A Guide to the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit

VA Aid and Attendance provides a substantial monthly payment on top of existing VA pensions for eligible veterans and surviving spouses. This supplemental income is added to the VA Pension or Survivors Pension to help cover the cost of long-term senior care.

What types of senior care does the VA Aid and Attendance benefit cover?

Older veterans or their surviving spouses who can no longer manage their care independently can use VA Aid and Attendance benefits to help cover the cost of assisted living, memory care, a nursing home, or in-home care services.

Any senior living community can help a veteran or their surviving spouse so long as that community provides 24-hour staffing and the veteran requires assistance with at least two of the six activities of daily living (ADLs) allowed by the VA, explains Suzette Graham, founder and CEO of Patriot Angels, a trusted partner of A Place for Mom

A veteran needs to meet specific care requirements, such as needing someone to help them with activities of daily living. Secondly, to receive a VA Aid and Attendance benefit, you or your senior loved one must first be receiving the basic VA pension.^[01]

To qualify for the basic VA pension, veterans must meet all of the following requirements:^[02]

• They must not have been dishonorably discharged.
• They must have served on active duty before Sept. 8, 1980, for at least 90 days, with at least one day during wartime, or served on active duty after Sept. 7, 1980, for 24 months, with at least one day during wartime.
• They must be at least 65, have a permanent disability, live in a nursing home due to a disability, or receive Social Security Disability or Supplemental Security Income.

Service requirements

The VA considers the following as wartime periods:^[02]

Financial Requirements

To qualify for VA benefits, the veteran’s net worth must fall below $155,356. This limit set by Congress lasts until November 30, 2024, and the limit may change annually.^[03]

Your loved one’s net worth generally includes the following:

• Annual income, including salary, bonuses, commissions, tips, Social Security benefits, retirement payments, and any income a spouse or dependents may receive.
• Assets, including personal property like land and investments, but excluding your loved one’s primary residence, basic home items, eligible care, and vehicle (not counted as an asset).^[03]

Clinical Requirements

In addition to these VA pension requirements, a veteran’s situation must fit one of the following descriptions to be eligible for the additional Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit:

• The veteran needs a caregiver to assist with activities of daily living (ADLs), like dressing, showering, or toileting.
• The veteran is bedridden as the result of an illness.
• The veteran lives in a nursing home due to a physical or cognitive disability.
• The veteran’s vision is 5/200 or less in both eyes or the veteran has a visual field of 5 degrees or fewer.^[01]

Read more:VA Benefits Financial Eligibility: Who Qualifies for Veterans Long-Term Care Benefits?

A VA pension with an upgrade of Aid and Attendance is most commonly awarded through direct deposit to the veteran or survivor’s bank account, says Graham. There are credit unions and veteran-friendly banks for any person who doesn’t have a bank account but wishes to receive their payment through direct deposit.

Let our care assessment guide you

Veterans can apply through the VA. There are many ways to reach out to the VA for assistance, including the following:

• Ask VA, an online tool
• The VA chatbot, a virtual help agent
• Local VA locations

For those who prefer to reach out via telephone, the following hotlines can provide assistance:

• MyVA411 at 1-800-698-2411
• VA benefits hotline at 1-800-827-1000

If you are a veteran or family member who utilizes TTY, please dial 711 for further assistance.

While veterans and their families can complete a successful application on their own, sometimes extra support can be helpful.

Veterans’ organizations like the VFW, American Legion, and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), which have local posts and chapters in most cities, provide assistance filling out Aid and Attendance forms for no cost. Elder law attorneys can also assist veterans and their families with their application.

Seniors can also receive expert advice from A Place for Mom’s trusted, VA-accredited partner Patriot Angels (1-833-879-6017).

Note: A Place for Mom may be compensated if you choose to use Patriot Angels’ services.

For help with navigating senior care, older adults and their families can reach out to A Place for Mom’s Senior Living Advisors. These thoughtful experts can help you understand care options available in your area and set up community tours – all at no cost to you and your family.

Processing time varies. It’s difficult to identify a timeframe of when an approval may be received. Claims are typically processed in the order that they are received. However, some veterans may qualify for priority processing under specific conditions determined by the VA.

VA Housebound benefits are designed to help permanently disabled veterans receive care while they’re confined to their homes. Similar to VA Aid and Attendance benefits, the veteran must first meet eligibility requirements and be receiving a VA pension or Survivors Pension to qualify for Housebound benefits.^[01]

Veterans may be eligible for housebound benefits if they receive a monthly VA pension; have a permanent, service-related disability; and spend nearly all their time at home for health reasons. However, veterans can’t receive this benefit and Aid and Attendance at the same time.^[01]

A VA pension with an upgrade of the Housebound benefit can be difficult to receive, says Graham. However, this shouldn’t stop someone from applying. The VA Housebound benefit money can be used at the veteran’s discretion once they qualify and is a great option for any veteran seeking care from the comfort of their own home.

Talk with a Senior Living Advisor

The VA Aid and Attendance program helps with senior living and in-home care affordability — making daily assistance more attainable for many veterans and their families. For more information, download our VA Benefits and Long-Term Care: Guide to Aid & Attendance e-book.

Note: This article is for informational purposes only. A Place for Mom doesn’t provide legal advice for benefits applications. For professional legal advice, please consult with an elder law attorney or VA-accredited claims representative of your choice. Additionally, VA eligibility requirements may change over time.