The Massachusetts HERO Act, signed in 2024 as Chapter 178 of the Acts of 2024, is a broad veterans law that raised the state disability annuity to $2,500, expanded who counts as a veteran for state programs, protected Chapter 115 recipients from losing benefits after a Social Security cost-of-living bump, added local-option property tax relief, waived motor vehicle excise tax and RMV fees for many disabled veterans, increased the veteran hiring tax credit, and opened a state-level path to benefits for veterans with less-than-honorable discharges tied to discrimination. Most of these benefits are claimed through your local Veterans’ Service Officer.
The Disability Annuity Is Now $2,500
The annual annuity for 100-percent disabled veterans, Gold Star parents, and Gold Star spouses rose from $2,000 to $2,500. It was the first increase in 17 years.1Mass.gov. Governor Healey Launches Increased Annuity for Veterans and Families through HERO Act
The rollout was split. Eligible recipients received a $1,250 payment in February 2025. Starting in August 2025 and every August after, the payment is a single $2,500 disbursement.2Mass.gov. Bonuses and Annuities You must reapply each year. Applications are available online through the Executive Office of Veterans Services, by mail, or in person through your local VSO.
Chapter 115 Financial Assistance: The COLA Cliff Fix and a Wider Door
Chapter 115 is the state’s direct financial assistance program for Massachusetts veterans and dependents in financial need. The HERO Act changed how the program works in three ways that matter to applicants.
First, a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment can no longer push you off Chapter 115 mid-year. If your Social Security income rises because of a COLA, that increase will not affect your Chapter 115 eligibility during the current fiscal year.3Executive Office of Veterans Services. HERO Act Advocates called the old rule the “COLA cliff” because a modest annual raise could end a veteran’s state benefits without warning.
Second, dental and medical assistance for Chapter 115 recipients is now written into statute rather than depending on policy.
Third, and most important for eligibility, the Chapter 115 definition of “veteran” now matches the federal VA definition. Under the new definition, you qualify if you served at least 90 days on active duty and received a discharge other than dishonorable; if you served on active duty, in the National Guard, or as a reservist and received a service-connected disability rating or died in service; or if the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs already recognizes you as a veteran.4General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2024 Chapter 178 The previous state definition imposed stricter service-length requirements that shut out many who served honorably but briefly.
Chapter 115 has no online portal. You apply through your local VSO, who processes the claim, obtains state approval, and distributes benefits.5Executive Office of Veterans Services. How to Apply for Chapter 115 Veteran Financial Assistance
Property Tax Exemptions and the Local Doubling Option
Massachusetts has long offered tiered property tax exemptions for veterans, running from $400 for those with a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent or more up to $1,500 for veterans with a total disability requiring specially adapted housing. Full exemptions apply to paraplegic veterans and to veterans with total service-connected blindness.6Executive Office of Veterans Services. Local Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans
The HERO Act gave cities and towns two new local options: vote to double the existing exemption amounts, and vote to tie the exemption to inflation so its value keeps up with rising costs. A municipality can adopt one, the other, both, or neither.6Executive Office of Veterans Services. Local Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans That means a doubled $1,500 tier becomes $3,000 in one town while a neighboring town leaves it at $1,500. Call your local assessor’s office or VSO to find out what your municipality has adopted.
Motor Vehicle Excise Tax and RMV Fee Waivers
All Massachusetts residents who qualify as disabled veterans are now exempt from the annual motor vehicle excise tax. To qualify, you need a combined service-connected disability rating of 100 percent, or you must be rated individually unemployable due to a service-connected disability, as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.7Mass.gov. Massachusetts Disabled Veterans Benefitting from HERO Act
Bring a letter from the VA confirming your rating to the city or town where the vehicle is garaged. The law also waives vehicle registration fees, driver’s license fees, and license renewal fees for eligible disabled veterans.7Mass.gov. Massachusetts Disabled Veterans Benefitting from HERO Act
Discharge Review Through the Veterans Equality Review Board
The Veterans Equality Review Board (VERB) was created to help veterans discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” The HERO Act broadened its scope substantially. VERB now reviews discharges tied to discrimination based on sex, race, color, religious creed, national origin, age, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, mental health conditions, military sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, or HIV.8Mass.gov. Veterans Equality Review Board
One boundary matters: VERB cannot change your federal discharge status. Only the military’s own discharge review boards can do that. What VERB can do, with the Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans Services’ approval, is declare you eligible for state veterans benefits even though your federal discharge is less than honorable.8Mass.gov. Veterans Equality Review Board For someone locked out of VA benefits because of a discriminatory discharge, that state-level eligibility can be the difference between having assistance and having none.
The Vet-Hire Tax Credit for Employers
The HERO Act raised the Vet-Hire Tax Credit from $2,000 to $2,500 per eligible veteran hired, effective for tax years beginning January 1, 2024.4General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2024 Chapter 178 It targets small businesses hiring veterans in one of three specific categories: veterans receiving SNAP benefits, chronically unemployed veterans, and unemployed veterans with service-connected disabilities.3Executive Office of Veterans Services. HERO Act A general veteran hire outside those three categories does not qualify. Employers claim the credit through their state tax filing.
EMT Certification for Military Medics
If your military medical training is substantially equivalent to what Massachusetts requires for EMT certification, the Department of Public Health can waive the redundant coursework.4General Court of Massachusetts. Acts of 2024 Chapter 178 The law does not add a veteran-specific training requirement for EMTs; it lets qualified veterans skip training they already completed in uniform, shortening the path from military service to civilian emergency medical work.
How to Apply
Your local Veterans’ Service Officer is the front door for most HERO Act benefits. Every Massachusetts city and town is required to have one. Find yours through the Executive Office of Veterans Services website or by calling the department at 617-210-5480.5Executive Office of Veterans Services. How to Apply for Chapter 115 Veteran Financial Assistance
The essential document is your DD Form 214, the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. If you no longer have your copy, request one from the National Archives.9National Archives. DD Form 214 Discharge Papers and Separation Documents Depending on the benefit you’re applying for, you may also need proof of Massachusetts residency, income verification, or medical documentation of your disability rating.
For the disability annuity, you can apply online through the Executive Office of Veterans Services, by mail, or through your VSO, and you must reapply each year. For Chapter 115, you apply through your VSO; there is no online option. For the motor vehicle excise exemption, bring your VA rating letter directly to your city or town.
Appealing a Denied Claim
If your claim is denied or reduced, you have appeal rights on a strict schedule.
You must file a written, signed appeal with the Department of Veterans’ Services within 21 days of the date on the Notice of Action. Include supporting documents. A hearing officer will schedule a hearing and issue a written decision to both you and your local veterans’ agent.10Mass.gov. 108 CMR 8.00 – Investigations, Appeals, Terminations and Refunds
If you disagree with that decision, you can appeal in writing to the Division of Administrative Law Appeals within 10 days of receiving it. When you appeal to DALA, your local veterans’ agent must cover the cost of public transportation to the hearing. After a DALA decision, judicial review in Superior Court is available within 30 days.10Mass.gov. 108 CMR 8.00 – Investigations, Appeals, Terminations and Refunds
One protection worth knowing: if you are already receiving benefits and they are being denied or terminated, those benefits continue while the initial DVS hearing is pending. Missing your hearing without good cause, though, lets the hearing officer rule against you.