Assisted Living Advisors of Acadiana
Veteran's Aid and Attendance
Guide to Aid and Attendance
Veterans who have honorably served our great country could possibly be eligible for the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Pension. This is available to both Veteran’s and their spouses to help pay for the cost of care for home health care, assisted living, or nursing home care. Because of this benefit, we’re often able to help increase the monthly budget available to help Veteran’s and their families find more suitable long-term living options.
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Eligibility Requirements - Wartime Service
First and foremost, a Veteran must have served in active duty for a minimum of 90 days. At least one of those days must have been during a period of war. Veterans also need to have been granted either an honorable discharge or one that's classified as other than dishonorable. A Veteran need not to have served in a combat role in order to be eligible. The VA defines “period of war” the following way:
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World War II: December 7, 1941 – December 31, 1946
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Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950 – January 31, 1955
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Vietnam Era: August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975; for Veterans serving “in country” before that starting date, the period is extended to February 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975
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Gulf War: August 2, 1990 – a set date to be determined by Presidential Proclamation or federal law
Gulf War Veterans are a special case, as the conflict as of 2021 is still ongoing. Service requirements for these Veterans is either 24 months or the completion of their active-duty requirement, whichever is met first. If the Veteran is deceased, surviving family members are eligible if the Veteran met those same requirements prior to their death.
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Other Requirements
There are other requirements to be eligible for the Aid and Allowance pension besides simply serving during wartime. Veterans under the age of 65 must be totally disabled to qualify, and applications for Aid and Allowance need to be accompanied by medical evidence to that effect. Single surviving spouses do not have to meet these requirements, of course, and neither does the deceased Veteran prior to their death, regardless of their age at the time. A surviving spouse does need to have been married to the Veteran at the time of their death, must be single while applying, and must not have remarried after November 1, 1990.
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It’s almost a foregone conclusion that a Veteran or their surviving spouse will not receive Aid and Attendance without a medical need for assistance or supervision as a result of disability. This is where the medical ratings of “housebound” or “aid and attendance” come into play. Either one of these medical ratings adds additional allowances on top of basic benefits
Income and Asset Limits
Final requirements for qualifying for VA Aid and Allowance include income limits. A Veteran’s household income, or that of their spouse, has to be below the Maximum Allowable Pension Rate (MAPR) as defined by the VA. These are variable, according to your circumstances; for example, a disabled Veteran without any dependents that also meets the “aid and attendance” medical rating can earn as much as $22,939 a year under the 2019-20 MAPR. Rates change all the time, however, so this figure may not always be accurate.
Meanwhile, VA Aid and Allowance pensions also have an asset limit. The 2019-20 net worth limit is $129,094, though this limit is increased by a percentage every year that coincides with Social Security’s annual COLA increase. As far as the VA is concerned, a Veteran’s “new worth” is the entirety of a Veteran’s assets plus what the VA calls “income for VA purposes” (IVAP). This includes the income of spouses or dependent children in specific circumstances. However, this asset test excludes a personal residence sitting on a property of up to 2 acres, personal property, and personal-use automobiles.
Benefit Overview
Surviving Spouse $1,432 / month
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Single Veteran $2,229 / month
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Married Veteran $2,642 / month
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Two Married Veterans $3,536 / month
Click Here to Apply