Financial Benefits for Family Members Caring for Veterans

If you are one of the thousands of family members who help a disabled veteran with their daily activities, you may be eligible for tax-free monthly stipends and support services through the VA’s caregiver program.
As you would expect there are specific conditions that must be met to qualify. Here are the main four requirements. The first is that you must be providing in-home care-such as feeding, grooming, or transportation-for a discharged veteran who has at least a 70 percent disability which was caused by a service-connected injury or illness. The second qualifying condition is that the veteran’s care needs must be rated as “substantially” due to their service-connected disability. Third, your veteran must be unable to perform one or more activities of daily living and need personal care services based on their symptoms for at least 6 months of continuous in-person care. And finally, the veteran must be enrolled in the VA healthcare program. Veterans of all eras are eligible to apply for the VA caregiver program.
The caregiver program is not a loan program. Instead it provides direct financial assistance to an eligible family member who is at least 18 years old and lives with the veteran full-time. The designated caregiver can be a parent, a spouse, a child, a step-family member, an extended family member, or another individual who lives with the veteran, but it cannot be a family member who provides financial support to the veteran.
In addition to tax-free monthly payments, if you are approved as a caregiver you may be eligible for training, mental health counseling, healthcare benefits, and reimbursement for expenses when travelling with the veteran to receive care.
To participate in the VA’s caregiver program you and your veteran must apply together to determine if you’re eligible. You can apply online. To get started go to va dot gov and type in caregiver in the search box.
If you have been turned down by VA for disability benefits and you believe the denial was unfair, you have the right to appeal and you have the right to have an attorney represent you. Call or email us for a free evaluation of your case. At Cuddigan Law you have a dedicated team of professionals in your corner who understand the system and who will fight for your rights.