FDVA is ‎a nearly 1,500-member ‎constitutionally chartered State Veterans’ Affairs department ‎with ‎a ‎‎$171 ‎million annual budget ‎responsible for serving the nation’s third largest veteran ‎‎‎population. ‎Operating as the premier point of entry for Florida’s 1.5 million veterans, FDVA ‎‎‎operates a ‎‎network of nine state veterans’ homes and provides statewide outreach to ‎connect ‎‎veterans ‎‎with their earned services, benefits and support. ‎

In 2022, FDVA Veterans’ Claims Examiners assisted more than 272,000 veterans in ‎providing ‎information and counsel on earned services, benefits and support. In ‎addition, claims ‎examiners have ‎processed nearly 35,000 new claims on behalf of ‎Florida veterans, and helped ‎recover more than $194 million in retroactive benefits for ‎Florida veterans and their families.‎

In 1988, Florida citizens endorsed a constitutional amendment to create the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs as a separate agency charged with providing advocacy and representation for Florida’s veterans and to intercede on their behalf with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Our advocacy increases federal benefits for Florida’s veterans, improves the quality of life for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and provides access to federally funded medical care for eligible veterans.