VA Aid and Attendance for Veterans and Surviving Spouses
VA Aid and Attendance can help a wartime veteran or surviving spouse pay for care at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing home. An accredited representative on Dave's team handles the claim, and Dave helps your family fit the benefit into your plan for care.
What VA Aid and Attendance Is
Aid and Attendance is an added monthly amount paid on top of a VA pension. It is for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, or getting around safely, or who live in a nursing home because of a disability.
It is a different benefit from VA disability compensation. The care need does not have to come from military service. What matters is wartime service, the help your loved one needs now, and the family's financial picture.
The VA also has a Housebound benefit for people who are mostly confined to home. A person can receive Aid and Attendance or Housebound, but not both.
Who May Qualify for VA Aid and Attendance
The VA looks at service, health, and money. Each of these needs to line up.
Wartime service
The veteran served on active duty, including at least one day during a wartime period set by the VA, and meets the VA's minimum length of service.
Discharge
The veteran was discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
A care need
The veteran or spouse needs help with daily activities, is bedridden, lives in a nursing home because of a disability, or has limited eyesight.
Income and net worth
Income and assets must fall under limits the VA sets each year. Care costs paid out of pocket can count in your favor.
Surviving spouses
A surviving spouse of a wartime veteran may qualify through the Survivors Pension, with Aid and Attendance added for care needs.
How a VA Aid and Attendance Claim Works
A complete claim helps avoid delays. This is the order most families follow.
- Talk with DaveTell Dave what is happening with your family. The first conversation is at no charge, and he connects you with the accredited representative on his team.
- Gather documentsThe accredited representative tells you what the claim needs, such as discharge papers, medical information, income, assets, and care costs.
- File the claimAn accredited representative on Dave's team prepares and files the claim with the VA.
- Plan around itWhile the VA reviews the claim, Dave helps your family plan how to pay for care in the meantime.
Who Handles Your VA Claim
The VA requires anyone who helps prepare, present, or advise on a VA claim to be accredited by the VA. That is why an accredited representative on Dave's team handles every VA claim, from the first questions about eligibility to filing.
Dave focuses on the rest of your family's plan for care: housing, savings, Medicaid, and the decisions that come with them.
VA Aid and Attendance Questions
What is VA Aid and Attendance?
Aid and Attendance is an added monthly amount on top of a VA pension. It is for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or eating, who are bedridden, who live in a nursing home because of a disability, or who have limited eyesight.
Does the veteran need a service-connected disability?
No. VA pension and Aid and Attendance are based on wartime service, the need for care, and financial need. The care need does not have to come from military service.
Can a surviving spouse qualify?
Yes. A surviving spouse of a wartime veteran may qualify through the VA Survivors Pension, with Aid and Attendance added when they need help with daily care.
Can it help pay for assisted living?
Yes. The benefit can help pay for care at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing home. Care costs you pay out of pocket can also affect how the VA counts your income.
Who handles the VA claim?
An accredited representative on Dave's team handles VA claims, including questions about eligibility and filing. The VA requires anyone who helps with a VA claim to be accredited.
Why Trust LifeCare Senior Advocates
LifeCare Senior Advocates is a veteran-owned business based in Walnut, Iowa. Dave Brandt brings more than 25 years in long-term care and works with families in all 50 states by phone or video.
VA claims are prepared and filed by an accredited representative on Dave's team. Dave Brandt is a licensed insurance agent. LifeCare Senior Advocates is not a law firm and does not provide legal or investment advice. LifeCare Senior Advocates is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Start With a No-Fee Conversation
Tell Dave about the veteran or surviving spouse in your family, and he will connect you with the accredited representative on his team. Your first conversation is always at no charge.
Dave Brandt is a licensed insurance agent. LifeCare Senior Advocates is not a law firm and does not provide legal or investment advice.