Emergency Financial Assistance

Emergency Financial Assistance

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Emergency Financial Assistanceline

Deployment can put a financial strain on families of service members. Financial assistance can come in several forms: allowances, loan privileges, tax relief, even emergency assistance from the Red Cross and other nonprofit agencies.

Learn More...

Click on the links below to learn more about how you can get emergency financial assistance:

 

 

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Red Cross Emergency Services

Guard and Reserves members and retirees may access emergency financial assistance through their local Red Cross chapters. The Red Cross, in partnership with Army Emergency Relief, the Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, and the Air Force Aid Society, provides financial assistance for emergency travel that requires the presence of the service member or his or her family, burial of a loved one, or matters that cannot wait until the next business day. This emergency financial assistance will cover food, temporary lodging, urgent medical needs, or the minimum amount required to avoid eviction, utility shutoff, and other occurrences. Read about the Red Cross emergency financial assistance.

Other Red Cross services for inactive and active members of the Reserves and National Guard include:

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Nonprofit Organizations: Army Emergency Relief and Air Force Aid Society

Army Emergency Relief (AER) and Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) funds are also available for emergency financial assistance to Guard members — active and retired — and their dependents whenever a valid need exists. Both incorporated in 1942, these are non-profit organizations that have provided assistance to generations of service members. Their mission is to help service members and their dependents during times of difficulty with funds administered in part through their commanders. These programs are supported each year by substantial personal contributions made by the active force. All funds are used solely for emergency assistance. Visit the Army Emergency Relief Web site and Air Force Society Aid Web site for details on the range of assistance available.

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Allowances

Make sure you are taking advantage of all the allowances for which you are entitled. Click on Allowances in the Topics menu to read about each allowance. Remember, allowances are non-taxable income. A review of allowances is shown in the table below.

Allowance Eligibility Benefit
Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) Enlisted members temporarily assigned to duty away from their permanent duty station or to duty under field conditions at their permanent duty station are entitled to BAS at a rate not less than that which they had at their permanent duty station. Depends on rank. Benefit ranges from $175 to $262. See FY 2004 BAS Charts.
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) National Guard and Reserve members are called to active duty. Benefit amounts are determined by location, rank, and whether or not the member has dependents. See FY 2004 BAH Charts.
Clothing Allowances Enlisted military personnel. See FY 2004 Clothing Allowance charts.
Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance National Guard and Reserve members are called to active duty. Allowance of up to $500 a month for large military families or households. Get details about FSSA.
Family Separation Allowance Military member is separated from his/her dependents for longer than 30 days for military reasons $250/month. Get details about the Family separation allowance.

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Loan Privileges and Debt Relief

There are several programs available to service members to assist with loans and debt relief. Click on Loan and Debt Relief in the Topics menu to read about each allowance. For a brief overview of available programs, see the table below.

Program Eligibility Benefit
Veterans Affairs Home Loan Guaranty Service members, veterans, members of the National Guard, and unmarried surviving spouses The amount of the guaranty available to an eligible veteran, called an entitlement, is the down payment; an entitlement of up to $60,000 may be available to veterans purchasing homes financed with a loan of more than $144,000. More details are available at www.va.gov.
Student Aid and Loan Assistance Members of the National Guard who have been called to active duty, as well as active-duty personnel whose duty stations have been changed as a result of a military mobilization. Postpone the student loan payments of members of the National Guard who have been called to active duty. Education link.
Military Reservist Economic Injury Disaster Loan (MREIDL) Small businesses that have been financially affected by the loss of essential employees who have been called to active duty. MREIDL guidelines and loan applications
Civil Relief Act: Economic and Legal Protection for Active Duty Military Active-duty military personnel. Benefits of the act are applied most frequently by recently activated Reservists and Guard members whose income is less than their pre-service income. Read about the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act online.

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