Many military families were struggling financially even before the shutdown, said Daniela Hines with Blue Star Families of America.
“The younger generation of military families have less than $3,000 in savings and that comprises one-third of military families. So all of this financial instability is really impactful for them and causing a lot of angst,” she said.
Hines’ husband is a Navy officer. Their family recently relocated from Tennessee to Norfolk. The timing of the shutdown is particularly bad for the roughly 600,000 troops required to move every summer, known as permanent change of station. Some moving expenses are not covered by the government. The average military family absorbs $8,000 in expenses each time they move, she said.
Though the federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1, active duty military have so far not missed a paycheck while lawmakers and the White House try to hammer out a deal to reopen the federal government. Their next paycheck is scheduled for Wednesday. Congress typically approves a bill to keep the paychecks flowing for troops, so far that has not happened this time.
Blue Star and 26 other military and veterans organizations signed a letter in early October calling on Congress to pass the “Pay Our Troops Act” which was introduced by U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, in September. An effort by Democrats to bring a military pay bill to the floor on Friday was defeated.
Though the checks are supposed to go out Oct. 15, processing the payments takes days, meaning lawmakers would have to act before Wednesday for the checks to go out on time.
Hines said many spouses also work for the federal government so they have no money coming in the door during a government shutdown.
“If you don't have money, and you're still having to pay your bills, and you're still having to put food on your table for your children and your family, that impact is going to affect all of us in some way or another,” she said.
The Armed Services YMCA of Hampton Roads operates a food bank. Organizers are preparing for an influx of new families. The group will also be processing care packages next week for U.S. Coast Guard families.
The Coast Guard is a military branch, but is part of the Department of Homeland Security. Those troops also have to work during a shutdown, but they are typically left out of any stop-gap measure to pay them during a shutdown.
Military-focused credit unions are prepared to offer no-interest loans if troops are not paid Oct. 15. There is a list of services for families locally and nationally at BlueStarfam.org.
