A group of lawmakers is recommending that new guidelines be developed for grants from the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund. The grants are for things like car or home repairs or medical expenses. Senator Mike Klemish of Spillville says there could be different metrics than just income and asset tests, so the grants can address true emergencies.
Representative Megan Jones of Sioux Rapids says the bright line tests of a veteran’s income and assets are causing problems.
The Iowa Veterans Commission ran out of money when it raised income and asset tests for the grants and the governor used pandemic relief funds to address the deficit. Fund managers are recommending grants again be limited to veterans with an income at not more than 200% of the federal poverty level who have no more than $15,000 in assets that could be quickly converted into cash. Todd Jacobus is commandant of the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs.
Jacobus says veterans are keenly aware of the grants are limited to low-income veterans and removing these restrictions would likely prompt a flood of applications.
Senator Nate Boulton, from Des Moines, says the Education Savings Accounts Republicans established to cover parents’ private school expenses will soon have no income or asset limits and this program for veterans should abandon its plan to limit who qualifies.
According to the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs, there are 185-thousand veterans living in Iowa and 6% of them are at or below the federal poverty line.
