health and the State University of New York and others.
The advisers, who will be accredited to represent veterans and their family members — at no cost to them — before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, will advocate for veterans in claims and appeals for disability compensation, non-service-connected pensions and other benefits, programs and services.
The new initiative is designed to help ensure that new assisted living and nursing home residents who are veterans are better able to have their needs addressed and their quality of life improved, Cuomo said in a press release.
