Half of Missouri veterans are not using benefits they earned

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - They served our country, but now many Missouri veterans may be missing out on benefits they earned.

Missouri has about 400,000 veterans, and about 200,000 are using the benefits they have earned, according to the Missouri Veterans Commission, even as new benefits are added to state law.

“It’s not a gift, it’s already been earned,” said retired Col. Paul Kirchhoff of the commission.

Those who work in veterans services say many veterans do not use their benefits because the system is complex and because they do not feel they need the benefits as much as others.

Kirchhoff said one barrier is navigating Veterans Affairs.

“Any veterans who feel, ‘Well, I’m doing fine, I don’t want to take away from a veteran who deserves it more,’ but that’s not the case,” Kirchhoff said. “The more veterans that apply for their benefits, the more resources that are given to the VA. So it’s not taking away from another veteran, it actually helps other veterans.”

Nick Lanier, director of the University of Missouri Veterans Center, helps veterans pursuing higher education after his own service.

“The VA by its very nature is complex,” Lanier said. “What we do at the Veterans Center, what we pride ourselves on, is we’re able to translate that.”

Lanier’s advice for veterans who need help: “The first step is to ask.” Veterans can contact the Missouri Veterans Commission for help applying for benefits.

Benefits can include health care, education and housing. A new Missouri law creates the Honorably Discharged Veteran-Owned Enterprise preferences. The law, HB 2593, went into effect Aug. 28 and created Section 34.069, RSMo. It gives certified veteran-owned businesses a preference when bidding on state contracts.

Missouri has two statutes that create preferences for veterans. Section 34.074, RSMo, created the Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise preferences.

According to the Missouri Office of Administration, the state currently has:

• 228 certified Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises
• 8 dual-certified Honorably Discharged Veteran-Owned Enterprises and Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises
• 5 certified Honorably Discharged Veteran-Owned Enterprises

A vendor that is a certified business, or that is proposing to use a certified business, submits the applicable exhibit with its bid response. The veteran-owned business must be certified at the time of bid closing. Its products and services must provide a commercially useful function to the products and services required in the bid.

The state has promoted the new certification on social media, through event promotion and on the Veteran Certification Program page on the OEO website.

To get help applying for benefits - veterans can contact the Missouri Veterans Commission by phone or email.

Phone: (573) 751-3779Email: [email protected]