County Begins Issuing ID Cards to Help Vets Access Services

By Bay City News Service

San Mateo County veterans can now register for a standardized identification card that will help them gain access to business discounts and other benefits, county officials said Wednesday.

The card will be issued by the Veterans Services Office of the Human Services Agency to veterans with government documentation, a population the county estimates at roughly 33,000.

Currently veterans can use other forms as proof of veteran status with government agencies, but those documents can be bulky and don’t include photo identification, officials said. In addition, officials hope the new card will help alert veterans to the wide range of services, benefits and discounts for which they might not realize they are eligible.

“Veterans account for 6 percent of the county’s total population, of which 75 percent are age 55 or older,” Iliana Rodriguez, director of the Human Services Agency, said in a statement Wednesday. “Twelve percent of the county’s homeless are veterans.”

Given the high cost of living in San Mateo County, Rodriguez said, “Who couldn’t use a store discount or a complementary cup of coffee?”

The Veterans Service Office, established in 1946 and located in Belmont, also provides help in submitting claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and referrals to other services for those eligible.

Those wishing to apply for an ID card or seek other services can contact the office, which is located at 400 Harbor Blvd, Building B in Belmont, at (650) 802-6598 or get additional information at http://has.smcgov.org/veterans.