The VA Caregiver Support Program: PCAFC, General Support, and the Stipend

If you help a veteran get through the day, VA considers you part of the care team. Its Caregiver Support Program runs two tracks: one with a monthly stipend and health coverage for caregivers of seriously injured veterans, and one with free support for nearly anyone caring for an enrolled veteran. Many families qualify for at least the second and don't know it.

Two programs, two very different doors

PCAFC eligibility: the veteran

The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) is the program people usually mean when they say "the VA caregiver program." For the veteran, VA requires all of the following:

• A veteran, or a service member going through a medical discharge
• A service-connected disability rating of 70% or higher, single or combined
• A need for in-person personal care for at least six continuous months, because the veteran can't perform an activity of daily living, needs supervision or protection due to a neurological or other impairment, or needs regular or extensive instruction or supervision
• Enrollment in VA health care, with care at home and an ongoing VA primary care team
• The care isn't already being provided regularly by someone else, and participation is in the veteran's best interest

Open to every service era

Until 2020, PCAFC was limited to post-9/11 veterans. The VA MISSION Act of 2018 changed that in two phases. Starting October 1, 2020, eligible veterans who served on or before May 7, 1975 could apply. On October 1, 2022, the program opened to eligible veterans who served between May 7, 1975 and September 11, 2001. Today a Vietnam veteran, a Gulf War veteran, and a post-9/11 veteran are all judged by the same criteria.

PCAFC eligibility: the caregiver

The caregiver must be at least 18 and be the veteran's spouse, son, daughter, parent, stepfamily member, or extended family member. A non-relative can qualify if they live with the veteran full time or will once approved. VA must find that the caregiver can complete training, and the caregiver must finish it and show the needed skills. A veteran may name one Primary Family Caregiver and up to two Secondary Family Caregivers.

How the stipend works

Only the Primary Family Caregiver receives the monthly stipend. VA bases it on the federal General Schedule pay rate for grade GS-4, step 1, in the veteran's locality, divided into a monthly amount. There are two levels:

• Level 1: 62.5% of that monthly GS-4, step 1 amount.
• Level 2: 100% of that amount, when VA determines the veteran is unable to self-sustain in the community.

Because the stipend follows federal pay tables and local pay areas, the dollar amount varies by where the veteran lives and changes when federal pay rates change. Ask your Caregiver Support team for your current figure. Stipends are paid by direct deposit only; paper checks have been discontinued, and caregivers enroll through VA's Customer Engagement Portal.

Primary caregivers can also receive CHAMPVA coverage if they have no other health insurance (see CHAMPVA and TRICARE For Life), mental health counseling, certain travel benefits, and at least 30 days of respite care a year for the veteran. Secondary caregivers can receive counseling and travel benefits.

PGCSS: support for every caregiver

The Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) has no rating requirement and no formal application. If the veteran is enrolled in VA health care and you help with daily activities or provide supervision, you can ask your VA facility's Caregiver Support team for an intake, or ask the veteran's provider for a referral. The veteran agrees to list you as their caregiver in their record. Services include:

• Skills training, including CPR and VA S.A.V.E. suicide prevention training
• Caregivers FIRST virtual classes and the free six-week Building Better Caregivers online workshop
• REACH VA coaching, one-on-one or in groups, plus peer support mentoring
• Respite care through VA Geriatrics and Extended Care
• VA Caregiver Connect, so you can join the veteran's VA video visits

For many spouses of older veterans, PGCSS is the realistic entry point, and it costs nothing to ask.

What changed in 2025 and 2026

Legacy protections extended to 2028. In November 2025, VA finalized a rule extending eligibility for "legacy" participants (caregivers approved under the pre-October 2020 rules) and legacy applicants through September 30, 2028. During that time their stipends won't be reduced because of a reassessment, with limited exceptions.

Proposed eligibility changes still pending. VA published proposed rules that would broaden the definition of a serious injury, expand how VA decides a veteran needs six months of personal care, and reduce how often eligibility is reassessed. The comment period has closed. As of VA's September 2026 update, the rule had not been finalized, and annual reassessments were suspended for now. If a past application was denied, watch for the final rule and consider reapplying once it takes effect.

Claim status by phone. Applicants can call the Caregiver Support Line to learn which of four stages their application is in: pending intake, in queue, under review, or decision issued.

How to apply for PCAFC

1. Confirm VA health care enrollment. The veteran must be enrolled. If not, apply for VA health care first or at the same time.
2. Complete VA Form 10-10CG together. The veteran and caregiver submit one joint application, and both sign. Apply online, mail it to the 10-10CG Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5154, Janesville, WI 53547-5154, or bring it to your VA medical center's Caregiver Support team. Don't attach medical records.
3. Plan for the assessments. VA evaluates the veteran's care needs and the caregiver's ability, then requires caregiver training and a home visit before approval.
4. Have legal authority ready if needed. If the veteran can't sign, a person with legal authority (such as a power of attorney or guardian) can sign for them.

Taking care of the caregiver

Caring for a veteran can involve physical work, medical tasks, and the weight of watching someone you love struggle with injuries, pain, or PTSD. Feeling worn down, resentful, or guilty does not mean you are failing. It means you are carrying a lot. Read our guide to caregiver burnout, and if you're also looking for ways family caregivers get paid outside VA, see paying family caregivers.

If you or the veteran are thinking about suicide or are in crisis, dial 988 and press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line, or call 911 in an emergency.

Last reviewed October 19, 2026. General information only, not medical, legal, or financial advice. Benefit rules and amounts change, so confirm with the agency before you decide. See our disclaimer.