Advertisement
Senate Update: If veterans can get it free and someone wants to charge ...
by Bob Dvorsky, State Senator · Op-Ed · November 12, 2015


Iowa veterans and their families can be targeted by scams and disreputable businesses that promise to help them with VA benefits, pensions, investments and special offers.


Our veterans deserve to know all the services, benefits and programs they qualify for — and how to receive them.

That’s why we approved consumer protections requiring that private individuals or businesses offering to help veterans get their benefits for a fee must give all prospective clients a written statement disclosing that veterans may apply for these same services at no charge through a local service organization or county office.

Before entering into an agreement or contract, the veteran must sign the disclosure statement to acknowledge they are aware that they can receive similar help free.

A violation of these requirements results in a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each violation. Any civil penalties recovered will be deposited in the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund.

The Iowa Attorney General’s office is also on alert for scams targeting veterans. Here are a few they’re warning Iowans about:

• Pension scams: These are offers for free help with pension-related paperwork, or lump-sum payment offers to military veterans. In some cases, a veteran might receive a large up-front payment, which in reality is only a small amount of what they’d have earned had they waited to receive full pension payments.

• Benefit scams: Unscrupulous brokers, insurance agents, lawyers or financial planners may convince veterans to sign up for benefits that could cause them to lose eligibility for Medicaid services or create long-term financial setbacks. The AG warns veterans to never give a creditor access to an account where benefits are deposited.

• Special deals for veterans: While many businesses want to thank veterans for their service through special offers, others may try to take advantage of them. Whether it’s a loan, rental or purchase, veterans should research any “special deal” for vets before committing.

For more information on programs and benefits for veterans and their families, contact the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs at 515-252-4698 or go to www.va.iowa.gov.



To contact Senator Dvorsky during the week, call the Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371. Otherwise he can be reached at home at 319-351-0988. E-mail him at bob.dvorsky@legis.iowa.gov.