Philadelphia Office of Veterans Affairs

Philadelphia's Office of Veterans Affairs is the city's county director of veterans affairs: the State Department of Military and Veterans Affairs lists its director, at City Hall Room 127, among the 67 county directors. City Council created the Veterans Advisory Commission in 1957, and the office now runs under Council alongside it. What it does. Its benefits advisors connect veterans, spouses, surviving spouses and dependents with federal, State and city benefits, help with claims, and take applications for the State's disabled veterans real estate tax exemption and the other State programmes that go through a county director. The office says you will not receive a bill for its services; it is funded by the City. How to reach it. City Hall, Room 127, Philadelphia PA 19107; 215-686-3256 or 215-686-3357; Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It strongly recommends an appointment rather than a walk-in, and posts checklists of what to bring. Burial allowance. Philadelphia is the only county of the first class, so the burial allowance amounts written into Title 16 and the Second Class County Code do not apply to it, and the City publishes no figure of its own. The 2015 survey of the State association of county directors listed Philadelphia at $75 for a veteran and $75 for a widow, as a guide only. Ask the office. Finding the office. The City's department page for the Veterans Advisory Commission sends readers to phila.gov/veterans, which forwards to phlveterans.com, which frames City Council's site at phlcouncil.com/veterans. All three are the same office.