“It’s not automatic,” Tackett said. “They can’t just sit back and a check will come their way.”
Applications are available at www.veteransbonus.ohio.gov or at any of Ohio’s 88 county Veterans Services offices. Veterans also may call 1-877-OHIO VET (644-6838) to get a paper application.
After completing the application online, the veteran must print it, sign it and have it notarized by a notary public or “acknowledged” by the clerk or deputy clerk of a county Common Pleas Court. Then it must be mailed to: Ohio Veterans Bonus, P.O. Box 373, Sandusky, OH 44871
The final application cannot be submitted on the Internet because it must be notarized or acknowledged, officials said.
Clerks of courts offices and offices of Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray are ready to help veterans with their forms, Cordray said.
Applications will be notarized for free at the attorney general’s regional offices in Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown and Toledo.
A list of free notaries is available at www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/VeteransBonus.
The ballot issue approved by voters last November calls for bonuses of $5,000 for families of those killed in action and bonuses of $100 a month — up to $1,000 — for veterans who served in the conflicts.
Veterans who served elsewhere during the conflicts qualify for bonuses of $50 a month, up to $500.
“It’s basically a thank you for their service in combat,” Tackett said.
Applications should be processed in eight weeks, said Bill Hartnett, director of the Ohio Department of Veterans Affairs. He estimated as many as 200,000 veterans may qualify.
To qualify, a veteran must have been an Ohio resident at the start of active duty and also must be a resident when applying.
Staff Writer Josh Sweigart contributed to this report.
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