Ohio Veterans Bonus pays $500-$1,500 to eligible vets

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COLUMBUS – In another example of how Ohio aims to “serve those who served,” members of the U.S. Armed Forces can receive the Ohio Veterans Bonus, which pays between $500 and $1,500.

“Ohio veterans answered the call to service when our nation needed them most,” said Chip Tansill, Director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Services. “It is an honor to thank and reward these brave men and women who fight for our nation’s freedom.”

The bonus pays $100 a month to veterans who served during the eligible periods in Afghanistan up to a maximum of $1,000. For veterans who served in other parts of the world during these periods, the payment is $50 a month up to a $500 maximum.

Veterans medically discharged as a result of combat service can receive $1,000, regardless of how much time they spent in theater, plus up to $500 for months of service elsewhere.

The current bonus program extends to family members of those killed in action or who died from disease as a result of service in Afghanistan. In those cases, recipients may receive a bonus of $5,000 plus whatever the service member was eligible to receive, up to $6,500.

The eligible time period for service in Afghanistan or any location outside Afghanistan is from Oct. 7, 2001 through a date yet to be determined by the President. Eligible veterans must have been Ohio residents at the time of their entry into the service, and must be Ohio residents at the time they apply.

As of October 2016, the Ohio Veterans Bonus program had paid 91,060 claims amounting to more than $74.3 million.

The Ohio Veterans Bonus is not financed with taxes. Ohio voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment allowing the state to sell bonds to provide a special payment to servicemen and women.

Ohio Veterans Bonus applications are available at OhioVet.gov.

To learn more about benefits, bonuses, jobs and resources for Ohio veterans and military families visit www.ohiovet.gov or call 877-OhioVet.

Staff report

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