You can become a paid home care provider for a veteran through several VA programs, with the path depending on whether you’re a family member or friend of the veteran, or a professional caregiver looking to work with veteran clients. The most common route for family members is the VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC), which pays a monthly stipend that typically ranges from roughly $1,800 to $2,900 or more depending on the veteran’s needs and your location.
Two Main Paths: Family Caregiver vs. Professional Provider
The VA distinguishes between family caregivers and professional home health providers, and the requirements for each are very different. If you’re a spouse, adult child, parent, or even a close friend who wants to care for a specific veteran, you’ll apply through the PCAFC or the Veteran Directed Care (VDC) program. No medical license is needed, though you will complete VA-provided training.
If you’re a home health aide or agency looking to serve veterans as part of your professional practice, you’d join the VA’s Community Care Network. That route requires state licensure, accreditation, and enrollment as an authorized VA provider. The rest of this article focuses on the family caregiver path, since that’s what most people searching this topic are looking for.
What the Veteran Must Qualify For
Before you can become a paid caregiver, the veteran you’re caring for must meet all of the following criteria:
- VA disability rating of 70% or higher (individual or combined)
- Discharged from the military or has a date of medical discharge
- Needs at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care services
- Enrolled in VA health care
The care needs are assessed based on the veteran’s ability to perform basic activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, eating, getting in and out of bed, using the toilet, and walking. Veterans with three or more of these dependencies, or those with significant cognitive impairment, generally meet the clinical threshold. A veteran with two dependencies may still qualify if they also have factors like clinical depression, being 75 or older, or a history of frequent hospitalizations.
If the veteran doesn’t meet the 70% disability rating, you may still access support through the Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS), which offers training, coaching, peer support, and referrals but does not include a monthly stipend.
Who Can Be a Family Caregiver
You don’t have to be a blood relative. The VA allows spouses, parents, children, other family members, and even friends or neighbors to serve as primary family caregivers. You need to be at least 18 years old and provide in-person care to the veteran. The VA can also designate secondary caregivers who serve as backups, though only the primary caregiver receives the monthly stipend.
How Much You’ll Be Paid
The monthly stipend is tied to a federal pay scale (the GS grade 4, step 1 rate) adjusted for the area where the veteran lives. There are two payment levels:
- Level One: 62.5% of the local monthly GS rate. Using Dallas, Texas as an example, this came to approximately $1,819 per month.
- Level Two: 100% of the local monthly GS rate, for veterans the VA determines are unable to sustain themselves in the community. In Dallas, this was approximately $2,910 per month.
These figures adjust annually when the federal government updates its pay tables, and they vary by location. Caregivers in high cost-of-living areas like San Francisco or New York will receive more than those in rural regions. The stipend is not taxable income in most cases.
Benefits Beyond the Stipend
The PCAFC provides more than just a monthly payment. As an approved primary family caregiver, you also receive:
- Health insurance through CHAMPVA if you don’t already have coverage
- Mental health counseling to help manage the emotional demands of caregiving
- Respite care so you can take breaks while someone else temporarily cares for the veteran
- Education and training to build caregiving skills
These benefits make a meaningful difference for caregivers who may have left a job or reduced their hours to provide full-time care.
How to Apply
The application process uses VA Form 10-10CG, which you can complete online, by mail, or in person at a VA medical center. It takes about 15 minutes. You’ll need the following for both the veteran and each caregiver applying:
- Social Security number or tax identification number
- Date of birth, address, and phone number
- The VA medical center where the veteran receives or plans to receive care
If you’re signing on behalf of the veteran (rather than the veteran signing themselves), you’ll also need to upload legal documentation showing your authority to do so, such as a power of attorney or guardianship order.
After submitting, the VA will review the veteran’s clinical eligibility and schedule an assessment. A VA care team evaluates the veteran’s functional needs and determines the appropriate caregiver support level. The timeline varies, but expect the process to take several weeks from application to approval.
Training You’ll Complete
The VA provides education and skills training as part of the PCAFC. This includes instruction on the specific care tasks your veteran needs, along with broader caregiving competencies. You don’t need a nursing degree or home health aide certification to participate. The VA’s Caregiver Support Program also offers ongoing resources including one-on-one coaching, group support sessions, peer mentoring, and online programs to help you build confidence over time.
You can reach the VA’s Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 to ask questions before applying or to connect with a Caregiver Support Coordinator at your local VA medical center.
Veteran Directed Care: A Flexible Alternative
The Veteran Directed Care (VDC) program works differently from the PCAFC. Instead of the VA paying you directly as a designated caregiver, the veteran receives a budget and manages it themselves (or through a representative). With help from a counselor, the veteran creates a spending plan and hires their own workers, which can include family members or neighbors.
This program gives the veteran more control over who provides care and how money is spent. It’s a good option when the veteran doesn’t meet the PCAFC’s 70% disability rating requirement but still needs help with daily living. The budget covers services that help the veteran remain independent at home rather than moving to a facility. If you and the veteran prefer a more flexible arrangement where they’re essentially your employer, VDC is worth exploring through the veteran’s local VA medical center.