In order to assist the un-remarried surviving spouse of active and former military members who may wish to apply for this grant, the Hillsborough County Veteran Affairs Office will act as the primary point of contact with the public.

Details on how and when to contact the Veteran Affairs Office are provided below.

The grant is being offered to the un-remarried surviving spouse of a deceased active duty military member who:

• Provide documents that show the military member of the applicant (spouse) served in the active military on January 1, 2006 or later. Note: A similar one-year grant may be available to the un-remarried surviving spouse of a deceased veteran who lived in Hillsborough County and who served in the active military service on or after January 1, 2005. Contact the Veterans Affairs Office (975-2181) for details and additional information.
  
• Provide documents that show the military member of the applicant (spouse) served in a combat zone or received combat duty pay for a minimum of one (1) day in the year of the grant application (click for details)
  
• Provide proof of payment of ad valorem property taxes to Hillsborough County based on residency in un-incorporated Hillsborough County.
  
• Provide proof of ownership and/or residency of the active duty military member for the first year of the grant, thereafter, provide proof of ownership/residency of the un-remarried surviving spouse in a Homestead Exemption primary residence within un-incorporated Hillsborough County Florida.
  
• Provide a copy of a marriage certificate, or similar document that verifies the marriage of the un-remarried surviving spouse to the military service member at the time of the military member’s death and evidence that the applicant remains un-remarried on the date of application and award of this grant.
  

How To Apply for This Grant

• Review this information and instructions completely to determine if you qualify for the grant.
  
• Review the application form to determine the exact documents and signatures required to complete the application form. When you have the required documents and signatures, print the application form and complete the entries, attach all documents requested and hand-carry the package to the Veterans Affairs Office. Webmaster link these to the Application Form
  
• If extraordinary circumstances prevent the application from being hand delivered, make sure the proper notarizations and certifications are completed so the application can be processed without delay.

Veteran Affairs Office
1101 E. 139th Ave
Tampa, FL 33613
813-975-2181

• The application will be reviewed and processed as appropriate, by the Veterans Affairs Office, then forwarded to the Hillsborough County Clerk of the Court for further review and payment, if appropriate.
  
• Applicants should allow 30 days for processing and to receive payment. If payment is not received within 45 days, call the Veteran Affairs Office to determine the nature of the delay.
  
• Don't forget to complete a Form W-9.

Return to Top of Page

In order to qualify for this grant, the military member must have served on active military service on or after January 1, 2006. Note: A similar one-year grant may be available to the un-remarried surviving spouse of a deceased veteran who lived in Hillsborough County and who served in the active military service on or after January 1, 2005. Contact the Veterans Affairs Office (975-2181) for details and additional information.

The applicant must provide documents that show the military member served on active military service or a copy of the military service member’s DD Form 1300, Report of Casualty, in order to verify active military service of the member.

Return to Top of Page

General Comments on Active Military Service Combat Duty Requirements

To verify combat duty of the military member, the applicant will be required to provide documents indicating the military member performed in a combat zone for a minimum of one (1) day. The most useful document to use as verification of this is a copy of the military member’s Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) provided by the parent military service organization. If the LES form is used as a means of verifying combat duty, the form must reflect that the military member received Hostile Fire Pay (HFP). Other documents may be necessary if the Leave and Earnings Statement is not available. Contact the Veteran Affairs Office at 975-2181 for guidance if you do not have access to the Leave and Earnings Statement for the period of service that covers the military member’s assignment in a combat zone.

This verification procedure must be completed when the first application for this grant is filed with the Hillsborough County Veterans Affairs Office. Subsequent grant applications from the same applicant only require a notarized statement that the applicant has not remarried, verification that the un-remarried surviving spouse retained homestead exemption for the respective grant year and that the property taxes were paid for the respective grant year on a property in un-incorporated Hillsborough County. Each applicant is allowed to apply for a maximum of five consecutive annual grants.

Return to Top of Page

General Comments on Property Tax

Grants under this program are available on an annual basis for a total of five (5) years with a maximum of $1500 per year for each applicant. The amount of each grant is based on the amount of ad valorem property taxes paid to Hillsborough County based on residency in un-incorporated Hillsborough County. The Hillsborough County Veteran Affairs Office and other county agencies will review the applicant’s tax notice to determine the correct grant based on the ad valorem taxes paid by the applicant, but under no circumstances will the grant exceed $1500 annually.

If you do not know if you pay this specific property tax, you should review your 2006 copy of your Hillsborough County Notice of Ad Valorem Taxes and Non-Ad Valorem Assessments. The entry of importance on the tax notice is the figure listed as TOTAL MILLAGE xxxxxxxAD VALOREM TAXES $$$$$$$ at the end of the top section of the form. Also, in the upper right corner, the tax notice must show the TAX DISTRICT as “A,A1,A2,XA,H,XH,N,N1 or N2”. A sample copy of a property tax form is attached for your convenience.

Please read the note below if you do not reside in Un-incorporated Hillsborough County, such as, within the borders of municipality districts of Tampa, Temple Terrace or Plant City

If your tax notice does not have the entry described above, then you must be paying your property taxes in one of the other Municipality Districts; such as, Tampa, Temple Terrace, or Plant City. In this case, you will not qualify for a grant from Hillsborough County since you are not residing in un-incorporated Hillsborough County. However, the other municipalities are studying their own grant policy and information will be released from these districts when appropriate.

Return to Top of Page

Proof of Homestead Exemption ownership and/or residency of the military members’ un-remarried surviving spouse in a primary residence within un-incorporated Hillsborough County Florida is located on your Hillsborough County Notice of Ad Valorem Taxes and Non-Ad Valorem Assessments. The tax notice shows this homestead exemption status of the property near the bottom of the form under the Assessed Values section.

The standard Homestead Exemption property tax code is "HX5 25000". Again, if you do not have a copy of this document, contact your nearest Hillsborough County Tax Collector's Office, or check their web site for obtaining a copy of your Property Tax Notice.

If you are unsure of the nearest tax office location, consult the County section of the blue pages in your telephone directory for telephone numbers and addresses for the most convenient location. A sample copy of a property tax form is attached for your convenience.

Return to Top of Page

Return to Main Menu