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WINTER IS here, and for Belmont County veterans in need of assistance, the county veterans service office may be able to offer help. The deadline to apply is March 31.
Applicants must first apply for the Ohio Heating Energy Assistance Program with the county's Community Action Commission. Veterans or surviving spouses can be provided up to $1,000 of fuel oil or $500 of all winter heating, including propane, natural gas, or electric. Those requesting assistance must first apply to the CAC.
To apply for any assistance through the Belmont County Veterans Service Office, the veteran or surviving spouse must have a Member 4 copy of a DD214 or equivalent. A copy of all current utility bills including cable or satellite, telephone and cellular phone bills, and a receipt if claiming a prepaid cell phone, three months of rent receipts or mortgage statements, any medical bills, and proof of any other expenses that are not more than 30 days old, and a current and complete month' bank statements.
Surviving spouses and dependents must provide marriage certificates or birth certificate and the veteran's death certificate. Failure to bring all documentation will result in a delay of processing of the applications.
Applications for financial assistance can take up to 10 days for processing.
Michael Schuler, outreach coordinator, said the process for filing for winter heating assistance is the same as filing for financial assistance.
"We haven't had as many people apply this past year for things such as food vouchers and winter heating assistance. Winter heating assistance might be down just because we've had a fairly mild winter compared to some years past, but if they've applied in the past or they're new to Belmont County and have lived here at least 90 days, it might be something they should call our office and find out about," he said.
"This is a county benefit, so it's not a VA benefit. There is a difference. It's not a federal benefit. This is something Belmont County does for the veterans."
He said there is no limit to the number of veterans they can help.
The commissioner is located at 400 Imperial Plaza, Bellaire. The phone number is 740-325-1042.