Change is fast. Just last month, we told you about the U.S. Senate’s refusal to extend veterans benefits to gay couples, a hot-button point of contention for many years. Of course, that was before the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized gay marriage nationwide.
At the time, we noted that the Supreme Court’s then-impending decision could change things quickly. Indeed, it has.
The Boston Globe reports that the Veterans Administration (VA) has now extended its marital benefits to same-sex couples, undoubtedly a direct response to Obergefell. The changes apply nationwide.
The new VA policy lifts a whole host of restrictions on a wide range of veterans benefits, including:
- Pensions
- Survivor benefits
- Disability compensation
- Home loans backed by the VA
- Burial rights
- Recognition of marital status
Experts estimate that hundreds of thousands of American veterans stand to benefit from the changes.
Of course, being eligible for veterans benefits is not the same thing as actually receiving them.
Even among those people who have always been eligible for them, successfully applying for and receiving veterans benefits has always posed an enormous challenge. Veterans and their families routinely face undue delay, endless red tape, and wrongful denials.
At O’Connell Law, LLC, we help our country’s heroic veterans recover the assistance they deserve. Don’t let bureaucracy stand in the way of the benefits that you and your family deserve. Contact a Middlesex County, Massachusetts veterans benefits attorney in our office today.
