Help With Utility Bills for Veterans
A shutoff notice is scary, but electric, gas, and water bills are among the most common things emergency programs cover. Help exists for veterans whether or not you've ever used a VA benefit.
Emergency aid is paused right now — but you have other options
Wounded Warriors is a small, veteran-run 501(c)(3). We've committed our entire current emergency-aid budget to the veterans already in our queue, so we are not taking new applications right now. We'd rather be straight with you than leave you waiting on a reply that can't come yet.
Please don't wait on us. The organizations below help with the same bills — rent, utilities, medical, transportation — and several move faster than we can. Apply to more than one; there's no penalty, and the fastest "yes" wins.
We will post any change to this status at warriorsfund.org/programs/emergency/.
Get help today
National emergency funds for veterans
- Operation Homefront — 1-877-264-3968Emergency grants paid straight to your landlord, utility, or mechanic for rent, mortgage, utilities, and repairs. All branches, any era — veterans and active-duty.
- USA Cares — 1-800-773-0387Emergency grants for rent, mortgage, and utilities, paid to your creditor. All branches and eras; veterans and active-duty.
- Semper Fi & America's Fund — 760-725-3680Case-managed financial help for veterans and service members who are combat-wounded, critically ill, or seriously injured. All branches.
- Coalition to Salute America's Heroes — 888-447-2588Emergency grants for utilities, rent/mortgage, and groceries — for post-9/11 combat-injured veterans.
- VFW Unmet Needs — 1-866-789-6333Grants up to $2,500 for basic needs. Note: geared to active-duty and activated Guard/Reserve — confirm eligibility if you separated long ago.
- American Legion Temporary Financial Assistance — 1-800-504-4098Up to $2,500 for the minor children of a veteran who is an American Legion member (or on active duty). Start through your local Legion post.
- Army Emergency Relief (AER) — 1-866-878-6378For the Army community — active, retired, and Guard/Reserve on Title 10 orders, plus families. Grants and zero-interest loans for rent, utilities, and more.
- Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society — 703-696-4904For Sailors and Marines — active, retired, families, and surviving spouses. Interest-free loans and grants for rent, utilities, car repair, and food.
- Air & Space Forces Aid Society — 1-800-769-8951For the Air Force and Space Force community — active, retirees with a valid ID, Guard/Reserve on active orders, and families.
- Coast Guard Mutual Assistance — 1-800-881-2462For the Coast Guard community — active, reserve, retired, and families. Interest-free loans (no credit check) and grants.
Government & local help
- Your County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO)Free. Often has local emergency-grant pools and knows every program in your county.
- VA homeless / at-risk hotline — 1-877-424-3838Free, 24/7. For housing instability, eviction, or homelessness — connects you to SSVF and HUD-VASH.
- SSVF (Supportive Services for Veteran Families)Rent, utilities, and rehousing help for veterans facing homelessness.
- Dial 211 (United Way)Free local clearinghouse for emergency rent, utilities, food, and transportation.
- Search our directory by ZIPVeteran resources near you, including sliding-scale help.
More options for help with utility bills
Find local help by ZIP
Our open directory holds 144,900+ veteran resources nationwide. Search everything near you by ZIP code, or jump straight to the most relevant finders:
Your state likely runs its own veteran assistance programs on top of the federal ones — see our state guides (for example, Texas) for all 50 states + DC + 5 territories.
Common questions
Who can help me with a utility shutoff notice this week?
Three moves at once: ask your utility company about its hardship or payment-plan options (most have one), dial 2-1-1 for local emergency utility funds, and check warriorsfund.org/apply-aid for other emergency funds (our own emergency-aid applications are paused). LIHEAP through your state is the larger federal option but can take longer.
Who is eligible for utility bill help from Wounded Warriors?
Our emergency-aid applications are paused right now — see warriorsfund.org/programs/emergency/ for current status and other help. When applications are open: US military veterans of any era and any branch, with a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. Active-duty servicemembers in their last 6 months of transition, National Guard and Reserve members who served, and surviving spouses with DIC eligibility also qualify. We do not require a VA disability rating.
What documents do I need?
Our emergency-aid applications are paused right now — see warriorsfund.org/programs/emergency/ for current status and other help. When applications are open: The utility bill or shutoff notice showing the utility company, the account balance, and the shutoff date. If approved, we may ask for your DD-214 to verify service. Payment goes directly to the utility company, never to your personal account.
Does it cost anything to apply?
Our emergency-aid applications are paused right now — see warriorsfund.org/programs/emergency/ for current status and other help. When applications are open: No. Applying is free, and approved aid is a grant — not a loan — so you never repay it. No legitimate veteran charity charges an application fee.