The government recently announced that during the shutdown, members of the United States military will not be paid, even if they are required to work during that time. Naturally, the news caused a commotion for active duty members of the military and veterans. Here’s a guide to veteran benefits, including vets and current military members can go to get relief now, and in the future.
Why troops aren’t getting paid during the shutdown
During the second week of the government shutdown President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said they were planning to pay military members during the government shutdown. The matter then went to the Senate, where the bill failed, resulting in no paychecks for military members for the foreseeable future.
“I’m in favor of paying the troops. I’m in favor of paying all of the employees that are currently working,” Senator Rand Paul from Kentucky told NBC News over the weekend. “And if that procedure or that vote comes before us next week, which I think there’s a chance that it will, I will support that.”
Along with the pause in paychecks for military members, a variety of government-funded resources for veterans were also paused. These include Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits regional offices, grounds maintenance and placement of permanent headstones at cemeteries, the VA’s GI Bill call center and the Memorial Products Applicant Assistance call center and the VA’s career counseling service.
“What is being affected is a lot of our outreach, a lot of our being able to communicate with folks in our veteran community to get the benefits that they have earned,” VA Secretary Doug Collins told AccessWDUN earlier this month. “Also, our vocational rehab and education group is also affected; this affects veterans who are trying to get retrained job skills.”
Collins also said the VA is currently operating on preplanned funds, so their hospitals, clinics and disability benefits are still in operation.
“I don’t want anybody to think that mental health services, suicide-prevention services, healthcare [is affected]. All of that is still functioning at the VA,” Collins said. “There’s no slowdown there.”
Once both the Senate and the House of Representatives do vote on a bill to determine how best to fund the country going forward, the VA is expected to reopen in full, and military members are expected to receive their paychecks—and back pay.
Where troops and veterans can find emergency relief now
There are several steps military members and veterans looking to get relief during the shutdown can take.
Attorney Ashley Morgan recommends talking to your bank: “Many lenders offer forbearance plans for those experiencing a government shutdown. Historically, many lenders have offered low-interest or no-interest loans to government employees to help bridge the gap. Seeing if your credit union or bank is offering these programs can be very helpful. Currently many places are offering these loans, like USAA and Navy Federal Credit Union.”
She also confirmed that once the government reopens, most military employees will receive their missing paychecks. Once you receive that backpay, she advises: “be strategic about how you apply those funds once you get them. You need to be careful not to use backpay that is allocated for catchup payments on other expenses.”
Long-term benefits available to veterans and military members
Along with those options, there are several long-term benefits veterans and military members can receive. These include access to healthcare thanks to TRICARE, housing, life insurance, pensions, disability benefits and burial benefits such as headstones and a gravestone. There are also a select number of banks and credit unions like Navy Federal Credit Union, USAA and Pentagon Federal Credit Union that only cater to current and past military members and their families.
There are also several community-based veteran organizations, which offer emergency financial assistance and help veterans get jobs, says Jared Kessler, Founder of ForexBroker.tips.
To learn more about one of these programs, click here.
