(Radio Iowa) – While federal offices are shut down by the stalemate in Congress, area operations such as county Veterans Affairs offices remain open. Winnebago County Veterans Affairs Director May Lou Kleveland, there are other areas within the V-A which will be closed during the shutdown. “V-A Regional benefits offices will be closed and that’s going to be the most impactful to veteran service officers in Iowa, because we use the regional offices to be able to find information for us on a claim that we’re working on if there’s like any kind of snag,” she says. “And then they’re the ones that deal with our more complicated appeals for pension or disability compensation claims.” Kleveland says the shutdown won’t impact healthcare.

“The V-A medical centers clinics will stay open, so the one that most people use in this area is the Mason City outpatient clinic, and it is open, will stay open. And there’s not going to be any affect to V-A benefits, they’ll be processing compensation, pension, education and housing,” she says. Kleveland is thankful that the 9-8-8 Veterans Crisis Line is still operating. “Because when the veterans call that line, they talked to another veteran and then that the person that receives the call talks with them and then can assess what needs are and then they can either provide immediate needs for them immediate resources, or they can, you know, refer them to resources that will help them in the long term,” she says.

Kleveland says she is disappointed that the career counseling service is shutdown during this time as veterans often need to change jobs and can use the service. Kleveland says veterans should call local offices to find out what services are available.