How branch aid societies are responding to the rising costs facing military families

Military families are experiencing the same cost squeeze as the rest of America, many with thinner margins to absorb it.

There have been a series of economic stressors on military households, which have had a compounding effect. As of June 1, AAA notes the average fuel price is $4.32 per gallon, with the highest prices in California at more than $6. Grocery costs are also climbing amid the war with Iran. Researchers note families are living with a widening affordability gap in the post-pandemic era.

It has all led to a rising demand for the aid societies that serve military and veteran populations.

Increase in assistance requests

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Dawn Cutler, who serves as executive vice president and chief operations officer for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS), noted the organization is seeing clients it wouldn’t normally see, families whose budgets have tightened under the across-the-board cost increases in food, gas and child care.

“All of those things that are typical of common requests we get, but we’re seeing more of them because of what is happening in the economy,” explained Cutler.

The uptick in the need for relief to afford basic living costs can also be seen in Operation Homefront’s 75% increase in the number of submitted applications for assistance year-over-year. The nonprofit, which offers relief and recurring family support programs and services to military and veteran families, is providing a staggering 664% more in food assistance, 40% more in utilities assistance, and 64% more in transportation/auto assistance, says April Postell, Operation Homefront’s vice president of critical financial assistance.

“When families are struggling financially and have to focus on the financial crises that they’re facing, that translates to them not being able to fully focus on their roles [in the military],” Postell explained. “We want to alleviate that burden and remove that pain point for families.”

In 2025, for housing costs alone, Army Emergency Relief (AER) provided financial assistance to around 7,500 applicants, resulting in more than $14 million distributed. This year, the organization is already preparing to hit $15 million in housing-related relief funds, says COL (Ret.) Sean Ryan, AER’s director of communications.

Addressing present concerns, preparing for future

At Home Front Military Network (HFMN), which serves service members, veterans and their families in Colorado, the organization’s call volume has more than quadrupled since 2020, meaning Executive Director Kate Hatten and her staff are now handling more than 18,000 calls a year. Hatten described the demand being driven by complexity, with families calling in with multiple financial setbacks happening simultaneously.

The organizations point to initiatives that are being adjusted or expanded to accommodate this rising demand and changing economic conditions. For example, Operation Homefront has cut its application-to-assistance timeline in half, from 12 days to six. Many organizations are either providing financial literacy services or working alongside on-post financial readiness programs to help families with budget creation, planning and expense tracking.

“We talk about the future,” Cutler explained of the assistance offered by NMCRS case officers. “What can you do to put some savings away for emergencies? Maybe we could adjust this line item or that line item in your budget.”

As the organizations brace for the summer PCS cycle, Cutler remarks that many military family households drop from two incomes to one if the service member’s spouse is not able to retain his or her employment. She noted that NMCRS’s zero-interest bridge loans for setting up households overseas can run up to $12,000 in some cases.

Eliminating stigma

There is still a stigma associated with military and veteran families seeking out financial assistance. The relief organizations are working on solutions to ensure families feel comfortable asking for help before they hit dire straits. Soldiers can now apply for AER financial assistance via a computer or mobile device.

“That’s one of the reasons we started the online applications, so you don’t have to tell your chain of command, ‘Hey, it’s the 25th of the month. I don’t think I’m going to make it to the 30th or 31st and put food on the table for my family,’” said Ryan.

The reality is that military households are all facing the lingering effects of sustained inflation, and the advice from the relief societies emphasizes the importance of being proactive. They urge families to reach out early, before a shortfall becomes a financial emergency.

“There’s no judgment. Life happens,” said Hatten. “We want to get to people before they’re in crisis, before there’s an eviction notice, before there’s a foreclosure notice, before there’s a repossession on a car.”