VA Aid and Attendance Benefits Explained
Aid and Attendance is a frequently used phrase used to describe a benefit that might be available to a veteran as part of the VA’s disability pension, or to the surviving spouse of a Veteran as part of the VA’s death pension - as long as the veterans served at least 90 days of active duty and at least one of those days was served during war time.
What Aid and Attendance provides veterans and their spouses with is the ability to pay for assistance that may be needed in the home. Certain income requirements must be met, which basically means that low income veterans will be able to benefit from Aid and Attendance significantly, as well as veterans who properly structure their assets. Even if nursing home assistance is needed, the VA Aid and Attendance program will be able to pay for that. All you have to do is qualify.
You already know that you have to be a war-time veteran who served at least 90 days with one of those days being during a war. So if youre a war-time veteran, the requirements are not extremely strict in that area. The rest comes in the way of verifying that you have a medical condition that requires you to have help within the home. You also have to prove that your income is low enough by providing information on all of your income sources.
For 2009 the maximum annual benefit for those qualifying for the Aid & Attendance level of pension is:
Surviving Spouse of a Veteran: $12,681
Veteran with no Spouse or dependent children: $19,736
A married Veteran where the Veteran requires care: $23,396
If the Veteran is healthy, but their Spouse requires care, then the Veteran qualifies for a regular pension only: $15,493
From here, a veteran and/or their spouse is able to receive assistance with everyday tasks and it will be paid for. These tasks include simple things such as bathing, taking care of nature when it calls, assistance with food and eating, assistance with getting dressed and undressed, and any other activities that need to be taken care of. Nursing home care is also paid for when the veteran and/or surviving spouse is mentally or physically incapacitated.
The Aid and Attendance pension program is certainly unique in that it is specific in what it provides veterans and their spouses. That is why it is important to meet all of the specifications set forth by the VA for the Aid and Attendance program. Unfortunately, there are individuals not aware of this pension program and how it can help them take care of home health and nursing home costs.