When a
Californian applies for a new driver’s
license or renewal, or if they apply for an
identification card, they will notice on the
new application forms a check-off box that
will permit the DMV to share the applicants
contact information with CalVet. The
veterans will then be sent information that
gives a brief outline of services and
benefits and includes a postage-paid reply
card that the veteran fills out and returns
to CalVet. Once the card is received the
veteran will automatically begin receiving
information about services like education
benefits, employment assistance, disability
and compensation payments, health care
benefits and much more.
“The most
challenging thing we have to do in this
department is to ensure that veterans in
California are educated about the
benefits and services that they have
earned through their honorable service
in the military,” said CalVet Secretary
Peter J. Gravett. “This partnership has
the potential to help our department
connect with nearly every one of the
nearly 2 million veterans living in this
state.”
Under the
program initiated on July 1, U.S.
veterans residing in California can
simply check a box on the form to
approve having benefit information sent
to them by CalVet. Once the customer
affirms their military service on the
driver license application, the DMV will
send the mailing address of the customer
to CalVet for distribution of
information relative to important
services and benefits available to all
veterans who served honorably in the
military.
CalVet
Services, through its “CalVet Connect”
initiative has as its guiding philosophy
that programs of benefits to veterans
fulfill necessary, proper, and valid
public purposes by promoting patriotism,
by recognizing and rewarding sacrifice
and service to country and by providing
needed readjustment assistance to
returning veterans and their families,
whose lives were interrupted when they
responded to their country’s call to
military service.
The CalVet
Services initiative has as its goal to
help returning service members and their
families with the sometimes difficult
task of reentering civilian life. By
utilizing online tools like its
Reintegration form, the Department links
returning veterans with service
providers and resources. This program
offers CalVet the opportunity to inform
veterans and their dependents about
veterans benefits and how to obtain
these benefits through the process of
application and representations of
claims. CalVet’s partnership with DMV
augments this program by allowing many
military and service members who may not
have been reached before, with the
opportunity to share their contact
information with CalVet so that
appropriate benefits information can be
provided to them.
