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Veterans service officer reports rising claims intake, $1.74 million in monthly veteran payments flowing into Amador County
Summary
Amador County’s veterans service office reported a jump in claim activity and that veterans’ monthly benefit payments totaling about $1.74 million are being received by county residents, while retroactive payments from approved claims were roughly $793,682 for the year.
Amador County Veterans Service Officer Angela Schubble told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that the county’s veterans service office has seen an increase in veterans seeking benefits, with claim activity rising this year and monthly benefit payments of roughly $1,744,101 flowing into the local economy.
Schubble said the office now serves an estimated 2,673 veterans in the county — a drop of about 100 from the prior year consistent with an aging veteran population — and her active caseload is approximately 655 veterans. She reported 255 new veterans contacted the office this year and a total of 774 claims processed in the period she summarized.
“The monthly payments that come to our veterans that really make a huge difference for our community” were the most consequential number, Schubble told the board, saying the office helped return $1,744,101 in monthly benefit payments to residents. She said retroactive payments — the lump sums that catch up benefits from the date a claim was filed until approval — totaled about $793,682 in the period referenced in her presentation.
Schubble also outlined program work and operational needs. The office logged roughly 804 contacts (calls, emails and in-person visits) and handles a wide spectrum of cases ranging from small tasks such as driver’s-license verification to complex, full-benefit claims for veterans with 100% disability ratings. She said Thursdays see 10 to 19 veterans in the office and that a new parking space dedicated to veterans has reduced access barriers for customers with mobility issues.
Schubble described several administrative and outreach efforts to expand capacity: implementing a time-study (MAW) to capture staff time that she expects will yield reimbursement beginning in June 2026; pursuing SkillBridge placements and federal work-study arrangements to add capacity for data-entry and case work; and ongoing outreach with American Legion, VFW, DAV, the Marine Corps League and local housing partners including Victory Village.
She also gave a short accounting of benefits and savings the office achieved: college fee waivers for qualifying students, which she estimated saved $116,000 this year, and health-care enrollments. Schubble said the workload-credit metric used by CalVet showed 724 workload units credited to the county — a measure that factors into county reimbursement calculations.
Ending: Schubble asked supervisors for support as the office pursues staffing and time-study reimbursement and said she will return with progress updates; supervisors and attendees commended her work and expressed appreciation for the increased outreach and access for veterans.
