by Did you know that Massachusetts has a state program that helps low-income veterans and their families pay for everyday needs like rent, food, medical care, and even therapy? The program is called Chapter 115 benefits. We want to help people understand how the Chapter 115 benefit program works and what their rights are to receive benefits. That is why we created the Chapter 115 Self-Help Guide.
The Chapter 115 Self-Help Guide explains the basics of Chapter 115 benefits and includes FAQs. The Guide is available here [hyperlink]. Because of changes in the law, there are some new benefits available through the Chapter 115 program. We have therefore updated and expanded the Guide.
The biggest changes to the Chapter 115 program are because of the HERO Act (An Act Honoring, Empowering, and Recognizing our Servicemembers and Veterans). The HERO Act is a law passed by Massachusetts in 2024. The HERO Act improves the Chapter 115 benefit program in various ways. We have updated the Guide to reflect these changes. These changes include expanded access to benefits, such as:
- Expanding access to behavioral and mental health treatment by reimbursing veterans for their outpatient visits;
- Updating who counts as a veteran under the Chapter 115 definition (to match the federal VA definition), so more veterans can qualify for state benefits, including veterans who may have received a less-than-honorable discharge;
- Expanding the definition of dependents, so more family members can get help too;
- Adding dental care as a benefit so that people can get money for necessary dental work that’s essential to their oral health;
- Increasing the veteran annuity payment to $2,500;
- Expanding the scope of the Veterans Equality Review Board (VERB) beyond discharges related to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ to include discharges linked to discrimination, Military Sexual Trauma, PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), mental health conditions, and HIV; and
- Creating a pilot program to reimburse LGBTQ+ veterans for IVF-related costs that were previously denied under VA rules.
There are also other changes to the Chapter 115 benefits program that are helpful to veterans and their families. These additional changes include:
- Requiring VSO’s to make decisions on applications within 45 days;
- Lengthening the appeal period so that veterans and family members now have 90 days to file an appeal challenging a decision to deny, terminate, or reduce benefits; and
- Requiring the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) to issue a decision within 90 days after an appeal hearing.
We encourage you to take a look at the Chapter 115 Self-Help Guide and see if any of the information in the Guide is helpful to you.
In addition, we encourage you to use the Massachusetts Veterans Benefits Calculator. We designed the Calculator to help people figure out if they might be eligible for Chapter 115 benefits. The Calculator can help you get a quick estimate about whether they may qualify for Chapter 115 benefits and, if so, in what amount.
If you have questions about your legal rights, whether you should file an appeal, or need help with the appeals process, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help you understand your options and support you through the next steps. You can reach us by calling us at (617) 390-2525, emailing us at veteranslegalclinic@law.harvard.edu, or stopping by our office at 122 Boylston Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Disclaimer: This self-help guide is neither a solicitation nor an offer to represent you concerning any legal problem. This self-help guide does not constitute legal advice and provides general information only. The information conveyed in this guide is not intended to and does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the Legal Services Center or any attorney at LSC. Please be aware that unsolicited letters, facsimiles or emails do not create an attorney-client relationship and we will not have an attorney-client relationship with you until and unless you and LSC enter into a formal agreement of engagement. Laws, regulations, and policies can change; therefore, the information in this guide may not reflect the most current, complete, or accurate legal or other information.
If you have suggestions for improving the self-help guide, please contact the Veterans Legal Clinic at veteranslegalclinic@law.harvard.edu.