August 12, 2025 • 10 mins
Struggling financially and not sure where to turn? In this episode, we uncover emergency cash resources available to veterans that many don’t even know they qualify for. From VA-backed financial relief programs to nonprofit grants and state-funded emergency aid, we walk you through real, accessible options that can help when money is tight.
Whether you’re dealing with job loss, medical expenses, homelessness risk, or other sudden financial hardships, there may be emergency assistance waiting for you—no strings attached. We’ll also cover tips on how to apply, what documentation you need, and how to avoid scams.
📌 Topics Covered:
- What is considered a financial emergency under VA guidelines
- VA programs that offer emergency financial help
- Nonprofits and grants that provide cash aid to veterans
- Emergency housing and utility assistance
- Help for disabled veterans and caregivers
- Tips for speeding up your application process
- Common mistakes that delay emergency aid
- Warning signs of scams and predatory lenders
emergency cash for veterans, VA financial assistance, veteran emergency aid, help for homeless veterans, VA hardship assistance, veteran crisis funding, emergency grants for veterans, disabled veteran financial help, veteran relief programs, VA cash assistance, veteran rent help, how to get emergency funds as a veteran
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Leah Bucholz (00:06):
Hey guys, it's Leah V from Prestige Veteran
Medical Consulting. I'm a USArmy veteran, physician
assistant, and formercompensation and pension
examiner. So today, we're gonnado a video that's a little bit
different than the typicalvideos that we do, but I feel
like it's it should be somewhathelpful to some people. We've
been doing a series of videos onon topics that are not
necessarily claims relatedvideos or medical related
(00:28):
videos, but just sort ofresource related videos for
veterans. So we did, like, aclothing allowance video.
We did a video on, like, theforeign medical program. We did
one on automobile allowances andwe've gotten some good feedback.
So I wanted to do another videotoday about emergency financial
(00:48):
assistance. So again, welcomeback. Today's episode could be a
lifeline for someone watchingand we're gonna dive deep into
some of those emergencyfinancial assistance programs
for veterans.
So we're gonna try to do a fulloverview of what's out there,
how to qualify, how manyveterans often apply for some of
these programs. Again, I'mtrying to be all inclusive, but
(01:11):
if you guys have some greatones, we'll talk about it at the
end. I'd love to hear yourcomments and different resources
you've used in the past as well.So this is more than just about
programs. It's about preservingdignity, security, peace of mind
during financial hardships.
So why does this topic matter?So veterans may face unexpected
financial strain from job loss,injury, divorce, natural
(01:33):
disasters, or even delayedbenefits, which we all know
happens often unfortunately. Andwhile help exists, many don't
know that it's what is availableand they don't know where to
start. So today hopefully we canshine a light on that and fix
some of that. So let's startwith VA.
So VA has a financial hardshipso VA has financial hardship
programs. So medical co paymentrelief, if you owe co pays for
(01:56):
VA health care, you can applyfor a hardship exemption. You
can request a repayment plan.You can even request a waiver of
the debt entirely. So there's VAform ten-10HS, which usually
requires proof of monthlyincome, household expenses, a
(02:17):
short explanation of yourhardship.
You can submit this onlinethrough My HealtheVet or by mail
or fax. There should be someinstructions on that form. You
can also get with your VSO. Theyshould be able to help look over
that with you. The debtmanagement center, this applies
to benefit overpayments, like ifyour disability rating change
retroactively and they ask forrepayment, you can request a
(02:41):
repayment plan, a compromiseoffer, a complete waiver.
The phone number that's listedon va.gov is (800) 827-0648 or
you can visitva.gov/managevadebt. Real life
examples. Okay, so a Gulf Warvet had a benefit overpayment of
(03:01):
$3,800 after a ratingadjustment. Instead of
panicking, he contacted DMC andsubmitted a hardship waiver, and
they approved it with zerorepayment. So some other people
that kinda get in this situationare people that are in combo two
or three, right, reservists andnational guardsmen who are still
drilling and maybe alsocollecting VA benefits.
(03:22):
You should be able to elect, youshould be getting a form like
once a year that says, would youlike to elect to waive your VA
pay? Or you can proactivelyelect to waive one or the other.
But if you don't do anything andthen a debt is incurred because
you're getting, you're doubledipping on that pay, that
reserve or drill pay and your VAdisability, they're gonna
(03:43):
calculate that and it may createa debt, right? So that happens
very frequently. So VASupportive Services for Veteran
Families or SSVF.
This program is not run directlyby the VA but it is funded by
the VA and delivered by localnonprofits. So it covers
emergency rent and utilities,moving costs, childcare support,
(04:09):
job training, legal services,things like transportation. So
there are some qualifiers,right? So you must be a veteran
with very low income. You mustbe at risk of homelessness or
recently homeless.
You can go online and searchSSVF plus your zip code or visit
(04:30):
va.gov/homeless/ssvf. So the VAhomelessness assistance
programs, are some. So even ifyou're not technically homeless,
yet you may still qualify. Sohud dash v a s h combines
housing vouchers from HUD withVA case management, grant and
(04:53):
per diem, short termtransitional housing. So there's
a national call center forhomeless veterans, and that
number is 7080, that's AID slashvet.
So you do not have to beenrolled in VA healthcare to get
help from that hotline, okay?You can just call. So there are
(05:16):
state veterans emergencyassistance programs. Each state
has its own version of emergencyaid. So some examples, here are
a few examples.
Pennsylvania, so VeteransTemporary Assistance or VTA
program provides up to $1,600over three months for emergency
shelter, food, utilities. Texas,my state, right? Everybody, if
(05:39):
y'all don't know, I'm here inBoerne, Texas, which is near San
Antonio. Emergency financialhelp through the Texas Veterans
Commission, especially forhousing and transportation.
Minnesota, Minnesota offersgrants for military families
experiencing hardships.
Florida, Florida has veteransassistance grants for short term
help. You can visit your state'sDepartment of Veterans Affairs
(06:02):
website or local veteran serviceofficer to apply. Nonprofit
help, there is direct emergencycash and services. There's
Operation Homefront focuses onpost nineeleven veterans with
documented hardships. They covercar repairs, housing and
grocery.
Semper Fi and America's Fundhelps veterans severely wounded,
(06:25):
ill or injured veterans, offersemergency grants and even home
adaptation support. The AmericanLegion, temporary financial
assistance only for minorchildren of eligible veterans
but can provide thousands ofindirect support. USA Cares,
Soldiers' Angels, Code ofSupport Foundation and Modest
(06:46):
Needs Foundation also offersupport. So there's also some
extra resources for specificneeds. So if you have food
insecurity, VA can connect youwith Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program or SNAP.
Local food pantries work withthe VA and BSOs. There are
utilities help. So LIHEAP, whichis Low Income Home Energy
(07:12):
Assistance Program, the Veteransof Foreign War or BFW, Unmet
Needs Program. Many states banutility shutoffs during winter
or extreme heat if you apply forhardship status. So for children
in schooling, Child Care Awareof America discounts for
military and veteran families.
Marine Corps ScholarshipsFoundation and Army Emergency
(07:35):
Relief educational grants. Solet's talk about some common
misconceptions. So here's one,I'm not enrolled in VA
healthcare so I can't get help.That is false, Right? Just like
we discussed a few minutes ago,many programs don't require you
to be in the VA health system,especially like state and
nonprofit aid.
Another misconception, I need tobe totally broke to qualify.
(07:58):
That is false. Some aid isincome based, but others are
based on sudden hardships ortemporary crises. So another
misconception, I've alreadyasked once, I can't apply again.
False.
Right? So many programs allowreapplication, especially if
your circumstances change. Sohow to apply? Each of these
programs have checklists forapplying for most programs and
(08:21):
instructions. So usually theymight want you to gather your
documentation.
You may need your DD214, I mean,not necessarily for all of them.
Income and expense proof, leaseutility bills, medical bills,
etcetera. These are some thingsyou might wanna think of. You
might wanna have a writtenexplanation of your hardship.
Then you're gonna find theprogram that you qualify for,
(08:42):
check VA state and localnonprofit options, check with
those VSOs, apply and follow-up,don't assume silence means
denial, call, email, check yourportal for updates.
So again, a big tip, use aveteran service officer to help
you with your applications.They're free, they're trained to
help walk you througheverything. So what about long
(09:03):
term solutions? Emergency helpis temporary, but if you're
living paycheck to paycheck, youmay also wanna consider Voc
Rehab, great program. I have afamily member that used that VA
Vocational Rehab.
Veteran owned business grants,HUD VASH vouchers, financial
coaching from the VA Solid Startor financial literacy program.
(09:26):
So the bottom line is that thereis no shame in needing help.
There's only danger in notknowing where to look or waiting
too long. You set up for yourcountry, now these programs are
here to stand up for you. Pleaseshare this video with anyone
that might need it.
So this may not be relevant foryou but it may touch the life of
someone else to understand wherethese resources are. So as
always, thank you for yourservice, thank you for watching.
(09:48):
If you have some comments orsome experience with some of
these programs, please dropcomments. Or if you have other
programs that you'd like tomention and share with your
fellow veterans, please let meknow so that we can share this
information. Alright.
Thanks a lot for watching and,please like and subscribe.
Hey guys, it's Leah V from Prestige Veteran
Medical Consulting. I'm a USArmy veteran, physician
assistant, and formercompensation and pension
examiner. So today, we're gonnado a video that's a little bit
different than the typicalvideos that we do, but I feel
like it's it should be somewhathelpful to some people. We've
been doing a series of videos onon topics that are not
necessarily claims relatedvideos or medical related
(00:28):
videos, but just sort ofresource related videos for
veterans. So we did, like, aclothing allowance video.
We did a video on, like, theforeign medical program. We did
one on automobile allowances andwe've gotten some good feedback.
So I wanted to do another videotoday about emergency financial
(00:48):
assistance. So again, welcomeback. Today's episode could be a
lifeline for someone watchingand we're gonna dive deep into
some of those emergencyfinancial assistance programs
for veterans.
So we're gonna try to do a fulloverview of what's out there,
how to qualify, how manyveterans often apply for some of
these programs. Again, I'mtrying to be all inclusive, but
(01:11):
if you guys have some greatones, we'll talk about it at the
end. I'd love to hear yourcomments and different resources
you've used in the past as well.So this is more than just about
programs. It's about preservingdignity, security, peace of mind
during financial hardships.
So why does this topic matter?So veterans may face unexpected
financial strain from job loss,injury, divorce, natural
(01:33):
disasters, or even delayedbenefits, which we all know
happens often unfortunately. Andwhile help exists, many don't
know that it's what is availableand they don't know where to
start. So today hopefully we canshine a light on that and fix
some of that. So let's startwith VA.
So VA has a financial hardshipso VA has financial hardship
programs. So medical co paymentrelief, if you owe co pays for
(01:56):
VA health care, you can applyfor a hardship exemption. You
can request a repayment plan.You can even request a waiver of
the debt entirely. So there's VAform ten-10HS, which usually
requires proof of monthlyincome, household expenses, a
(02:17):
short explanation of yourhardship.
You can submit this onlinethrough My HealtheVet or by mail
or fax. There should be someinstructions on that form. You
can also get with your VSO. Theyshould be able to help look over
that with you. The debtmanagement center, this applies
to benefit overpayments, like ifyour disability rating change
retroactively and they ask forrepayment, you can request a
(02:41):
repayment plan, a compromiseoffer, a complete waiver.
The phone number that's listedon va.gov is (800) 827-0648 or
you can visitva.gov/managevadebt. Real life
examples. Okay, so a Gulf Warvet had a benefit overpayment of
(03:01):
$3,800 after a ratingadjustment. Instead of
panicking, he contacted DMC andsubmitted a hardship waiver, and
they approved it with zerorepayment. So some other people
that kinda get in this situationare people that are in combo two
or three, right, reservists andnational guardsmen who are still
drilling and maybe alsocollecting VA benefits.
(03:22):
You should be able to elect, youshould be getting a form like
once a year that says, would youlike to elect to waive your VA
pay? Or you can proactivelyelect to waive one or the other.
But if you don't do anything andthen a debt is incurred because
you're getting, you're doubledipping on that pay, that
reserve or drill pay and your VAdisability, they're gonna
(03:43):
calculate that and it may createa debt, right? So that happens
very frequently. So VASupportive Services for Veteran
Families or SSVF.
This program is not run directlyby the VA but it is funded by
the VA and delivered by localnonprofits. So it covers
emergency rent and utilities,moving costs, childcare support,
(04:09):
job training, legal services,things like transportation. So
there are some qualifiers,right? So you must be a veteran
with very low income. You mustbe at risk of homelessness or
recently homeless.
You can go online and searchSSVF plus your zip code or visit
(04:30):
va.gov/homeless/ssvf. So the VAhomelessness assistance
programs, are some. So even ifyou're not technically homeless,
yet you may still qualify. Sohud dash v a s h combines
housing vouchers from HUD withVA case management, grant and
(04:53):
per diem, short termtransitional housing. So there's
a national call center forhomeless veterans, and that
number is 7080, that's AID slashvet.
So you do not have to beenrolled in VA healthcare to get
help from that hotline, okay?You can just call. So there are
(05:16):
state veterans emergencyassistance programs. Each state
has its own version of emergencyaid. So some examples, here are
a few examples.
Pennsylvania, so VeteransTemporary Assistance or VTA
program provides up to $1,600over three months for emergency
shelter, food, utilities. Texas,my state, right? Everybody, if
(05:39):
y'all don't know, I'm here inBoerne, Texas, which is near San
Antonio. Emergency financialhelp through the Texas Veterans
Commission, especially forhousing and transportation.
Minnesota, Minnesota offersgrants for military families
experiencing hardships.
Florida, Florida has veteransassistance grants for short term
help. You can visit your state'sDepartment of Veterans Affairs
(06:02):
website or local veteran serviceofficer to apply. Nonprofit
help, there is direct emergencycash and services. There's
Operation Homefront focuses onpost nineeleven veterans with
documented hardships. They covercar repairs, housing and
grocery.
Semper Fi and America's Fundhelps veterans severely wounded,
(06:25):
ill or injured veterans, offersemergency grants and even home
adaptation support. The AmericanLegion, temporary financial
assistance only for minorchildren of eligible veterans
but can provide thousands ofindirect support. USA Cares,
Soldiers' Angels, Code ofSupport Foundation and Modest
(06:46):
Needs Foundation also offersupport. So there's also some
extra resources for specificneeds. So if you have food
insecurity, VA can connect youwith Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program or SNAP.
Local food pantries work withthe VA and BSOs. There are
utilities help. So LIHEAP, whichis Low Income Home Energy
(07:12):
Assistance Program, the Veteransof Foreign War or BFW, Unmet
Needs Program. Many states banutility shutoffs during winter
or extreme heat if you apply forhardship status. So for children
in schooling, Child Care Awareof America discounts for
military and veteran families.
Marine Corps ScholarshipsFoundation and Army Emergency
(07:35):
Relief educational grants. Solet's talk about some common
misconceptions. So here's one,I'm not enrolled in VA
healthcare so I can't get help.That is false, Right? Just like
we discussed a few minutes ago,many programs don't require you
to be in the VA health system,especially like state and
nonprofit aid.
Another misconception, I need tobe totally broke to qualify.
(07:58):
That is false. Some aid isincome based, but others are
based on sudden hardships ortemporary crises. So another
misconception, I've alreadyasked once, I can't apply again.
False.
Right? So many programs allowreapplication, especially if
your circumstances change. Sohow to apply? Each of these
programs have checklists forapplying for most programs and
(08:21):
instructions. So usually theymight want you to gather your
documentation.
You may need your DD214, I mean,not necessarily for all of them.
Income and expense proof, leaseutility bills, medical bills,
etcetera. These are some thingsyou might wanna think of. You
might wanna have a writtenexplanation of your hardship.
Then you're gonna find theprogram that you qualify for,
(08:42):
check VA state and localnonprofit options, check with
those VSOs, apply and follow-up,don't assume silence means
denial, call, email, check yourportal for updates.
So again, a big tip, use aveteran service officer to help
you with your applications.They're free, they're trained to
help walk you througheverything. So what about long
(09:03):
term solutions? Emergency helpis temporary, but if you're
living paycheck to paycheck, youmay also wanna consider Voc
Rehab, great program. I have afamily member that used that VA
Vocational Rehab.
Veteran owned business grants,HUD VASH vouchers, financial
coaching from the VA Solid Startor financial literacy program.
(09:26):
So the bottom line is that thereis no shame in needing help.
There's only danger in notknowing where to look or waiting
too long. You set up for yourcountry, now these programs are
here to stand up for you. Pleaseshare this video with anyone
that might need it.
So this may not be relevant foryou but it may touch the life of
someone else to understand wherethese resources are. So as
always, thank you for yourservice, thank you for watching.
(09:48):
If you have some comments orsome experience with some of
these programs, please dropcomments. Or if you have other
programs that you'd like tomention and share with your
fellow veterans, please let meknow so that we can share this
information. Alright.
Thanks a lot for watching and,please like and subscribe.
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