Reviewing Veterans’ Claims Assistance Program Matching Requirements [March 2025]

The Kansas Office of Veterans Services allowed participating Veteran Service Organizations to take fundamentally different approaches in reporting VCAP matching obligations, which may or may not comply with state law. The state’s Veterans Claims Assistance Program (VCAP) is meant to provide claims assistance to veterans in Kansas through congressionally chartered veteran service organizations. The Legislature appropriates annual funds for VCAP which is administered by the Kansas Office of Veterans Services. The VCAP grant program operates under a reimbursement model that’s overseen by KOVS. To participate in VCAP, veteran service organizations must also meet annual matching obligations. The veteran service organizations reported using VCAP funds primarily for VCAP-related salaries and wages for fiscal years 2022 to 2024. During this time, the American Legion reported between 28% and 34% in matching support related to the VCAP program. Most (76%) of the matching support we reviewed in more detail for the American Legion appeared to be related to VCAP, but we couldn’t verify the rest. The VFW reported that it greatly exceeded its matching obligations between fiscal year 2022 and 2024. More than half (55%) of our sample of VFW matching support was not related to the VCAP program, and we couldn’t verify the rest. 

We found that KOVS hasn’t provided sufficient guidance to participating veteran service organizations to ensure they understand the requirements related to matching support. KOVS’s oversight may be inadequate to ensure the veteran service organizations are meeting their matching obligations. Lax KOVS oversight in other areas may cause additional misunderstandings between KOVS and the veteran service organizations and their supporters. 

It was also unclear whether statute allows veteran service organizations to use the estimated rental values of the offices provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as their own in-kind matching support.