(TRENTON) – In an effort to provide financial support for New Jersey’s veterans with wartime service-connected disabilities, Assembly Democrats Daniel Benson and Anthony Verrelli sponsor a measure to increase their annual allowances from the State. The measure was approved by the Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Monday.
The bill (A-1477) would increase the annual payment by the State to veterans under the Blind Veterans’ Allowance Program and the Paraplegic and Hemiplegic Veterans’ Allowance Program from $750 to $1,800.
Upon committee approval of the measure, Assemblymen Benson (D-Mercer, Middlesex) and Verrelli (D-Mercer, Hunterdon) issued the following joint statement:
“Despite the fact that the cost of living has increased exponentially, the annual allowance for our veterans with wartime service-connected disabilities has not changed since 1971 under the Blind Veterans’ Allowance Program and 1981 under the Paraplegic and Hemiplegic Veterans’ Allowance Program.
“This annual allowance increase is long overdue. $750 does not stretch as far as it used to and it is time we acknowledge that by providing our disabled veterans with the financial assistance they have earned. After everything these veterans have sacrificed for our country, we owe it to them to do all that we can to help them support themselves and their families.”