Government shutdowns that wait until the last minute to extend funding have become something military families expect rather than an uncommon occurrence. Often a resolution is reached with hours to go. But this past week has felt different. It feels farther away from a solution compared to other years. Or maybe, it always brings along a level of uncomfortable feelings weighing on the minds of military families. And we forget the feeling because so often it is avoided rather than pulled through.
A solution feels far away. The last major government shut down was in 2018, and it lasted 35 days. At the time, some areas of the government had completed their funding bills, so they were unaffected. The U.S. Military’s National Defense Authorization Act had been signed. So, although the government was shut down, some military families within the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps were unaffected. But the U.S. Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland Security, and their funding bill had not been passed, leading Coast Guard families to feel the full effects of the government shut down.
This past year has been hard for military families. So many things have changed in how the government operates that it may be why the additional challenge of an impending government shut down is hitting so hard. It has military families facing down another uncertainty, wondering how it will affect their lives. Even if a Continuing Resolution is reached, the weight of a possible government shutdown coming months later feels like a real possibility and is something that military families are wary of.
Military Families Facing Financial Hardship
Military families are already facing financial hardships. Many military families rely on the military member as the sole provider with a labor force participation rate of 64%. Military spouses have an unemployment rate of 21%. It takes military spouses an average of 19 weeks after a PCS to find a job and with PCS season ending, that means military families are often still looking for work after moving. Additionally, military spouses earn approximately 38% less than their civilian counterparts because of the regular moves. This means a government shut down can hit military families hard.
More than 27.4% of military families have less than $500 in their bank account according to Military Family Advisory Network. A missed paycheck for these families is not something they are financially prepared for. It’s an additional strain to military families facing down the potential of not receiving a paycheck for an extended period.
Resources for Military Families
Luckily, military families don’t head into this government shut down without one final paycheck. This past week, military families received their pay and can cover the upcoming expenses until a resolution is reached. There are additional financial resources provided by military connected banks offering financial relief to military families by providing 0% APR loans to military families who enroll to help cover cost during a government shutdown.
Military families should know that eventually they will receive back pay after an agreement is reached. While it can be difficult to foresee a period where you will not receive your pay, it is just delayed.
So while this isn’t an easy time for anyone affected by the federal government shutting down, the military community should look for resources that can support them and know that their pay will be coming at some point.
