{"id":74584,"date":"2024-01-24T16:24:38","date_gmt":"2024-01-24T16:24:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2024\/01\/24\/single-parent-vets-struggle-to-access-post-military-benefits\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T16:05:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T16:05:49","slug":"single-parent-vets-struggle-to-access-post-military-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2024\/01\/24\/single-parent-vets-struggle-to-access-post-military-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Single parent vets struggle to access post-military benefits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Veteran single parents tend to be better off financially than civilian peers but struggle more than other veterans to get health and education benefits<\/a>, according to a new study<\/a> released this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers from the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute<\/a> said the disparities point to the need for more targeted transition services for single-parent veteran households, including more child care and mental health support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to census data from 2020, about 12% of veterans reported being a single parent raising one or more children. That\u2019s a slightly lower rate than the general American population, where roughly 18% of adults reported living as a single parent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Researchers also found that personal income for veteran single parents was much higher than that of their civilian peers \u2014 about $42,000 annually for veterans compared to $24,000 for non-veterans. But individual incomes for veterans in two-parent households is about $60,000, more than 40% higher than single parent veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\t