Updated: January 14, 2024
Written by: Ashlee Shefer
Reviewed by: Dr. Brindusa Vanta, MD
According to the U.S Census Bureau, nearly half of all veterans are aged 65 or older. As this aging veteran population grapples with challenges, particularly the difficulties in performing daily living activities due to military-related injuries, the importance of assisted living services becomes starkly evident. However, high costs may deter some veterans from seeking care.
Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) extends benefits to alleviate this financial burden. While some benefits are well-known, others, such as the Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits, remain lesser-known assets. This article explores these lesser-known VA benefits veterans can apply for, their eligibility requirements and what care services they cover. With this information, veterans and their families can better understand their options and get the support they need.
Can VA Basic Pensions Pay for Assisted Living?
VA basic pensions provide monthly payments to veterans meeting certain age, disability and financial requirements and can help disabled veterans cover assisted living services.
Who Is Eligible for a VA Pension?
With so many requirements, it can be difficult to determine VA pension eligibility. For starters, an individual must meet certain annual income and net worth limits and not have a dishonorable discharge.
Another eligibility factor is based on the date of starting on active duty and the number of days of active duty. For example, veterans who started active duty before September 8, 1980, are required to have served at least 90 days of active duty with a minimum of 1 day during an eligible wartime period. Additionally, veterans must meet at least one of the following requirements:
- Be at least 65 years or older
- Have a permanent and total disability
- Be a nursing home or long-term care resident due to a disability
- Receive Social Security Disability Insurance
- Receive Supplemental Security Income
How to Apply for a VA Pension
To apply for a VA pension, veterans must complete an application with information, including their military history, financial details for themselves and any dependents and their Social Security or VA file number. There are multiple ways to submit the application.
- Online or by Mail: Applications can be submitted through the VA website or mailed as paper copies to the VA Pension Management Center (PMC).
- In-Person Application: Another option is locating the closest VA regional office and submitting an application in person.
Apply for an Increased VA Pension
Veterans can file for increased disability compensation if their conditions worsen over time. Medical records documenting the deteriorating condition must be provided with the application. The claim can be filed online, via mail or in person with a paper copy.
What Is Aid and Attendance?
The Aid and Attendance benefit provides monthly payments in addition to a VA pension to qualified veterans who need help with personal care tasks or are incapacitated due to an illness or disability. It can be used as financial assistance for assisted living services.
How Do Veterans Qualify for the Aid and Attendance Benefit?
To qualify for Aid and Attendance, veterans must receive a VA pension and meet at least one of the following requirements:
- Require help with daily living activities such as bathing and dressing
- Be bed-ridden or spend a large portion of the day in bed due to an illness
- Reside in a nursing home due to a physical or mental disability
- Have severe visual impairment, with a correction of 5/200 or less in both eyes or visual concentric contraction to 5 degrees or less
Veterans’ spouses or surviving spouses receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation may also qualify for aid. Eligibility varies by state, but veterans can contact their local VA regional benefit office for clarification.
Aid and Attendance Financial Requirements
Countable income and net worth are also considered for Aid and Attendance eligibility. In 2023, a veteran or surviving spouse’s countable income must be less than the maximum annual VA pension benefit they can potentially receive. Countable income includes:
- Annual earnings
- Retirement and pension payments
- Social Security
- Social Security disability payments
This worksheet can help veterans determine their countable income. Additionally, an applicant’s net worth must be lower than $150,538 and includes annual income and assets such as:
- Bank accounts
- Mutual funds
- Stocks
- Vacation homes
Primary homes and cars don’t count as assets and aren’t considered when calculating net worth.
How to Apply for Aid and Attendance
Applying for Aid and Attendance benefits is similar to the pension application process and can be separated into a few steps:
- Fill out forms: VA Form 21-2680 must be submitted with a doctor’s report documenting the illness, injury or disability affecting the person’s ability to care for themselves. Veterans living in a nursing home must submit VA Form 21-0779. It’s crucial to ensure all details are accurate to qualify for benefits.
- Prepare for a long process: Claims are processed in the order they’re received, and in some cases, it can take up to 9 months for approval. However, an applicant can expedite their claim if they were a prisoner of war, are terminally ill or are in financial distress.
- Consider using a veterans’ benefits planner: A veterans’ benefits planner can also assist with the application process and confirm the correct forms and information are provided prior to submission.
What Is Not Covered by Aid and Attendance?
Aid and Attendance is a needs-based benefit for medical services, such as prescription drugs or medical equipment, and nonmedical services, including daily living assistance, that are necessary to maintain quality of life.
Cost of living expenses, such as rent or utilities, aren’t typically covered. Benefits are paid directly to veterans alongside their monthly VA pensions.
What Are Veteran Housebound Benefits, and Can They Pay For Assisted Living?
Housebound benefits are funds added to monthly VA pensions for veterans who are housebound or unable to perform daily living activities themselves. These additional funds can be used to help cover the costs of assisted living, though they may not cover the entirety of the expenses.
Housebound Benefits Eligibility Requirements
Because housebound benefits are needs-based, veterans must meet these criteria to be eligible:
- Receive a VA pension: Veterans must be eligible for monthly VA payments because housebound benefits are considered a pension add-on.
- Be housebound: A doctor’s report proving home confinement and that assistance is medically necessary due to a disability, illness or injury must be provided with the application.
- Not receive Aid and Attendance: Veterans cannot get Aid and Attendance and housebound benefits simultaneously and should only apply for one.
- Meet financial criteria: A veteran’s countable income and net worth must not exceed the same limits established for Aid and Attendance.
How to Apply for Housebound Benefits
To apply for housebound benefits, veterans must complete and submit the necessary paperwork and medical forms. Here’s an overview of what the application process typically involves:
- Contacting the PMC: This office processes benefits applications and can help veterans access the correct forms and information.
- Visiting a local regional benefits office: Veterans can also visit their local regional benefits office for in-person assistance and a paper application.
- Collecting medical paperwork: Individuals should contact their physician or medical office where they received care to gather paperwork documenting their condition and need for assistance.
- Submitting error-free forms: Applications with incomplete or inaccurate information may be delayed or rejected, so all applications should be reviewed before submission.
What Is a Veterans Benefits Planner?
With so many benefits available, it can be challenging to determine which to apply for. Veterans benefits planners offer guidance to veterans and their surviving spouses to ease the process. Their services include:
- Providing advice: A benefits planner can help veterans pinpoint which benefit best aligns with their situation and shed light on benefits applicants didn’t know existed.
- Assisting with applications: Planners can also provide guidance through the entire application process, from gathering required documentation to ensuring forms are completed accurately.
- Determining finances: Benefits planners can help veterans calculate their income and net worth or restructure assets to meet financial requirements.
- Making appeals: If a benefits application is denied, planners can review the reason for denial and appeal the decision if appropriate.
How Can Veterans Benefits Planners Help?
Veterans benefits planners can simplify the benefits process and help applicants potentially receive greater benefits than they may have otherwise. Some tasks they assist with are:
- Helping veterans understand application requirements
- Explaining income limit exceptions
- Streamlining the claims process
- Obtaining military or medical records
- Catching application inaccuracies
- Appealing application rejections
- Maximizing pension amounts
How Much Do Veterans Benefits Planners Cost?
Veterans benefits planners typically work for free unless they’re elder law attorneys working to overturn denied claims. Legally, no person or organization can charge a fee for preparing applications or presenting claims to the VA.
While planners working through the VA are paid a salary, they aren’t compensated directly by veterans. Attorneys may offer free assistance for preparing applications but will charge either a percentage of the benefits or by the project or hour for overturning an appeal.