Benton Urges Eligible Veterans to Apply for PACT Act Benefits Ahead of Deadline

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Ahead of a looming Aug. 9 deadline, state Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, is urging any veterans who may be eligible for health care benefits under the 2022 federal PACT Act to apply for them.

“The PACT Act is a historic benefit for America’s veterans who were exposed to toxic substances, but time is running out for you to get all the benefits you possibly can,” Benton said. “Applying for benefits now instead of later could be worth an extra year’s worth of benefits.”

The PACT Act is a federal law signed by President Joe Biden in 2022 that extends permanent VA health care benefits to veterans who were exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxins.

There is no deadline to apply for benefits, but only veterans who submit an “Intent to File” to the VA on or before Aug. 9 will be able to receive benefits that are backdated to Aug. 10, 2022. Applying after the deadline means eligibility only beginning from the date of the application.

“Our veterans, especially those who suffered lasting injury or illness during their time spent fighting for our country, deserve every benefit we can give them,” Benton said. “An intent to file gets your foot in the door and only takes five minutes, so I want to urge anyone who even thinks they may be eligible for these benefits to get started as soon as possible.”

Additional information about the PACT Act is available at https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/.