A record number of Massachusetts veterans and their families are receiving a $2,500 tax-free annuity payment this year after recent expansions in state military benefits, according to a statement from Gov. Maura Healey’s office.
More than 23,300 disabled veterans, Gold Star parents and surviving spouses of a military member who died in the line of duty are eligible for the payments, which total $58.4 million, the statement reads. The state saw a 10% year-over-year increase in recipients, marking the largest single-year jump in the history of the program.
Healey attributed the surge to the state’s HERO Act, which was signed into law in 2024 and expanded overall military benefits and boosted the annual annuity to $2,500…