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VA Benefits for Seniors
Aid & Attendance Explained | Assistance with Benefits

Aid & Attendance
This benefit has been available for decades, but has not been widely publicized. It is available to all active-duty veterans who served at least 90 days during a period of war. Applicants younger than age 65 must be totally disabled or a patient in a nursing home. Veterans younger than 65 receiving Social Security have a lesser burden of proof. Proof of disability is not required for applicants age 65 or over. Age is evidence by itself of disability. The purpose of this benefit is to provide supplemental income to disabled or older veterans who have a low income.

If the veteran’s income exceeds the pension amount, then there is no award. However, income can be adjusted for unreimbursed medical expenses, and this allows veterans with household incomes larger than the pension amount to qualify for a monthly benefit. For example, a veteran household earning $6,000 a month could still qualify for pension under the right circumstances. There is also an asset test to qualify for pension. The primary residence, most personal property and automobiles are exempt from this asset test.

Compensation and Pension claims are submitted on the same form and VA will consider paying either benefit. Generally, for applications associated with the cost of home care, assisted living, or nursing home care, the pension benefit is more money.

There are also several death benefit variations of the two disability incomes for single surviving spouses or dependent minor children or adult dependent children. Death Pension is a lesser amount based on the same rules for applying for a Living Pension claimant. In other words, the deceased veteran must have met the rules for Pension — with the exception of being totally disabled or over age 65 — or have been receiving Pension in order for his or her spouse to receive the lesser benefit.

In addition, in order to keep receiving the benefit, the surviving spouse must remain single.
Asset tests and income tests also apply to a death pension, and basically, all the rules are the same for obtaining the benefit as with the living veteran. Benefit levels are lower for a surviving spouse when compared to a single veteran. For example, a single veteran with no dependent children is entitled to an MAPR (Maximum Allowable Pension Rate) of $10,929 without aid and attendance and $18,234 with aid and attendance. In comparison, a surviving spouse is entitled to an MAPR of $7,329 without aid and attendance and $11,715 with aid and attendance.
(This information provided by Financial Security Designs - see below)
The current monthly benefit amounts are as follow:

• $1,842.00 per month for a Veteran and Spouse
• $1,554.00 per month for a Veteran
• $ 998.00 per month for a Surviving Spouse

There is also what's known as a housebound benefit up to $1,204.00 a month. Anyone can provide services including family members and be reimbursed for the expenses. It just needs to be legitimate expenses where there is actually payment made with full documentation.

Assistance with Benefits

A variety of organizations provide assistance with the VA application: