Assistance

The VACPC is a County Governmental Agency operated by and for U.S. veterans. The VACPC is authorized to act as the central committee for veterans’ assistance in Peoria County under the Illinois Military Veterans Assistance Act (330 ILCS 45/1 et seq.) and is funded in accordance with the provisions of the Illinois Counties Code (55 ILCS 5/1-1001 et seq.).

The Veterans Assistance program is an emergency and interim financial assistance program and should not be considered to be an ongoing financial supportive program. All assistance provided by the VACPC is predicated on an established standard of need as set forth by IDHS It is not the intent of either the Commission or the County to provide assistance either less than or in excess of the levels of assistance adopted by IDHS.

Applicants

Applicants for Veterans Assistance shall be residents of Peoria County and unable to provide food, shelter, and medical care for themselves or their dependents. Applicants must have applied for Public Aid (AFDC, Food Stamps, and medical).

Applications

Every veteran has a right to receive and submit a written application for Veterans Assistance.

Eligibility

Applicants for assistance from the VACPC must present a DD-214 or Certificate of Service showing Honorable Discharge or Under Honorable Conditions. If the applicant does not have a DD-214 or Certificate of Service, he/she must authorize the VACPC to obtain a copy from the appropriate U.S. Department of Defense records center.

Eligible veteran for VAC assistance is a veteran whose last period of active military service was Honorable and met the time in service requirement for the era in which the veteran serviced unless the veteran was discharged for a disability incurred in the line of duty (not as a result of the members own misconduct) that was found to be service connected by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The last period of service refers to veterans who had more than one period of active military service and more than one discharge.

Honorable discharge is a discharge in which the character of discharge is described as honorable and General Under Honorable Conditions.

Active military service is fulltime service in a branch of the United States Military as opposed to Reserve duty where a member is still in the military but not actively engaged. Active duty for training, service as a Cadet or Midshipman at the United States Military Academy, the United States Naval Academy, United States Coast Guard Academy, United States Air Force Academy, or in any component of the Reserve Officers Training Corps is not considered as qualifying service.

Veterans Who Began Active Service after September 7, 1980 must complete a minimum of 24 consecutive months of active duty or one day of combat during a period of hostilities as recognized by the President and Congress of the United States of America.

Veterans who began active service before September 8, 1980 must complete a minimum of 181 consecutive active duty days or one day of combat during a period of hostilities as recognized by the President and Congress of the United States of America.

Reservists or national guard members who were involuntarily activated or federalized by the President of the United States or the Secretary of Defense during a period of hostility, served in the theater of hostility, and completed the term for which the member was activated.

Any honorably discharged reservist or national guard member who was federally activated and served honorably for a minimum of 24 consecutive active duty months for service other than active duty for training.

Misconduct involves deliberate or intentional wrongdoing with knowledge of or wanton and reckless disregard of its probable consequences. Such a discharge would bar a veteran from Veterans Assistance.

Service connected disability is a chronic illness or injury found to be related to the veterans military service to a degree of 0% or greater by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Indigence

Standards of indigence are applied by the Department of Human Resources in the State of Illinois and the Standards of Indigence set by the Veterans Assistance Commission.

The following assistance is given upon qualification:

  • Food Orders and Personal Items: Depending on size of family.
  • Utilities and Fuel: Utility payments will be made, providing the applicant qualifies in other respects. No deposits or past due bills will be paid to the utility company.
  • Rent Payments: This Veterans Assistance office does not pay security deposits, back rents or home finding fees. Rents shall not be paid to relatives unless it is a separate rental dwelling.
  • Transportation: The VA will provide Transportation for the veteran to the local Veterans Medical Center by the least expensive means when necessary.