The Cambria County Veterans’ Services Office strives to provide courteous, efficient and professional services to the County’s Veterans, Veterans’ spouses, and Veterans’ families. As such, we are working by appointment. Please call 814-472-1590 between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to schedule an appointment.

Cambria County Veterans’ Service Office Hours are Monday – Friday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Services provided at the Courthouse Office:

• Advise, assist and counsel Veterans and their families in the process necessary to obtain Veterans’ benefits
• Assist Veterans, Veterans’ surviving spouses or dependents in providing information, and completing forms and documents when applying for benefits
• Establish military /claim data files on all Veterans coming into the office
• Distribute death benefit claims for the county
• Transmit records for deceased Veterans to the US Department of Veterans Affairs, as required by the county code
• Control and distribute U.S. flags and holders to various service organizations for placement on appropriate Veterans’ gravesites
• Remain current on new laws and regulations specifically applying to Veterans
• Keep citizens aware of Veterans’ needs and sacrifices they made
• Administer claims for the services connected to disabilities, pensions for Veterans unable to work, medical care, home loan guarantees, burial benefits and death dependency, and indemnity compensation and death pensions

Benefits made available for Veterans’ residing in Pennsylvania:

• Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption:
  • Any honorably discharged veteran who is a resident of Pennsylvania shall be exempt from the payment of all real estate taxes levied upon any building, including up to five acres of land upon which it stands, provided that all eligibility criteria is met.
• Eligibility for Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption:
  • Must be Pennsylvania resident
  • Honorably Discharged
  • Served during war service dates as determined by the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs (U.S. Dept. Veteran Affairs war service dates)
  • Must be blind, paraplegic, sustained the loss of two or more limbs, or have service connected disability declared by the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs to be a total or 100% permanent disability
  • Dwelling is owned solely by he veteran or as an estate in the entirety
  • Veteran must occupy the real estate as his/her principal dwelling
  • Veteran must demonstrate a financial need
  • Upon death of a qualified veteran, tax exemption may pass on to the unmarried surviving spouse if financial need can be shown

• Veterans Temporary Assistance:
  • Provides temporary financial aid to veterans and their beneficiaries who reside in Pennsylvania for the necessities of life (food, shelter, fuel, clothing, and medical expenses). If eligible, a veteran or beneficiary can qualify for an amount not to $1,600 in a 12 month period.
• Eligibility for Veterans Temporary Assistance:
  • Must be a resident of Pennsylvania
  • Must demonstrate a financial need
  • Must show either a loss of income or increase in expenses that renders the applicant temporarily unable to provide themselves with the necessities of living
  • Must have a discharge of Honorable or Under Honorable Conditions after a period of active duty , other than active duty for training or has service connected disability rating as certified by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs
• Surviving Dependent Eligibility:
  • Upon the recent death of a veteran, their unmarried spouse is eligible provided the veteran would have qualified prior to his/her death
  • Death Certificate for the veteran must be included with the application
  • Must provide marriage certificate for spouse, birth certificate for children, and the veterans’ birth certificate for parents

• Please contact our office to set up an appointment for the Disabled Veterans Real Estate Tax Exemption or the Veterans Temporary Assistance

FAQs

• How do I enroll in the VA health care system?
  • The easiest, and quickest, way to enroll in the VA health system, is to fill out a VA Form 10-10EZ online at www.va.gov. There are many factors about who may be eligible to apply, and we can help you determine that.
• Where can I get my discharge paper (DD-214)?
  • A Veteran’s discharge paper is a must! If you don’t have yours, we can help you to locate one. Many Veterans filed their discharge papers with the county, and the Recorder of Deeds Office (Cambria County Recorder of Deeds) maintains thousands of them. Or you may request a copy from the National Archives ( Request Military Service Records | National Archives ). In order to request a discharge, you will need the Veteran’s social security number, date and place of birth, the approximate dates the Veteran served, and in which branch of the military.
• What is a service-connected disability?
  • A service-connected disability is an injury that either occurred in, or was aggravated by, military service. A Veteran must show an event in service, a current diagnosis of a disabling condition, and a medical connection/link between the in service event and the current disabling condition.
• What is the Veterans’ (and surviving spouses) pension program?
  • The Veterans and surviving spouses’ pension program is designed to help offset care costs for eligible Veterans and their surviving spouses. Requirements for the are:

• • • You must be 65 or older,
    • You must have a net worth of less than $155,356, and show a need.
    • The program is only available to Veterans (and the surviving spouses of Veterans) who served on active duty while America was engaged in armed conflict. Service must have been within these dates:
      • • • • World War II – Dec. 7, 1941 – Dec. 31, 1946
            • Korean War –  June 27, 1950 – Jan. 31 1955
            • Vietnam War –
              • • Veterans who served in Vietnam – Nov. 1, 1955 – May 7, 1975
                • Veterans who served outside of Vietnam – Aug. 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975
            • Gulf War –  Aug. 2, 1990 – present.