Military Family Basic Needs Allowance

Updated: October 25, 2022

The Department of Defense approved a new basic needs allowance (BNA) for military service members below a certain income threshold, according to a Sept. 22, 2022 memorandum from Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.

In the memo, Austin instructed DOD to provide the basic needs allowance beginning Jan. 1, 2023, along with an immediate BAH increase for service members living in highly inflated housing markets.

Who Receives a Basic Needs Allowance?

The BNA is a taxable allowance designed to bolster some active-duty military members’ gross household income to 130% of the federal poverty level, according to DOD.

Service members qualify for this allowance if their total household income – including their spouse’s – is less than 130% of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guideline.

How Much Is the Basic Needs Allowance?

BNA is an income-based allowance, so there’s no single answer to this. A service member whose family earns $3,000 less than 130% of the HHS poverty threshold will receive a $3,000 BNA. A service member making $200 less will receive $200.

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Keep in mind, different HHS poverty thresholds apply for the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii.

While HHS poverty guidelines for 2023 are not yet available, 2022 guidelines may offer some idea of next year’s BNA allowance thresholds.

2022 Basic Needs Allowance Charts

Federal Poverty Thresholds for the Continental United States

Household Size	Federal Poverty Threshold	130% of Federal Poverty Threshold
One Person	$13,590	$17,667
Two People	$18,310	$23,803
Three People	$23,030	$29,939
Four People	$27,750	$36,075
Five People	$32,470	$42,211
Six People	$37,190	$48,347
Seven People	$41,910	$54,483
Eight People	$46,630	$60,619
Each Additional Person (Over Eight People)	$4,720	$6,136

Federal Poverty Thresholds for Hawaii

Household Size	Federal Poverty Threshold	130% of Federal Poverty Threshold
One Person	$15,630	$20,319
Two People	$21,060	$27,378
Three People	$26,490	$34,437
Four People	$31,920	$41,496
Five People	$37,350	$48,555
Six People	$42,780	$55,614
Seven People	$48,210	$62,673
Eight People	$53,640	$69,732
Each Additional Person (Over Eight People)	$5,900	$7,670

Federal Poverty Thresholds for Alaska

Household Size	Federal Poverty Threshold	130% of Federal Poverty Threshold
One Person	$16,990	$22,087
Two People	$22,890	$29,757
Three People	$28,790	$37,427
Four People	$34,690	$45,097
Five People	$40,590	$52,767
Six People	$46,490	$60,437
Seven People	$52,390	$68,107
Eight People	$58,290	$75,777
Each Additional Person (Over Eight People)	$5,900	$7,670

Addressing Financial Needs

“The Department of Defense has a sacred obligation to take care of our Service members
and families,” Austin said in his memorandum. “Doing so is a national security imperative. Our military families provide the strong foundation for our force, and we owe them our full support.”

The basic needs allowance program, coupled with DOD-ordered commissary price reductions, will help fill the cracks to eliminate poverty and food insecurity among military members.

Military pay and allowances like BAH and BAS count against military families’ eligibility for government assistance, including the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), according to the Department of Agriculture’s food and nutrition service.

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Written by Brittany Crocker

Brittany Crocker is Veteran.com’s managing editor and serves as the publication’s veteran review board president. She is a veteran with over 11 years of military service and equal time working in civilian journalism and media. Crocker received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and was a 2016-2017 White House Press Correspondents Association scholar. During her early journalism career, Crocker worked to expose organized crime, hate groups and deadly regulatory oversights in the childcare, aviation and tourism industries. Her award-winning columns, narrative features and investigations have spanned multiple coverage areas and influenced life-saving policy changes. Now she’s on a mission to serve her fellow veterans and service members digestible, researched and credible finance and benefit information.