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June 19, 2023

New law to increase benefits for 30,000 Maine veterans

By Renee Cordes

Some 30,000 Maine military veterans and their families will see an increase in benefits under a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, and signed into law by President Biden.

Sen. Angus King
File photo
U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine introduces bill to improve clean water access for Maine tribal communities.

The bipartisan Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act (COLA) of 2023 ensures that the Department of Veterans Affairs’ disability compensation, surviving family member payments and clothing allowances receive the same annual cost-of-living adjustment as Social Security.
 
The bill reached the president’s desk after unanimous passage by the Senate in March.
 
“As everyday costs for Maine veterans grow, we have a responsibility to make sure their benefits are keeping pace,” said King, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. The bill is is King's first in the committee to be signed into law.

“This bipartisan benefit increase is an essential step to help ensure those who served aren’t struggling with their basic household budget," King said. "When Maine veterans open their benefits check next January, they’ll see that America has their back.”
 
Unlike Social Security, the VA’s benefits programs do not receive an automatic annual cost-of-living increase.  The new legislation will provide that same cost-of-living increase, determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics on Dec. 1, 2023, for the following benefit programs;
 

  • Disability compensation for veterans with a rating of 10% or higher;
  • Special Benefit Allowance;
  • Allowances for an automobile, clothing, or Medal of Honor pension to eligible veterans; and
  • Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for surviving spouses, surviving children, and supplemental compensation for surviving children.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, a monthly benefit, is the rate of compensation paid to survivors of service members who die in the line of duty, or veterans who die from service-related injuries or diseases.

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