A young veteran dressed in camouflage focuses on the camera while an American flag hangs in the background

Research Center

ALICE In Focus Series

Veterans in Financial Hardship

Because U.S. military veterans have served and sacrificed for this country, there is a national sense of responsibility to ensure that their basic needs are met. And overall, veterans have fared better economically than nonveterans. Yet not everyone has been included in that trend: In 2019, a substantial 4.6 million veterans — 27% — still struggled to make ends meet across the U.S.

According to the outdated Federal Poverty Level (FPL), 6% of veterans in the U.S. lived in poverty in 2019. But United For ALICE data shows that another 21% — more than three times as many — were also struggling, in households that earned above the FPL but less than what it costs to afford the basics. These households are ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed.

Combining families in poverty and those who are ALICE, more than one-quarter (27%) of all veterans lived in a household with income below the ALICE Threshold in 2019, struggling to afford essentials in the communities where they lived.

The tabs below offer a more detailed view of veterans experiencing financial hardship.

Committees for ALICE in Focus: Veteran

Members of the following committees advised in the creation and presentation of materials for ALICE in Focus: Veterans. Committee members represent a range of organizations including academic institutions, advocacy groups, research organizations, and government agencies, and were invited to participate based on their expertise in issues related to veterans and financial hardship.

ALICE in Focus National Leadership Committee for Veterans

NameTitleAffiliation
Troy BroussardSenior AdvisorVeterans and Military Families Initiative, Community Engagement & Integration, AARP Office of Community Engagement
Emily KrauseSenior Program OfficerBob Woodruff Foundation
Anthony LovePrincipal Advisor, Intra/Inter-Agency Collaboration and Director of Community Engagement, VHA Homeless Programs, Department of Veterans Affairs Central OfficeU.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Shawn Moore, L.M.S.W.Program Manager, Financial WellnessElizabeth Dole Foundation
Abby Peterson, M.P.A.Director of Corporate ProgramsThe COMMIT Foundation
Sherry Pickering, L.M.S.W.Executive DirectorMontgomery County Veterans Coalition
Nadine Bullock-Pottinga, M.N.M.Chief Development OfficerHire Heroes, USA
Arthur Toole III, M.B.A.Director of the Veterans CenterPrince George's Community College

ALICE in Focus National Research Advisory Committee for Veterans

NameAffiliation
Rachel BarrettElizabeth Dole Foundation
Lara Berghammer, M.P.H.Wounded Warrior Project
Hank Bostic, M.S., C.R.C., C.R.S.-A/DDisability Network Southwest Michigan
Robert Bradley, Ed.D.Russell Sage College (retired)
Scott Davis, M.S.Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency
Carrie M. Farmer, Ph.D.Rand Corporation Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute
Holly K. Howat, Ph.D.Beacon Community Connections
Hannah HydeHire Heroes, USA
Ann Elizabeth Montgomery, Ph.D.School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Birmingham VA Health Care System
Carrie PoserWI Balance of State Continuum of Care
Sandra S. Stone, Ph.D.University of South Florida, Sarasota-Manatee
Daniel Sturm, M.A.Maryland Food Bank