Veterans Aid & Attendance

• We explain the qualifications for the Veterans Aid & Attendance benefit. Our team guides veterans and their families through the eligibility requirements.
• We work with families, community agencies, and trusted advisors. This may include attorneys, CPAs, and powers of attorney. We also review net worth and annual income guidelines set by the VA.
• Sometimes veterans need legal or tax support. In those cases, we refer them to trusted professionals. This helps manage asset transfers or estate planning when needed.
• We can help transfer, manage, and maintain assets. Our goal is to support the health care, maintenance, and well-being of veterans and their spouses.
• Assist Veterans, surviving spouses, and loved ones in properly document health care requirements, military service, marital status, current income, net worth, and other requirements that may need to be evaluated for the VA benefit.
  Actively participate in the completion and submission of the application for the VA Enhanced Pension with "Aid & Attendance".
• We stay in regular contact with veterans, their spouses, and powers of attorney. Our team also provides financial service guidance to help support the veteran or surviving spouse.

Congress through the Department of Veterans Affairs enacted an entitlement program in the early 1950's known as The Enhanced Pension with "Veterans Aid & Attendance" Benefit. This program may, to eligible veterans and surviving spouses, offset the costs of:

• Enhanced Independent Living
• Home Health Care
• Assisted Living
• Nursing Home

Basic Eligibility Requirements

Wartime veterans may qualify if they meet these requirements:

• Served at least 90 consecutive days on active duty
• Served at least one day during a wartime period
• Received a discharge other than dishonorable
• Have countable income and assets below VA limits
• Are age 65 or older, or need assistance with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

Surviving spouses are also eligible. They must have been married for at least one complete year and could not have been divorced prior to the Veteran's death.

VA Pension is a benefit for wartime veterans who have limited or no income. Veterans can receive this benefit if they are 65 years or older. Veterans under 65 may also qualify if they are permanently and totally disabled. Some veterans may qualify for Aid & Attendance or Housebound benefits. These benefits provide additional financial support. The VA pays them in addition to the basic pension rate.

You may qualify for this benefit if you meet the following conditions:

• You received a discharge other than dishonorable.
• You served at least 90 consecutive days of active duty, with at least one day during a wartime period.
• If you entered active duty after September 7, 1980, you must usually serve at least 24 months or the full period ordered for active duty. (Some exceptions apply.)
• Your countable family income must stay below the yearly limit set by Congress.
• You must be 65 years or older, or partially, totally, or permanently disabled.
• You may also qualify if you meet one or more Activities of Daily Living (ADL) requirements

Need Help Determining Your Eligibility?

Many factors can affect your eligibility for VA pension benefits. If you are unsure about your qualification, it is best to speak with an experienced advisor before submitting an application. Our team can review your situation and help you understand your options. This step is especially important if your countable income is close to the maximum limit.

The VA will review your application and notify you about your eligibility. If you do not qualify at first, you may apply again. This often happens when unreimbursed medical expenses (UME) reduce your countable income during the 12-month period after filing a claim. Unreimbursed medical expenses include payments for medical services or products that Medicare or private insurance does not cover. Our experienced team understands how to document these expenses. We can guide you through different scenarios to help meet the income eligibility requirements.

This includes income received by the veteran and his or her dependents, if any, from most sources. It includes earnings, rental income, disability and retirement payments, interest and dividends, and net income from farming or a business.

There is a presumption that all of a child's income is available to or for the veteran. VA may grant an exception in hardship cases.

Net worth means the net value of the assets of the veteran and his or her dependents. It includes such assets as bank accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and any property other than the veteran's residence and a reasonable lot area. There is no set limit on how much net worth a veteran and his dependents can have, but net worth cannot be deemed excessive. The decision as to whether a claimant's net worth is excessive depends on the facts of each individual case.

All net worth should be reported and VA will determine if a claimant's assets are sufficiently large that the claimant could live off these assets for a reasonable period of time. VA's needs-based programs are not intended to protect substantial assets or build up an estate for the benefit of heirs. The IRS life expectancy tables can be used to determine what is deemed excessive and various estate and asset transfer techniques can be used to meet eligibility requirements.

Yes, there are exclusions. The following are examples of what may be excluded:

• Public assistance such as Supplemental Security Income is not considered income.
• Many other specific sources of income are not considered income, however, all income should be reported. VA will exclude any income that the law allows.
• A portion of unreimbursed medical expenses paid by the claimant after VA receives the claimant's pension claim may be deducted. (These are expense you have paid for medical services or products for which you will not be reimbursed by Medicare or private medical insurance).
• Certain other expenses, such as a veteran's education expenses, and in some cases, a portion of the educational expenses of a child over 18 are deductible.
• Medicare Part B deduction premium withheld from Social Security
• Private Supplemental Insurances

Your annual pension is calculated by first totaling all your countable income. Then any deductions are subtracted from that total. The remaining countable income is deducted from the appropriate annual pension limit which is determined by the number of your dependents, if any, and whether or not you are entitled to housebound or aid and attendance benefits. This amount is then divided by 12 and rounded down to the nearest dollar. This gives you the amount of your monthly payment.

• Veteran's Aid and Attendance (A&A) is a benefit paid in addition to monthly pension. This benefit may not be paid without eligibility to pension. A veteran may be eligible for A&A when:
• The veteran requires the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting himself/herself from the hazards of his/her daily environment, OR,
• The veteran is bedridden, in that his/her disability or disabilities requires that he/she remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment, OR,
• The veteran is a patient of a Home Health Care organization, independent living community receiving a service(s), assisted living facility, or nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity, OR,
• The veteran is blind, or so nearly blind as to have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less, in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.
• The veteran has a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling AND, due to such disability, he/she is permanently and substantially confined to his/her immediate premises, OR,
• The veteran has a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling AND, another disability, or disabilities, evaluated as 60 percent or more disabling.
• Housebound is paid in addition to monthly pension. Like A&A, Housebound benefits may not be paid without eligibility to pension. A veteran may be eligible for Housebound benefits when:

A veteran cannot receive both Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits at the same time.

• You may apply for Veterans Aid & Attendance or Housebound benefits by writing to the VA regional office having jurisdiction of the claim. That would be the office where you filed a claim for pension benefits. If the regional office of jurisdiction is not known, you may file the request with any VA regional office.
• You should include copies of any evidence, preferably a report from an attending physician validating the need for Veterans Aid and Attendance or Housebound type care.
• The report should be in sufficient detail to determine whether there is disease or injury producing physical or mental impairment, loss of coordination, or conditions affecting the ability to dress and undress, to feed oneself, to attend to sanitary needs, and to keep oneself ordinarily clean and presentable.
• In addition, it is necessary to determine whether the claimant is confined to the home or immediate premises.
• Whether the claim is for Aid and Attendance or Housebound, the report should indicate how well the individual gets around, where the individual goes, and what he or she is able to do during a typical day.

You cannot receive a VA non-service-connected pension and service-connected compensation at the same time. However, if you apply for pension and are awarded payments, VA will pay you whichever benefit is the greater amount.

FAQ – Veterans Aid & Attendance Benefits

What is the Veterans Aid & Attendance benefit?

Veterans Aid & Attendance is an additional financial benefit from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. It is paid to eligible wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily living activities such as bathing, dressing, or personal care. This benefit is added to the regular VA pension.

Who qualifies for Veterans Aid & Attendance benefits?

A veteran may qualify if they served at least 90 consecutive days on active duty with at least one day during a wartime period. The veteran must also have a discharge other than dishonorable and meet income, asset, and medical care requirements.

Can surviving spouses receive Veterans Aid & Attendance?

Yes. Surviving spouses may qualify for this benefit if they were married to the veteran for at least one year before the veteran’s death and meet the VA income and asset requirements.

What is the difference between Aid & Attendance and Housebound benefits?

Aid & Attendance benefits support veterans who need help with daily activities or personal care. Housebound benefits support veterans who have severe disabilities that limit them to their homes. A veteran cannot receive both benefits at the same time.

What income counts toward VA pension eligibility?

Countable income includes most sources of income received by the veteran and their dependents. This may include employment earnings, retirement payments, rental income, dividends, and business income.

What expenses can reduce countable income for VA pension?

Certain expenses can reduce countable income. These may include unreimbursed medical expenses, Medicare premiums, private health insurance costs, and some education expenses.

Is there a net worth limit for VA pension benefits?

The VA does not set a strict net worth limit. However, the VA reviews each case to determine whether a veteran’s assets are excessive. The VA considers whether the veteran can reasonably live off those assets over time.

How does the VA calculate monthly pension payments?

The VA calculates the pension by subtracting countable income from the maximum annual pension limit. After deductions and adjustments, the VA divides the remaining amount by 12 to determine the monthly benefit payment.

How do veterans apply for Aid & Attendance benefits?

Veterans can apply by submitting a claim to a VA regional office. The application should include medical documentation and a physician’s report that explains the need for daily care or home confinement.

Can a veteran receive both VA pension and disability compensation?

A veteran cannot receive both benefits at the same time. If the veteran qualifies for both programs, the VA will pay the benefit that provides the higher monthly payment.