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Winnebago County veterans services reports higher claims and increased benefits payments
Summary
The county Veterans Affairs office reported increased claims and higher benefit payments this quarter, citing training, outreach and ongoing delays at federal agencies that have produced back pay for some veterans.
Mary Lou Cleaver, director of Winnebago County Veterans Affairs, told the county board her office closed a higher-than-usual number of claims this quarter and saw a substantial increase in compensation dollars entering the county.
Cleaver said the office submitted 17 claims during the quarter, compared with an average of about six per month previously, and attributed the rise to outreach and media efforts that encouraged veterans to seek benefits. The county’s local financial assistance caseload also rose, which Cleaver attributed to broader economic pressures.
Cleaver highlighted training and partnership efforts: monthly virtual training offered through the Iowa Association of County Veterans Services, a national online training she attended in March that can be charged to a $3,000 national training grant, and outreach to municipal partners to recruit communities into the Homebase Iowa program. She said Rake and Thompson are the only local communities left to join Homebase Iowa.
Cleaver told the board the county received $357,214 in pension and compensation payments to veterans in February, an increase of more than $75,000 compared with February 2024. She also described recent individual back-pay awards obtained through claims work, identifying examples of veterans who received back-pay notices of roughly $50,000 and $53,000.
Cleaver raised concern about delays and uncertainty at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, particularly around proposed changes to tinnitus and hearing-loss ratings. She said the office had prepared outreach on anticipated rules but had received no confirmation from the VA that the change would occur.
Why this matters: Increased compensation and back-pay flow directly to veterans and often to county economies; delays and policy uncertainty at the federal level affect claim outcomes and caseworker workload.
Cleaver said she currently has about 12 appeals pending and described 2024 as “the most challenging year” she has experienced in the office because of processing delays for pension and compensation claims. She urged continued outreach to veterans, particularly Vietnam-era and Gulf War/ post-9/11 veterans with presumptive exposures and secondary conditions that emerge over time.
Cleaver closed by noting the “joy” of serving veterans and the life-changing impact of successful claims for older veterans and their dependents.
No formal board action was taken on the report; board members offered thanks and comments.
