Veterans
Aid & Attendance

Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit for Wartime Veterans

Are you missing out on up to $26,766 per year that you are entitled to as a US war veteran?

For wartime veterans and their spouses, a little known benefit from the VA exists to help cover costs associated with long-term care.

This benefit, the “VA’s best kept secret,” is called Improved Pension, but is often referred to as “Aid and Attendance.” The purpose of the benefit is to financially assist veterans who need help with performing functions of everyday living including bathing, feeding, dressing, toileting, etc.

This most important benefit is overlooked by many families with Veterans or surviving spouses who need additional monies to help care for ailing parents or loved ones. Why? Simply because they don’t know about it and the VA is NOT required to tell veterans, dependents or widows that they qualify for benefits.

This “Pension Benefit” provides income tax free income and IS NOT dependent upon service-related injuries for compensation. Aid and Attendance can help pay for care in the home, Nursing Home or Assisted Living facility. 

For many veterans, the Aid and Attendance benefit provides the income necessary to receive care right at home. Veterans can also use this money to pay a loved-one who may have been forced to cutback or leave work to provide the veteran the care he or she needs.

Maximum A&A Pension Amounts

For qualified veterans, the following benefits may be available to cover costs associated with long-term care:

*2021 VA Improved Pension Benefits.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Aid and Assistance Pension Benefit, the veteran/ spouse must meet the following guidelines:

Financial Qualifications

Financial eligibility for the Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit will depend on the veteran’s total net worth (assets and current income).

When determining your financial eligibility for the Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit, it’s always best to sit down and talk with a skilled elder law attorney first.

Having “too many assets” or “too much income” should not deter the veteran or his or her loved ones from evaluating the Aid & Attendance Pension Benefit. The reality is that millions of seniors become impoverished each year due to the cost of nursing home or long-term care. In many cases, proper advanced planning allows Veterans to collect this steady benefit on a long-term basis, and avoids doing nothing and waiting for the veteran’s savings to run dry.

Do I Need an Attorney to Apply for VA Benefits?

It’s a good idea to consult with a California estate planning and elder law attorney before applying for VA Benefits.

The reason is simple—each mistake or missing piece of information will automatically delay your application 2 months. You may not even realize that what you provided was incomplete, but you will be penalized nonetheless.

It’s not unheard of for a simple Aid and Attendance claim taking up to 2 years to process thanks to constant rejections from the VA. Working with an attorney can ensure your application is properly completed and your claim is expedited.

An attorney will also assist the veteran in the area of financial eligibility to ensure his or her assets stay protected, while still legally reducing income and net-worth in order to qualify.

Finally, working with an elder law attorney who understands and is well versed in all government benefit programs will ensure that the process of qualifying for VA pension benefits will not negatively impact eligibility and qualification for Medi-Cal long-term care benefits.

How to Get Help

If you are a California resident and believe you are entitled to VA Aid & Attendance benefits, please give us a call at (916) 241-9661 to schedule a VA Benefit Briefing session. 

The Chubb Law Firm is proud to serve California Veterans who have sacrificed their lives to serve the citizens of the United States.