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Beltrami County veteran services reports sharp rise in claims work, expands mobile claims unit; veterans home staffing improves
Summary
County veterans services reported increased federal benefit payments to local veterans, expanded outreach through a mobile claims unit, disaster and SSAP grant disbursements, an increase in veteran home residents and staffing, and noted some federal VA service reductions.
Shane Gesselson, the county's County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO), told the board the office recorded a substantial increase in federal payments to local veterans in the year covered by the federal GDX report and has expanded outreach with a mobile claims trailer.
Gesselson said the 2024 GDX report showed about $48 million in federal payments to Beltrami County veterans and surviving spouses, about $3 million more than the prior year; he described the amount as the dollars that go directly to veterans or families rather than to the county.
"These are dollars that go directly to them," Gesselson said. He also said the office estimates about 2,700 veterans live in Beltrami County and that demand for services has increased, particularly from Gulf War, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
The CVSO described a mobile claims unit pilot that began after a county grant. Since…
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