Georgia family members, spouses included, can be paid a monthly VA caregiver stipend for a veteran's personal care through the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). In 2026, by our arithmetic from the federal pay table VA uses, the stipend is about $2,005 (Level One) or $3,209 (Level Two) a month if the veteran lives in one of 58 Atlanta-area counties, and about $1,896 or $3,034 a month in the rest of Georgia.,, To qualify for the PCAFC stipend, the veteran needs a VA disability rating of 70% or higher, and you apply together on one form, VA Form 10-10CG.,

In This Guide

How Much the VA Caregiver Stipend Pays in Georgia

If you're budgeting around this money, two things set its size: the veteran's Level and the county the veteran lives in. Under the federal regulation's formula, for a veteran in the current program, the Primary Family Caregiver gets the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) General Schedule grade 4, step 1 annual rate for the veteran's locality pay area, divided by 12, times 0.625 (Level One) or 1.00 (Level Two). The 2026 grade 4, step 1 rate is $38,502 a year on OPM's Atlanta table and $36,409 on its Rest of U.S. table.

Where the veteran lives 2026 GS-4, step 1 annual rate Monthly stipend rate (÷ 12) Level One (× 0.625) Level Two (× 1.00)
Atlanta locality pay area (58 Georgia counties) $38,502 $3,208.50 $2,005.31 $3,208.50
Any other Georgia county (Rest of U.S.) $36,409 $3,034.08 $1,896.30 $3,034.08

These amounts are our arithmetic from OPM's rates and the regulation's multipliers, not figures VA publishes, so ask your caregiver support team which Level VA assigned and rely on VA for your actual payment., When OPM updates the grade 4, step 1 rate, the stipend changes going forward from the date OPM makes the update effective.

Caregivers who were in PCAFC, or had applied, before October 1, 2020 (VA calls them the legacy cohort) are paid on a separate schedule set by the veteran's 2019 clinical ratings, with multipliers of 1.00, 0.625 or 0.25, and a veteran who qualifies both ways is paid the higher amount., Our national PCAFC guide walks through that schedule.

Which Georgia Counties Get the Atlanta Rate

OPM's 2026 locality definitions place these 58 Georgia counties in the Atlanta, Athens-Clarke County and Sandy Springs locality pay area:

Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Chattahoochee, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Jackson, Jasper, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Marion, Meriwether, Morgan, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Rabun, Rockdale, Spalding, Stephens, Stewart, Talbot, Taliaferro, Troup, Upson, Walton and White.

Every other Georgia county falls in OPM's Rest of U.S. area; Richmond, Columbia, Chatham, Bibb and Laurens counties are examples. OPM says its 2026 definitions are the same as in 2025.

Who Qualifies for the VA Caregiver Stipend in Georgia

VA lists four PCAFC requirements for the veteran: a VA disability rating (individual or combined) of 70% or higher; a discharge from the U.S. military or a date of medical discharge; a need for at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care services; and enrollment in VA health care. The regulation, 38 CFR 71.20(a), adds conditions VA checks during the application, including that care happens at home and that no other person or agency simultaneously and regularly provides the same personal care. If you're a spouse or adult child already helping every day, that means VA must find the veteran needs at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care, and that no other person or agency will simultaneously and regularly provide the same care you would.

A PCAFC Family Caregiver must be at least 18 and be the veteran's spouse, son, daughter, parent, stepfamily member or extended family member, or someone who lives with the veteran full time (or is willing to). A veteran can have one Primary and up to two Secondary Family Caregivers.

How to Apply From Georgia

  1. Fill out VA Form 10-10CG together. The veteran and the caregiver both sign.
  2. Submit it online, by mail to the 10-10CG Evidence Intake Center, PO Box 5154, Janesville, WI 53547-5154, or in person at the caregiver support team at your nearest VA medical center. Don't send medical records.
  3. Complete training and the home visit. The caregiver finishes caregiver education and training, and VA does a home-care assessment at the veteran's home. VA says it will assign you as a caregiver no later than 90 days after it gets your application. If the evaluations, training and home-care assessment aren't finished within 90 days of VA receiving the application, it is denied and you must reapply, though VA may extend the 90 days when the delay is solely VA's doing. Finish training promptly and ask your caregiver support team if anything is stalling.
  4. Set up direct deposit. VA says, "You must be enrolled in direct deposit using the VA customer engagement portal to get your monthly stipend."

A denial after all that work is hard, but it isn't the last word. If you disagree with VA's decision on your PCAFC application, you can appeal or request a review. VA-accredited Veterans Service Officers at the Georgia Department of Veterans Service help with claims and appeals at no charge (contact details below).

Georgia VA Caregiver Support Teams

A caregiver support coordinator at VA Atlanta, VA Augusta or VA Dublin health care can help you get VA caregiver assistance, match you with services and benefits, and connect you with local resources.

If you're unsure which team serves you, or the veteran gets care from another VA health care system, the national VA Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern) can connect you to your local team., The VA Caregiver Support Line isn't a crisis line; in a crisis, call 988 and press 1.

Other VA Help for Georgia Caregivers

Veteran-Directed Care gives a veteran a flexible budget to hire personal care aides, which VA says "might include their own family member or neighbor." It "is only available in certain locations," VA says, so ask the veteran's VA social worker. Because of the PCAFC rule on care provided by another entity, ask your caregiver support team before combining the stipend with any other paid care for the same veteran.

Aid and Attendance is a separate benefit: monthly payments added to a VA pension for a veteran or survivor who already qualifies for a pension and meets at least one of VA's need tests, such as needing another person's help with daily activities like bathing, feeding and dressing.

The Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) has field offices across the state staffed by VA-accredited Veterans Service Officers (404-656-2300 for directory assistance), and VA says an accredited VSO representative's help with your VA benefit claims is always free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the VA caregiver stipend taxable in Georgia?

VA says the monthly PCAFC stipend paid to a Primary Family Caregiver "is considered a non-taxable benefit, similar to Veteran disability payments." VA has also said the payments don't earn credits toward Social Security retirement, because they're non-taxable.

What happens to legacy caregivers in 2028?

A VA rule published September 29, 2025 extended the legacy cohort's PCAFC eligibility through September 30, 2028. VA says legacy-cohort PCAFC families won't see a stipend reduction based on a reassessment through September 30, 2028, with limited exceptions. If a reassessment finds a legacy-cohort veteran doesn't meet the current PCAFC criteria, the caregiver's discharge from PCAFC takes effect no earlier than 60 days after October 1, 2028.

Does the stipend change if the veteran moves within Georgia?

Yes, if the move crosses locality pay areas: the PCAFC rate follows the area where the veteran lives, so moving between an Atlanta-area county and a Rest of U.S. county switches the rate. Tell your caregiver support team about the move.

Learn More

CaregiverHow to Become a Georgia Paid Family CaregiverGeorgia pays family caregivers via Structured Family Caregiving (at least 60% of a $110.39 daily rate), CCSP, SOURCE, NOW/COMP, and VA programs. CaregiverHow to Get Paid to Care for Your Spouse in GeorgiaGeorgia's main Medicaid waivers bar a spouse as paid caregiver. The VA family caregiver stipend (PCAFC) can pay a spouse of a qualifying veteran rated 70%+. CaregiverCaregiver Programs in Georgia: A Complete DirectoryGeorgia caregiver programs: Structured Family Caregiving stipends, CCSP and SOURCE waiver limits, Area Agency on Aging respite, VA benefits, and a tax credit. VA BenefitsVA Caregiver Stipend (PCAFC): Who Qualifies, How Much, and How to ApplyThe VA caregiver stipend (PCAFC) pays an eligible veteran's Primary Family Caregiver monthly. See the real eligibility test, the 2026 math, and how to apply. VA BenefitsVA Veteran-Directed Care: How Veterans Can Hire Family as Paid CaregiversThe VA Veteran-Directed Care program gives enrolled veterans a budget to hire their own aides, possibly family. Who qualifies, how money moves, next steps. VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in GeorgiaVA Aid and Attendance in Georgia 2026: who qualifies, rates up to $29,093 a year, how to apply, and free help from the Georgia Department of Veterans Service.

Find personalized help planning VA caregiver pay for your Georgia veteran at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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