The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or SCRA, is a federal law that gives certain protections for Servicemembers who are called to active military duty. Under the SCRA, a Servicemember may suspend or postpone certain civil obligations so he or she can focus on performing their military duties. The SCRA helps lessen the economic and financial burden that falls on spouses and family members when a Servicemember reports to active duty.
The SCRA covers active Servicemembers in the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, National Guard or Navy. It also provides protections for reservists on active federal service duty, as well as some protections to the dependents of active servicemembers. Protections include:
- Life and health insurance protection
- Installment contract protection
- Automobile and residential lease termination provisions
- Protection from eviction
- Temporary relief from mortgage payments
- Tax reliefs
- Interest rate caps
- Stay of judicial proceedings
You can find more information about SCRA at the Armed Forces Legal Assistance (AFLA) website at https://legalassistance.law.af.mil. Your elder law attorney may also have information on SCRA and how it can help you if you are called to active military duty.
