Spotlight on Veteran's Rights

Military service members dedicate their lives to defending America’s people, freedoms, and way of life. Once they return home and leave active duty, they often face legal issues that create barriers to a successful transition to civilian life. Civil legal problems — from threatened evictions to other-than-honorable discharges from the military — are often the greatest obstacles to a veteran’s health, housing, stability, and productivity. In 2019, LSC created the Veteran's Task Force to help to increase access to justice for veterans, alongside its grantees.

U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Remarks | Veterans Day Forum

Remarks by U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) at a Veterans Day Forum at New York University School of Law on Monday, November 11, organized by the Legal Services Organization (LSC).

About Veteran's Rights and Legal Aid

LSC’s 2022 Justice Gap report found that 1.6 million veterans have household incomes below 125% of the poverty threshold. And despite the high prevalence of civil legal needs – 76% of these households had at least one civil legal problem in the previous year – low-income veterans and other military personnel received inadequate or no legal help for 84% of their problems. The Veteran's Task Force supports veterans by identifying ways to strengthen the relationship between legal aid providers and other veterans-serving organizations, raising awareness, and highlighting model programs that provide effective services to veterans.

Learn more about the Veteran's Task Force

LSC and its grantees remain committed to serving those who have served our country, recognizing that we are the land of the free only because we are the home of the brave.

John Levi

LSC Board Chair

Grantee Client Stories

Chester Robbie - Lonestar Legal Aid

World War II Navy veteran struggled with increasing tax bills. Legal Aid attorney helped him receive veteran disability benefits, 2 years back taxes, and food stamps

View Chester's Story

Grantee Client Stories

David Jenkins - Lonestar Legal Aid

Veteran able to receive backpay on social security benefits through legal aid, giving him the financial ability to move closer to his family in Northeast Texas.

View David's Story

Veterans Task Force Report

The task force's report highlights best practices and model programs that provide effective, integrated services to veterans and offers tips for replicating successful programs. It also offers recommendations for engaging attorneys to provide legal assistance on a pro bono basis.

Veterans & Legal Aid Fact Sheet

Local legal aid offices are gateways for veterans in need of civil legal assistance. Many veterans who served in combat confront legal problems—such as foreclosures, evictions, consumer fraud, child custody issues, and wrongful denials of benefits —that LSC-funded legal aid programs
handle.

Talk Justice, an LSC Podcast

How Legal Services Help Prevent Veteran Suicides

Experts discuss how legal services contribute to veteran suicide prevention on LSC’s “Talk Justice” podcast. The most recent data places the veteran suicide rate at 57% higher than non-veterans. Research indicates that social factors contribute to veterans’ suicide risk. Many of these factors that harm veterans’ mental health relate to civil legal problems that can be addressed with the help of an attorney.

About this episode

Talk Justice, an LSC Podcast

Episode 22: Remedying Bad Paper’s Impact on Specific Veteran Populations

Veterans advocates discussed how unfavorable discharges, known as “bad paper,” prevent veterans from accessing the basic benefits and services they need.

About this episode

Resources for Veterans

Helpful resources for low-income veterans.

Veterans Discounts

Posted at the VA

Free Financial and Credit Counseling Session

Available through the VA Veterans Benefits Banking Program. Call 1-800-827-1000.

Free Budgeting, Money Management, and Financial Education

Available through HUD-participating housing counseling agencies. Call 1-800-569-4287.

Local Emergency Assistance

United Way 211 helps with housing, food, clothes, car, or utility expenses. Call 211.

American Job Centers

These centers through the Department of Labor prioritizes Veterans for job training, job search assistance, and resume writing. Call 1-877-US-2JOBS.

VA Homeless Programs

Call 1-877-424-3838 to access VA services for homeless and at-risk Veterans.

Lower Energy Bills

Available through the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. Call 1-866-674-6327.

Low-Cost Wi-Fi and Telephone

Available through the Affordable Connectivity Program. Call 1-877-384-2575.