El Paso County expanding services for Veterans with new Appeals Specialist

EL PASO COUNTY, Co. (KRDO) -- El Paso County is focusing on helping Veterans advocate with a local specialist during the appeal process.

Before 2023, Colorado had a single State Veterans Services Appeals Specialist to serve nearly 400,000 Veterans across the state. El Paso County recognized the gap in services for its local Veterans. In June of 2023, the county restructured their Division of Veterans to add an Appeals Specialist.

El Paso County is the only county in the state that has its own Appeals Specialist hoping to help Veterans capture the benefits owed to them for their service.

The addition of the role has seen an outstanding amount of success. Conducting 80 Board of Veterans Appeals hearings, resulting in 69 pending U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) decisions and 11 completed appeals for a total VA grant of $532,735.44 of retroactive tax-free compensation.

El Paso County Veterans Services is a free public service available to those who served honorably in the nation's armed forces. For more information about Veteran Services in El Paso County, click here.