Veterans for Emergency Financial Assistance

Posted by Veterans of Foreign Wars on December 14, 2015

VFW Accepting Applications From Veterans for Emergency Financial Assistance

Veterans of Foreign Wars is accepting applications from active and discharged military service members who have been deployed in the last six years and have run into unexpected financial difficulties as a result of deployment or other military-related activity. Since the program’s inception, Unmet Needs has distributed more than $5 million in assistance to qualified military families, with nearly half of those funds going directly toward basic housing needs.

The Unmet Needs Program provides financial assistance of up to $5,000 to assist with basic life needs in the form of a grant — not a loan — so no repayment is required. Eligible expenses include housing and vehicle payments; utility and phone bills; food and incidentals; children’s clothing, food, diapers, school, and childcare; and medical bills, prescriptions, and eyeglasses. Each expense will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and payments will be made directly to the recipient’s creditors.

The hardship must be the result of deployment, a military pay issue, or military-related illness or injury. It cannot be due to civil legal or domestic issues, misconduct, or any issues that are a result of spousal separation or divorce, financial mismanagement, or bankruptcy.

The Unmet Needs Disaster Assistance program provides grants of up to $500 to active service members and veterans who have been forced to vacate their primary residence due to a state-declared natural disaster. The assistance does not apply to vehicle damage or vehicle insurance deductibles, and applications must be received within thirty days of the disaster. To be eligible, the service member or veteran must have been honorably discharged from the military within the past seventy-two months prior to applying. In addition, the applicant must be the service member or eligible dependent listed under DEERS.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, visit the VFW website.

http://www.vfw.org/UnmetNeeds/?gclid=CjwKEAiAhPCyBRCtwMDS5tzT03gSJADZ8VjRw5RxJw1br5NTowrY1NFzylowGtdvOagXa3LHyYK_PRoCB4Hw_wcB