Family caregivers do the daily work that allows many disabled veterans to stay home. They help with bathing, meals, medication, mobility, appointments, wound care, crisis prevention, and safety. Their work can be constant. It is often exhausting. It is also essential.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has recognized the importance of this care through the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. In November 2025, VA announced that legacy participants, legacy applicants, and family caregivers would remain eligible and protected from certain stipend reductions for three more years.

DAV reported that the extension runs through Sept. 30, 2028. That matters. It keeps many families from facing immediate cuts. But it does not solve the deeper problem.

Veteran caregivers deserve permanent support.

Veterans Need Certainty Not Another Deadline

Caregivers should not have to live from extension to extension. Veterans with severe disabilities should not have to wonder whether the support that keeps them safe at home will change after another review or rulemaking cycle.

The Federal Register final rule extended the transition period for legacy participants and caregivers through 2028. That buys time. Congress should use that time to make protections permanent.

Some lawmakers are already moving in that direction. The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs announced in January 2026 that Chairman Jerry Moran introduced legislation to permanently authorize a VA program supporting disabled veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders and their caregivers. MOAA also reported that a caregiver bill advanced in early 2026.

Disabled veterans should not lose care because a deadline expires.

Congress Must Protect The Families Doing The Work

Permanent caregiver support should include protection for legacy caregivers, care based on clinical need, clear review before benefits are denied, improved training, fair payment standards, and multiple care models for veterans with complex conditions.

Veteran caregivers are not optional. They are part of the care system. They reduce avoidable institutional care, protect veterans’ independence, and give families a stable way to care for those who served.

No disabled veteran should lose essential home care because temporary protection expires. No caregiver should have to fight every few years to prove that their work matters.

Sign the petition to urge Congress to make VA caregiver support permanent and protect disabled veterans and family caregivers from uncertainty.