How to Fill Out and Submit AER Form 57: Income, Expenses, Balance

AER Form 57 is the Budget Planning Sheet that soldiers, retirees, and eligible family members complete when applying for Army Emergency Relief financial assistance. The one-page form captures monthly income and expenses so an AER officer can decide whether a loan, grant, or combination fits your situation. You fill it out alongside AER Form 101, the main Application for Financial Assistance, and submit both together, either in person at your installation’s AER office or through the Army’s electronic application.1Army Emergency Relief. AER Form 57 – Budget Planning Sheet

What to Have on Hand Before You Start

Use monthly averages on every line, not the amount that happens to be due right now. A single high electric bill or a month with extra shifts skews the picture and slows review. If you are transitioning to medical retirement, enter the projected income figures provided by your Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officer (PEBLO) rather than your current pay.1Army Emergency Relief. AER Form 57 – Budget Planning Sheet

Pull a few months of bank statements and LES printouts before you sit down with the form. Working from real numbers keeps the totals traceable and prevents the most common cause of rework: a budget that doesn’t add up. If it doesn’t, the AER officer will ask you to redo it, which delays the assistance you came for.

The Client ID field at the top may be pre-filled by your AER officer, or you may be told to leave it blank until your case is opened. Put your name in the Name field.

Completing the Income Section

The top half of Form 57 lists every income source the Army considers relevant. Fill in only the lines that apply, but account for all household money coming in, not just military pay. The income lines on the form are:1Army Emergency Relief. AER Form 57 – Budget Planning Sheet

  • Military or retired pay from DFAS, including base pay, BAH, BAS, and other regular pay on your LES
  • VA disability compensation
  • Civilian salary or earnings, including off-duty work and a working spouse’s pay
  • CRSC (Combat-Related Special Compensation)
  • Social Security, with separate lines for Social Security Disability, Social Security Retirement, and general Social Security
  • Education benefits, including GI Bill housing allowance and VocRehab subsistence
  • Survivor and dependent benefits: DIC, SBP, VA Widow Tax Pension, and child support received
  • Government assistance: SNAP (food stamps) and WIC
  • Other sources: rental income, investment income, help from family, dependent children’s income, and a catch-all “other” line

Enter a monthly average for each line that applies, add them, and write the total in the Total Income field. Lines that don’t apply can stay blank or read zero.

Completing the Expenses Section

The bottom half is longer. The point is to show where every dollar goes in a typical month. Categories on the form:1Army Emergency Relief. AER Form 57 – Budget Planning Sheet

  • Housing: rent or mortgage
  • Food: groceries, with a separate line for meals eaten out
  • Utilities: separate lines for electric, water and sewer, cable, internet, home heating oil or gas, home phone, trash, and cell phone
  • Vehicle: maintenance, payments for up to two vehicles, and fuel or public transportation
  • Insurance: life, vehicle, renter’s or homeowner’s, health, and dental
  • Children: child care, school expenses, and child support paid
  • Medical and dental costs not covered by TRICARE or other insurance
  • Debt payments: up to three credit cards, up to three personal loans, and student loans, each on its own line
  • Investments and savings: TSP or IRA contributions, mutual funds or stocks, and savings deposits
  • Taxes: federal income, state income, Medicare, Social Security, and local
  • Other: recreation, church or charitable giving, clothing, incidentals and supplies, garnishments, and a general “other” line

Same rule as the income side: monthly averages. If your car insurance bills every six months, divide by six for the monthly figure. Add everything and enter the total in the Total Expenses field.

Balance and Notes

Subtract Total Expenses from Total Income and write the result in the Balance field. Circle “+” or “−” to show whether the balance is a surplus or deficit. A negative balance is not disqualifying; it’s often the reason someone is applying in the first place. What matters is that the numbers are honest and traceable to your financial records.1Army Emergency Relief. AER Form 57 – Budget Planning Sheet

Use the Notes section at the bottom to explain anything unusual: a temporary reduction in income, a one-time emergency expense that pushed the budget into the red, or another factor that a raw monthly number doesn’t convey.

How to Submit Form 57

Form 57 is not submitted on its own. It goes in with AER Form 101, the main Application for Financial Assistance, which collects your personal information, the nature of the emergency, and the amount you are requesting.2Army Emergency Relief. Application for Financial Assistance Two options:

  • In person at your installation’s Army Community Service (ACS) center or AER section. The AER officer will review the forms with you, ask questions, and may request supporting documents such as LES printouts, bills, or a lease.
  • Electronically. The Army now offers an electronic application that lets eligible soldiers apply without visiting an office. Check with your unit or installation ACS for the current portal link and login instructions.3U.S. Army. Soldiers Can Now Apply for AER Assistance Electronically

What Slows a Review Down

AER officers see hundreds of these budget sheets, and the ones that get held up share the same problems. Round numbers on every line look estimated rather than documented. Missing categories that clearly apply, like a blank cell phone line when you have a cell phone, raise questions. Income or expense figures that don’t line up with the supporting documents will send the form back for revision. Twenty extra minutes pulling real figures from your statements avoids all three.

If your financial situation changes between submission and decision, tell your AER officer. A budget sheet that no longer reflects your circumstances can change the type or amount of assistance offered. AER help comes as an interest-free loan, a grant, or a combination, and Form 57 is the primary tool used to decide which.