What Washington Is Really Doing for Veterans Right Now

July 2, 2026

In the first edition of The Give and Take, we set the ground rules:

A bill is not a benefit.

A hearing is not a law.

And a headline does not always tell you what actually changed for a Veteran or a military family.

This is the second installment, and the picture is becoming clearer.

There is one meaningful VA home-loan tool that is real and available now for borrowers who are struggling.

There is also a proposal moving through Washington that could make certain VA refinances and loan assumptions more expensive in the future.

That is the Give and the Take.

Since Our Last Update

The biggest development is not coming from a press conference or a congressional hearing.

It is already live.

The VA Partial Claim Program is now available for certain Veterans who are behind on a VA mortgage because of a temporary hardship.

At the same time, the proposal to raise the VA IRRRL funding fee remains a proposal. It has not changed what a Veteran pays for an IRRRL today.

That distinction matters.

One is help you may be able to use now.

The other is something you need to watch.

The Give: A New Option for Veterans Behind on a VA Mortgage

The VA Partial Claim Program gives some delinquent VA borrowers another path to avoid foreclosure.

This is not a refinance.

It is not loan forgiveness.

And it is not automatic.

The program is designed for a Veteran who has experienced a hardship, fallen behind on mortgage payments, and is now in a position to resume making the regular monthly mortgage payment.

Here is the basic process:

• The mortgage servicer identifies a borrower who may qualify.
• The borrower completes a three-month trial payment plan.
• If the borrower makes those payments successfully, the program may be used to bring the VA loan current.
• The missed-payment amount is handled through the VA partial claim and is generally repaid when the mortgage is paid off, refinanced, or the property is sold.

The practical advantage is simple.

A Veteran may not have to come up with every missed mortgage payment in one lump sum just to save the home.

For a family hit by illness, job loss, reduced income, insurance increases, taxes, or another temporary hardship, that can be a major difference.

What Veterans Should Do

If you are behind on a VA mortgage, call your servicer and ask for a complete review of every available option under the VA Loss Mitigation Waterfall.

Be specific:

“I have a VA-guaranteed mortgage and want a complete review of my foreclosure-prevention options, including the VA Partial Claim Program.”

The program is new, and some servicers are still building it into their systems. Do not let that discourage you from asking for a full review now.

The Take: A Proposal Could Raise the Cost of IRRRLs and VA Assumptions

The House has passed H.R. 6047, a bill intended to expand certain benefits for severely disabled Veterans, survivors, and some Reserve and Guard members.

That is the potential Give.

But the bill also proposes to help fund those expanded benefits by increasing certain VA home-loan fees.

Under the proposal, the current 0.50% VA funding fee for an IRRRL, often called an “Earl,” could rise to approximately 1.4%.

The fee for assuming an existing VA loan could rise from 0.50% to 1.0%.

This is important, but it needs to be stated clearly:

This is not law.

The current VA funding fee for an IRRRL remains 0.50%.

No Veteran closing an IRRRL today is being charged the proposed higher fee simply because this bill exists.

Still, the proposal matters because a higher fee could change the economics of a future refinance for a Veteran who is not exempt from the funding fee.

Another Item to Watch: VA Home Loan Affordability

The VA Home Loan Affordability Act is another proposal worth watching.

Its stated goal is to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, modernize the VA loan process, and make VA financing more competitive in today’s housing market.

That is a worthwhile goal.

But it is still a proposal.

The House hearing scheduled to review the bill was postponed, and no new underwriting, appraisal, closing-cost, or VA loan rules have changed because of it.

For now, Veterans and real estate professionals should treat it as a watch-list item, not a new benefit or new rule.

What Is Real Today

Here is the scorecard as of July 2, 2026:

• The VA Partial Claim Program is real and may help some Veterans who are behind on a VA mortgage avoid foreclosure.
• A borrower must successfully complete a three-month trial payment plan before receiving a partial claim.
• The current VA IRRRL funding fee remains 0.50%.
• A higher IRRRL funding fee is proposed, but it is not law.
• A higher VA assumption fee is proposed, but it is not law.
• The VA Home Loan Affordability Act remains under discussion. No new VA loan rules have taken effect from it.

Bottom Line

The real story is not that Washington is talking.

Washington is always talking.

The real story is that one important VA foreclosure-prevention tool is now available for Veterans who need help, while another proposal could make some future VA loan transactions more expensive.

That is why Veterans need a running update, not a one-time headline.

The Give and Take will continue to separate what is available today from what may happen tomorrow.

Clay Edmonds is the Corporate Educator and Complete Mortgage Advisor at Complete Mortgage LLC in Hollywood, Florida, and the creator of MortgageSimplified.net. With over four decades of experience in real estate finance, Clay focuses on simplifying the mortgage process and helping borrowers and real estate professionals make smarter financing decisions. Solutions@MortgageSimplified.net