Noteboom The Law Firm

New Legislation Extends Leave for Caregivers of Disabled Veterans

Caregivers of a disabled veteran family member can now benefit from the Family and Medical Leave Act for an additional 5 years due to recent rule changes proposed by the Obama Administration.

Prior to the announcement at the end of January, the act only provided benefits for family members who had to leave their employment to care for a wounded National Guard member still in the service. Now the rules expand to cover wounded and disabled veterans for up to 5 years of receiving their medical discharge. It also expands coverage to all branches of the regular armed forces.

The proposed plan gives veterans’ caregivers up to 12 weeks of leave when a family member is deployed on short notice. This would allow households to make child care arrangements, attend military functions, and make other financial and legal arrangements to prepare for the challenges of the absence of an active duty military family member.

When a soldier is injured or ill while deployed, the new plan allows for 26 weeks of leave for caregivers to provide support to their family member. It would also expand the time for a family member to spend time with their soldier that’s on leave to rest or recuperate from the current 5 days to 15 days.

Family caregivers are often more prone to burnout due to the stress of providing support to their disabled veteran and trying to manage household duties and finances. These periods of leave can help reduce the fear of job and income loss when a family member is given the task of caring for a wounded soldier.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.