If you are Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran you may be entitled to collect an additional $1,000-2,000 tax-free per month. Many Veterans are unaware of the VA Pension with Aid & Attendance benefit available through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Aid & Attendance is designed to help offset health care costs if you are facing the challenge of paying for care while maintaining your quality of life.
What is Aid & Attendance?
Aid & Attendance is a healthcare pension available to Veterans and their spouses that assists in paying unreimbursed medical expenses such as:
- In-home care
- Assisted living
- Nursing home care
Eligibility Requirements
There are some basic requirements to be eligible for Aid & Attendance. These requirements are age, health, and service-related. To get the benefit a Veteran must:
- Be 65+ or 100% disabled. (There is no age requirement for surviving spouses.)
- Have served 90 consecutive days active military duty & at least 1 day of active duty during a war period (before 1980*).
- Must have received other than dishonorable discharge.
- Must need assistance with at least 2 activities of daily living (ex: bathing, dressing/undressing, feeding, toileting, transferring).
*Veterans serving after 1980 must have served at least 24 months.
There are also limits on income and assets, but we have planning techniques available to structure income and assets so that Veterans and surviving spouses can still qualify for the benefit.
If you feel that your income and assets may exceed the eligibility limit, but are interested in applying for Aid & Attendance, we can help!
What Happens After I Apply for the Benefit?
The approval process for Aid & Attendance can take months. The good news is, once approved, payments are retroactive almost to the date of application. So there is an advantage to applying as soon you can.
Questions? Contact an Accredited Veterans Aid & Attendance Attorney.
Be careful when seeking information about the Aid & Attendance benefit. Well-meaning VA representatives unintentionally give out incorrect information about this benefit much of the time when contacted. That alone is a good reason to seek professional advice.
If you are or know a Veteran (or surviving spouse) who needs help managing the cost of long-term care, call us today!