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Those who enrolled or applied (and were later accepted) to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) caregiver support program before Oct. 1, 2020, will continue to receive benefits through Sept. 30, 2028, the agency announced.
The new rule, to “soon” be proposed, extends eligibility for legacy participants, applicants and their caregivers for three years while VA continues the rulemaking process to refine the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
The decision follows mounting concerns from the program’s “legacy” members that their benefits would be lost, paused or decreased due to legislation expanding the program to veterans of all service eras and requiring the VA to reexamine its eligibility requirements.
“Legacy caregivers have helped shape VA’s Caregiver Support Program for many years,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins in a statement. “This decision underscores VA’s commitment to veterans and caregivers across the nation and will help provide consistency and stability to nearly 15,000 legacy participants for years to come.”
Legacy participants are defined as veterans, service members and their family caregivers who were enrolled in PCAFC as of September 30, 2020. Legacy applicants are those who applied before October 1, 2020, and were accepted on or after that date.
On Oct. 1, 2022, the PCAFC opened up to caregivers of veterans who served between May 7, 1975, and September 10, 2001. Prior to this expansion, only those who served during the Vietnam War and earlier and those who were injured on or after September 11, 2001, were eligible.
For caregivers to receive benefits from the PCAFC, the veteran must have a minimum service-connected disability rating of 70 percent and require personal care for at least six continuous months.
The VA assigns disability ratings based on the severity of an illness and how much it decreases a veteran’s overall health and ability to function. The higher the rating, the more severe the disability.
Monthly payments are set by a federal rate assigned to where a veteran lives. For example, a primary family caregiver of a veteran in Dallas who is unable to perform daily living activities or requires continuous supervision would receive approximately $2,800 a month. If the veteran can perform daily living activities, the caregiver would receive about $1,750 a month.
Other services offered to caregivers include access to health care benefits, caregiver education, financial assistance, mental health services and up to 30 days of respite care.
To learn more, visit the VA’s PCAFC webpage, contact the nearest VA caregiver support coordinator (CSC) or call the VA’s Caregiver Support Line at 855-260-3274 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET).
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