VA Aid and Attendance
The Veterans Benefits Administration, a department of the VA, provides tax-free monthly monetary benefits to qualified military veterans and their survivors in financial need. The Pension is a benefit available to veterans who do not have a service-related disability as a result of their military service.
Aid and Attendance is a monetary supplement that can be added to the VA Pension. The increased Help and Attendance amount is accessible to persons who require the “aid and attendance” of another person on a permanent basis for their typical daily living activities.
What Are the Requirements for Aid and Attendance for Veterans?
To be eligible for the Aid and Attendance benefit, you must have completed the following military service:
- You must have served at least 90 days of active duty, at least one of which was during a wartime period.
- You need to have been discharged with honor.
You must also meet at least one of the following physical requirements:
- You require the assistance of another person to execute and complete daily activities such as dressing, bathing, eating, and grooming.
- Due to illness, you stay in bed or spend the majority of the day in bed.
- Even with glasses or contact lenses, your vision is limited to 5/200, or you have a concentric visual field that is 5 degrees or less.
You may be eligible for this benefit if you meet the service requirements and at least one of the physical requirements for Aid and Attendance. To receive this benefit, you must also meet the income requirements.
Financial Requirements for Aid and Attendance
In December 2018, the VA established a clear maximum limit for applicants’ net worth of $123,600, excluding the applicant’s automobile, personal possessions, and property. The VA also adopted a three-year lookback period to determine if assets were sold below market value or gifted in a way that decreased net worth below the upper eligibility threshold. If this is the case, the initiation of VA pension benefit payments may be delayed (although not necessarily prohibited).
There is also a monthly countable income restriction. EditSign minus unreimbursed medical bills, out-of-pocket pharmaceutical costs, and Medicare and private health insurance premiums. The VA provides benefit amounts equal to the difference between the recipient’s taxable income and the monthly upper limit.
Additional Information about Aid and Attendance
Title 38 of the United States Code was passed by Congress in 1952, enabling certain benefits for veterans. The Non-Service Connected Pension with “Aid and Attendance” is one of these perks. It is also known as “Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefit,” “Aid and Attendance Pension,” or “Improved Pension with Aid and Attendance.”
During President George H. W. Bush’s presidency, the Veterans Administration (VA) was upgraded to a cabinet-level executive department in March 1989. The Veterans Administration was renamed the Department of Veterans Affairs and was still referred to as VA. The Veterans Administration (VA) now has three main branches: the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). A
You may be able to qualify for the “Aid and Attendance” benefit. If you want to use your VA Aid and Attendance funds primarily for home care in Maryland or the District of Columbia please contact us at (301) 882-4717 for more information.