Emergency Assistance - Veterans | Veterans Service Commission - Cuyahoga County

Serves veterans with discharge for honorable service or under honorable conditions (this agency will help with appeals to ugrade discharge status on behalf of the veteran). In most cases, must have been on active duty for other than training purposes - but will help those who served on active duty for training if they incurred a disability recognized as service connected by the VA or DoD. Serves active duty members of the armed forces. For all assistance except burial expenses: will serve spouses, surviving spouses, dependant parents, minor children or wards of a active duty service members or eligible veteran. Must be a resident of Cuyahoga County for at least 90 days prior to application. WATER BILL must be in the name of the veteran (or spouse) - will consider water bills in the name of the landlord only if the lease states that water utilities are the responsibility of the tenant. Applicants for water bill help must show some kind of good faith effort to make payments. FUNERAL ASSISTANCE is only provided for indigent veterans (and will only help if the overall burial expenses are not over $4,695). ALL OTHER eligibility is decided on a case-by-case basis after consultation with staff. Client can receive assistance as often as determined by the agency on a case-by-case basis.

Documentation requirements are extensive and will vary with service sought. They will include at least: Military Discharge Form DD214, proof of residency in Cuyahoga County for at least 90 days, a doctor's statement of client's status as unemployable or capable of limited employment (if applicable), and pay stubs for the previous 2 months. For burial assistance, must be able to prove need. All requirements will be explained at initial visit and in the information packet provided.

By appointment M-F: 8:00am-3:30pm (closed 11:30am-12:30pm for lunch).