Does a purported insurance program offer U.S. veterans and servicemembers free home and appliance repairs? No, that's not true: The supposed insurance program is not associated with the U.S. government and free services aren't available. Although the U.S. government does offer special loan and grant programs for veterans to be put toward home repair, such programs do not give out "free money."
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook on August 2, 2023. The post included a link to a website and was captioned:
'When our AC broke down, I didn't know how to cover the repair. This plan saved us!' - Veterans & Servicemembers never pay for home/appliance repairs out of pocket again! Enrollment open until end of the year!
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Mon Jan 29 16:33:57 2024 UTC)
The link included in the post leads users to this website (archived here), a self-described advertorial by the company Military Life Insurance Group, a company that is not affiliated with the federal government. Additionally, the website states that the alleged home and appliance repair program would not be completely free; rather, those applying for the program would just get a $50 discount and one month free of a home warranty (archived here).
Screenshots of these purported offers are included below:
(Source: Military Life screenshot taken on Mon Jan 29 17:10:00 2024 UTC)
(Source: Choice Home Warranty screenshot taken on Mon Jan 29 12:11:54 2024 UTC)
However, the website containing resources about the U.S. government does not mention any veterans' benefits from Military Life Insurance Group nor Choice Home Warranty. A search for "Military Life Insurance Group" (archived here) and "Choice Home Warranty" (archived here) do not generate any results corroborating the claim on the website.
On a resource page titled "Home repair and improvement programs for special groups" (archived here) the U.S. government website states:
If you are a U.S. military veteran or service member, you might be eligible for:
- Cash-out refinance loans, which can be used to pay for home repairs and improvements
- Disability housing grants for veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities. The grants can help pay to buy or modify a home for independent living.
- Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grants for medically necessary changes to your home. These could include wider doors or accessible bathrooms.
None of the information linked in the section leads to the supposed home warranty program linked to in the post on Facebook.
The resource page also warns consumers about "free money" scams:
The federal government does not offer 'free money' to individuals to repair or improve their homes. Websites and ads claiming to offer 'free money from the government' are often scams.
Lead Stories has debunked several claims about fraudulent government benefits, many of which can be found here.
