A piece of bipartisan federal legislation to raise veterans’ disability benefits is being touted by Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.  He was in Connecticut yesterday to talk about the average veteran receiving benefits seeing a $500 annual increase beginning in January.  Blumenthal says the increase is the largest seen in seven years. 

The bill reflects the rising cost of living. Unlike Social Security benefits, which are automatically adjusted each year to keep pace with inflation, Congress must pass legislation every year to increase the rates of veteran disability compensation. 

If veteran benefits stay static, Connecticut Veteran Affairs Commissioner Tom Saadi says it's effectively a cut.  He says that's something that should be prevented because veterans are dealing with the increased cost of food, energy and health care.  Saadi says for a small state, Connecticut has a large number of veterans. 

While this increase is automatic, Saadi says veterans and eligible dependents should examine whether or not they are receiving the programs and services they're eligible for on an ongoing basis.