MINOT, N.D. (AP) - Military veterans in northern North Dakota are waiting several weeks to get help with benefits.
The backlog at the Ward County Veterans Service Office has been growing as demand for service puts pressure on an understaffed office, the Minot Daily News reported.
John Crosby is the county’s part-time veterans service officer. Crosby says he plans to revive his request for a second part-time officer after county commissioners initially rejected the idea last year to keep property taxes in check for the 2018 budget.
Crosby said he thinks the long waits will only worsen without more staff.
“I understand the frustration that they can’t get in,” he said. “I don’t like scheduling them out this far.”
Minot veteran Glenn Hance, 91, was told in April he would have to wait until June for an appointment. Hance has been seeking information about his veterans health coverage as he works with an audiologist on options for hearing loss. The Korean War veteran ended up connecting with a representative in the regional veterans office in Fargo.
“I am not angry but I am just disappointed,” Hance said. “I think it could have taken place in a lot shorter time, but I recognize the circumstances too.”
Ward County has the second-largest number of veterans in the state. Crosby says the nearly 7,000 veterans recorded last year is up from the previous year and doesn’t include widows, who he also assists with benefits.
Veterans in April obtained nearly $410,900 in benefits in working through the county veterans service office. Crosby said he thinks more than $4.5 million would come into the county year from benefits obtained with his office’s help.
“The more we can get services to those veterans, the better off the county will be,” he said.
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Information from: Minot Daily News, http://www.minotdailynews.com
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