What is VA Wartime Pension – Aid and Attendance?
Quick Answer
Aid and Attendance is a tax-free monthly benefit for wartime-era veterans and their surviving spouses who need help with the activities of daily living: bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, walking. It is money toward the cost of care, it is earned through service, and eligibility depends on service history, medical need, income and assets.
What it actually is
A Special Monthly Pension paid on top of the basic VA pension, for those who need the aid and attendance of another person.
It is not compensation for a service-connected injury. It is a needs-based pension, which is why income and assets matter.
And it is tax free, which makes each dollar go further than the same amount of ordinary income.
Who can qualify
Wartime-era veterans who served during a recognized period of war. The veteran does not need to have seen combat, and does not need a service-connected disability.
Surviving spouses of wartime-era veterans, who are frequently unaware they may be eligible at all. This is the group most often missed, and we raise it with widows who came in about something else entirely.
Eligibility turns on three things together: service history, medical need, and financial circumstances.
What “needing aid and attendance” means
Requiring assistance with the activities of daily living. Being bedridden. Being a patient in a nursing home due to physical or mental incapacity. Certain vision limitations.
Many families paying for in-home care, assisted living, or memory care already meet the care requirement without realizing there is a benefit attached to it.
When income or assets look too high
This is where most families stop, and where they should not.
When income and assets exceed the limits, planning may still make eligibility possible. Through education and estate planning we help clients structure what they own so they can qualify while preserving what they built.
It is the same idea as tax planning for the wealthy. This is benefits planning for the heart of America, our middle class heroes.
Coordinate it with everything else
VA planning rarely stands alone.
A transfer made to qualify for a VA benefit can create a penalty period under Georgia Medicaid’s five-year look back. Solving the VA question in isolation is how families create a Medicaid problem eighteen months later.
The two systems have to be planned together, along with the estate plan.
Be careful who helps you
Only individuals accredited by the VA may assist claimants for a fee. Shannon M. Pawley is a VA Accredited Attorney.
Be cautious of anyone offering help with VA benefits who is not accredited, particularly where a financial product is being sold alongside the advice. Follow your spidey senses, and ask about accreditation before sharing any financial information.
What to gather
The DD-214 or other discharge papers. Marriage and, where relevant, death certificates. Medical evidence of the need for assistance. Current income and asset information. Proof of care costs being paid.
The DD-214 is the one families cannot find, and it is worth locating now rather than during an application.
Your next step
If you or your spouse served, or you are the surviving spouse of someone who did, schedule a complimentary 15-minute Strategy Session at 404-549-5001.
Eligibility is very fact specific to service history, medical need, income and assets. No approval can be promised, and VA thresholds change.
More is on our Veteran’s Benefits Planning page.
Related questions
- How long is the application process for VA Wartime Pension – Aid and Attendance?
- Can I receive benefits while awaiting the approval of my application?
- What is the VA Community Care Network (CCN)?
- How are nursing home and long-term care expenses usually paid?
This page is presented for educational purposes only and nothing on it should be treated as legal advice. What applies to you is very fact specific to your situation and your family. Our attorneys are licensed in Georgia and Michigan. This area of law has frequent statutory and policy changes.
Looking to find an experienced estate lawyer in the Georgia area who is skilled in asset protection and estate plan preparation? Shannon Pawley is an attorney in Georgia with expertise in estate planning and asset protection. Shannon can provide assistance with creating an estate plan to include making a will and how to establish a trust properly. If you have questions about asset protection or questions about making an estate plan, reach out to Shannon and she will be glad to help answer all the estate planning questions you might have!
