Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 08 12 JCVAB Policy Draft 3 Jefferson County, WA POLICY 1820 Jefferson Street P.O. Box 1220 Port Townsend, WA 98368 360-385-9100 www.co.jefferson.wa.us POLICY TITLE: Jefferson County Veterans’ Advisory Board (JCVAB) SUBJECT: Distribution of Jefferson County Veterans’ Assistance Funds ORIGINATED DATE: August 15, 2025 REPLACES DATE: N/A EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon approval by BoCC RENEWAL DUE DATE: CREATED BY: Jefferson County Veterans’ Advisory Board APPROVED BY: Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners I. PURPOSE The purpose of this Policy is to assist the Jefferson County Veterans’ Advisory Board (JCVAB) in working with Jefferson County to administer disbursement of funds from the Jefferson County Veterans Assistance Fund through a voucher system. II. POLICY STATEMENT A. This policy sets forth the conditions for dispersal of funds from the Jefferson County Veterans’ Assistance Fund for relief to discharged, indigent Veterans who meet the definition of “Qualifying discharge” and their dependents as outlined in RCW 73.04.005. B. Substitute House Bill 1189, an act relating to Veterans’ relief became effective July 24, 2005. This act amended RCW 73.08.010, 73.08.070, and 73.08.080, added new sections to chapter 73.08 RCW, created a new section, and repealed RCW 73.08.030, 73.08.040, 73.08.050. RCW 73.08.005 Intent – 2005 c 250(2) states: “That the Legislature recognizes that ongoing Veterans’ relief or assistance programs in some areas of the State have provided meaningful assistance to indigent Veterans and family members. The Legislature further recognizes that Veteran’s service organizations have traditionally been the initial point of contact for indigent Veterans and family members seeking assistance. In recognition of these factors, the Legislature intends to authorize, upon satisfaction of certain administrative requirements, existing Veteran’s relief or assistance programs to continue providing needed and effective assistance to indigent Veterans and their families.” III. GENERAL GUIDANCE Overarching general guidance for this Policy is that the Veterans’ Assistance Fund should be efficiently administered for the benefit of qualified Jefferson County Veterans. It has been the position of Jefferson County that all Veterans who have resided in Jefferson County continuously for 6 months and have served our country honorably are eligible to apply for Page 2 of 7 the Veterans’ Assistance Fund. Veterans deserve to be treated equally and with respect, dignity, compassion and fairness. The Veterans’ Assistance Fund is authorized by RCW 73.08.010 and funded by RCW 73.03.080. IV. APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY A. RCW Requirements: Under the Revised Code of the State of Washington (RCW), all Veterans, their dependents, widows, and dependents are eligible for emergency assistance. Using the RCW as guidelines, the following are established as “Criteria for Assistance.” 1. Veterans must meet the depiction in RCW 73.08.005. 2. Veterans must be indigent as the term is defined by chapter 73.08 RCW, unless the definition of indigent is modified to widen eligibility by the County Commissioners as is permitted by the 2005 amendments to chapter 73.08 RCW. Chapter 73.08 RCW, as amended in 2005, establishes three possible definitions of indigency, specifically the applicant is: a. Receiving public assistance, including but not limited to, public assistance, food stamps or separated Security Income; b. Receiving a net income, i.e., after taxes, that does not exceed 200% of the current federally established poverty level; or c. Unable to pay reasonable costs for shelter, food, utilities and transportation because his or her available funds are insufficient. 3. Veterans must be a resident of resident of Jefferson County for at least 6 months and show proof of residency. Acceptable forms of proof include, but are not limited to: driver’s license with Jefferson County address, utility bill in their name, etc. 4. Veterans must provide proof of identification (as to their identity and as to their veteran status) and documentation of eligibility of dependents in a manner consistent with “B” below. B. Required Documentation: 1. Veterans must provide a complete and legible copy of their Discharge from Active- Duty Form 214 (DD214). If the quality of the DD214 is poor, JCVAB may require the Veteran to provide a certified copy of their DD214. If discharge prior to 1950, a Certificate of Discharge and a photocopy of such form must be attached to the application. 2. Documents other than DD214s or Certificates of Discharge, which give service dates and character of service may be accepted in lieu of proper discharge papers on a temporary basis, but only when they are issued by a recognized agency, i.e., Veterans Administration or AMVETS Service Office. These documents are Page 3 of 7 acceptable on a temporary basis only and must be written on letterhead stationery from the issuing agency. The copy of application for a DD214 can be used for one time only. 3. An applicant shall be informed that assistance approved based on other documents discussed in IV(B)(2) is on a temporary basis only and that further assistance will require proper discharge documentation. C. JCVAB final Arbiter: Service Officers appointed by JCVAB are the final decision-makers as to whether a person is eligible for funds from the Veterans’ Assistance Fund, subject to appeal to the Veterans’ Appeals Board (comprised of Service Officers also appointed by JCVAB but separate than those who serve on the Veterans’ Assistance Fund), which then is subject to a final appeal may be made to the County Administrator. V. DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS A. General Information: 1. All requests for funds require that a Veterans’ Assistance Fund Application (attached), which shall be filled out and signed by the Veteran, widow, or dependent. 2. Assistance to qualified applicants is provided by the JCVAB and Jefferson County primarily in the form of direct relief to a vendor or the use of vouchers. Assistance may also be given by the JCVAB through referrals, counseling, or by acting as a liaison for the applicant. A Veteran or Veteran’s widow, widower, dependent, or authorized person on behalf of dependent shall be eligible to make application for assistance for emergency needs limited to $2,390 per calendar year. 3. Monetary limits on all types of vouchers are detailed in the section with that heading. All vouchers issued are classified into one of the follow categories: a. Food & Necessities; b. Rent; c. Utility; d. Medical; or e. Miscellaneous. 4. Expenses in excess of the amount written on the voucher are the responsibility of the applicant. No cash, coupon, or credit of any type is to be given if purchase is less than the amount written on the voucher. In other words, the Veteran cannot trade in all or a portion of the voucher for cash, coupons, or credit. Page 4 of 7 a. Food: i. There is no set number of times an applicant can receive assistance. However, vouchers are intended for emergency use and requests for frequent assistance should be reviewed carefully and the applicant reminded of the emergency nature of the fund. ii. Food vouchers shall be issued for the maximum amount as follows: Single Veteran $240, Married Veteran $320 Marred Veteran with dependents $320 plus $80 per dependent. iii. Food vouchers are issued for necessities only. The purchase of any alcohol or tobacco products is prohibited. Sundries may be purchased; however, such purchases should be for necessary items, i.e., paper products, toiletries, etc. Purchases of prohibited or questionable items are to be documented in the Veteran’s record. Upon a subsequent visit the Veteran should be questioned by the JCVAB representative regarding the purchase. Repeated violations, after warnings, are considered adequate grounds for termination of assistance. If the abuse is flagrant, a report is to be submitted to the County Prosecuting Attorney. b. Rent: i. Funds are used to assist a Veteran to remain in a domicile or to provide temporary shelter to get a Veteran off the streets. To receive rent assistance, an applicant must provide proof of residency in the dwelling indicated. A rental agreement from the landlord, and notice of eviction with eviction date is required. Rent usually is not paid to relatives of the applicant. To receive assistance, rent must be past due and to prevent an eviction. ii. Rental assistance depends heavily upon the circumstances the applicant and the interview held by the Service Officer. Rental assistance requests should be thoroughly investigated. 3. Utilities: i. Assistance for electricity, water, and natural gas will require submission of a late notice or shut off notice. ii. It is the responsibility of the JCVAB to maintain a liaison with the utility companies to assure that the amount of assistance is adequate enough to prevent a shut-off. It is considered expedient to assist only when it will prevent a shut- off. iii. A telephone, while considered a utility is generally not considered a necessity and does not qualify for assistance. Exceptions are considered on an individual basis and are restricted to situations where the telephone would be considered essential because of medical problems, etc. Page 5 of 7 iv. Use of utility funds to pay for deposits is not allowed. 4. Medical: i. Assistance is granted to aid qualified applicants for the purchase of prescription medication. Usually, assistance is granted on a one-time basis for up to $160. However, in cases of extreme medical need and indigence, medical assistance may be granted on a monthly basis. Such cases are usually limited to assisting with an acute medical problem. Qualified applicants must be aware of the requirement that on-going medical assistance must be of an emergency nature. ii. Medical assistance may not exceed the annual limit, but may be used to pay for eye glasses, dental work, or dentures with a doctor’s note or a prescription. 5. Miscellaneous: Reasonable areas of assistance that cannot be classified as food, rent, utility or medical will be classified as miscellaneous. Typical areas of miscellaneous assistance include travel and clothing. There are restrictions on granting assistance for these items – see below. B. Expenditures Not Eligible for Veterans Relief Funds: There are areas where Veterans’ Relief Funds cannot be used for assistance. These areas include but are not limited to the examples below: 1. Travel expenses are limited to the expense of the applicant to perform necessary travel. Currently travel funds are restricted exclusively to those who need assistance for medical purposes. Assistance is granted by providing a voucher to assure the applicant has an adequate amount of fuel to perform travel in the amount up to $80. 2. Travel assistance for job search is provided on a case-by-case basis. 3. Assistance for travel out of state is not provided. This includes out of state assistance to attend funerals. 4. Determination of legitimacy of a request for miscellaneous funds in any area not specifically mentioned above will be made by the JCVAB. 5. Up to $800 may be paid for funeral expenses related to the death of a Veteran, his spouse, or dependent child up to 18 years-of age. Reimbursement for funeral expenses may be paid for up to one (1) year from the date of death. 6. In the case of a catastrophic emergency such as fire, flood or wind storm which damages a Veterans’ residence or possessions an individual member of the JCVAB is authorized to render relief from the Veterans Relief Fund as necessary to meet the immediate needs of the Veteran. If the Veteran requests further assistance, the JCVAB will convene a special meeting to review the request. The Page 6 of 7 JCVAC, in coordination with the County Administrator, may approve an amount of relief over the annual threshold. VI. APPEAL OF VETERANS FUNDS A. Request for Funds above specified limits: If a Veterans Organization or the JCVAB determines that a situation exists which requires consideration of assistance in excess of the maximum amounts set forth herein, an appeal may be made to the Service Officers, and upon approval of the Service Officers, additional funds may be disbursed, with the approval of the County Administrator. B. Applicant Appeal: Any request for assistance that an applicant feels was not acted upon properly by the JCVAB, may be appealed to the Veterans’ Appeals Board within fourteen (14) days of the date the application was denied by the JCVAB. The Veterans’ Appeals Board consists of two Service Officers, separate than those who serve on the Veterans’ Assistant Fund, and who serve under the Jefferson County’s Veterans Associate Program Coordinator in a volunteer capacity. A final appeal, after a final decision is issued by the Veterans’ Assistance Board, may then be submitted to the County Administrator. VII. MEETING PLACE (POST) RENT MAY BE PIAD OUT OF COUNTY FUND A post for veterans typically refers to a local chapter of a national veterans’ organization, such as the American Legion or the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). These posts serve as community centers where veterans can gather, share experiences, and engage in activities that promote camaraderie and support. RCW 73.04.080 authorizes rent for these posts to be paid to nationally chartered Veterans’ organizations provided that the post is not purchasing property for which rent will be paid and the amount to be paid is $240 or the actual amount of rent paid, whichever is less. Said post is not renting from another post of the same organization, i.e., post rent cannot be paid to a VFW post renting a VFW hall or an AMVEST post renting from AMVETS, etc. VIII. MONITORING THE COUNTY’S VETERANS RELIEF FUND BALANCE A. JCVAB will work with the Clerk of the Board of County Commissioners or designee in setting and monitoring the annual budget for the Veterans Relief Fund and the annual tax levy for the fund. A report of expenditures and revenues will be forwarded to the JCVAB at least quarterly, or more frequently if warranted. The Clerk of the Board or designee will work with the JCVAB to prepare a preliminary budget of expenditures each year. B. If JCVAB determines that a change of any kind is required in the amount of taxes to be levied by the County for the Veterans Relief Fund, the JCVAB will submit a written recommendation for the levy amount change to the Clerk of the Board for consideration by the County Commissioners during their annual budget deliberations. IX. POST RELIEF FUNDS Page 7 of 7 If a Jefferson County Veterans Organization provides relief funds to a needy Veteran from their own Post Assistance Fund, they shall not receive any monies in return from the Country Veterans Relief Fund.