Huntington County Veterans Service Office (Director Tim Eckert), Huntington

The office. The Veterans Service Office page: "The Veterans Service Office was established for the purpose of assisting veterans, their widows, spouses and dependents in making application for federal, state and local benefits. Additionally, the Veterans Service Office offers certain services to Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve and Retired Military Personnel." Its services: financial assistance for nursing home or assisted living care, VA health care applications and military record requests, with a check-off sheet of the items needed for an aid and attendance application; its links include the Community Harvest Food Bank's Hope for Heroes programme, the VA caregiver support programme and the Huntington VA Clinic. The county's 2023 article. "Veterans Services Office On Call to Help Service Members, Families Connect with Benefits" (December 21, 2023): "A lot of veterans don't get all their benefits because they don't know everything that is available to them," the director says; the office had helped veterans and surviving spouses receive "more than $675,000 in back pay from the VA so far in 2023" (over $500,000 in 2022), and it helps with disability claims, survivors' claims, aid and attendance, Indiana's education benefits for children of disabled wartime veterans, property tax reductions, reduced-fee hunting and fishing licences, interment at a military cemetery and the Military Family Relief Fund. "Active-duty service members are also encouraged to contact the VSO." Who and where. Tim Eckert, Director, 1350 S Jefferson St, Huntington, IN 46750; (260) 358-4863, fax (260) 359-4400. "Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. *Closed Daily for Lunch from Noon to 1 p.m.*" Property tax. The office completes the paperwork for the State's disabled veteran property tax benefits (the property tax entry). File State Form 12662 with the County Auditor by January 15, 2027 for taxes due in 2027; a totally disabled veteran who had the old $14,000 deduction must file again to get the new 100% deduction, or the county applies only the $250 credit. The Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs says State Form 51186 "is no longer used", and the service officer can complete the form's Section VIII certificate. See the Indiana entries on the 100 percent deduction and the $350 and $250 credits.