Aid & Attendance and Assisted Living Benefits for Veterans

Everything is so expensive these days, and being a senior citizen sure isn’t getting any cheaper.  If you have a need for home health care or assisted living benefits for veterans the cost can be crushing.  However, if you are a wartime veteran, spouse, or surviving spouse of a wartime veteran, the VA will help by making a direct Veteran’s Aid and Attendance payment to you.  The Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefit can range from $1,432 to $2,642 per month.  The amount of the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefit depends on the marital status and whether the applicant is the veteran or spouse of a veteran, and whether the veteran is living or deceased.

To qualify for the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefit application you must meet the following major criteria.

        1)    Be a United States veteran who served at least 90 days on active duty with at least one day                     being during a period considered wartime by the Veteran’s Administration or be the spouse or                 surviving spouse of such a veteran.
        2)    Be other than dishonorably discharged.
        3)    Must be 65+ years old
        4)   Must need assistance with two of the five following activities of daily living (ADL):

                       •    Eating,
                       •    Bathing/showering,
                       •    Dressing,
                       •    Using the toilet (continence), and
                       •    Transferring (mobility as in transferring from a chair to standing).

               Be aware that there are also instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) that do not carry as                   much weight as the ADLs but can help push a borderline case in favor of the veteran.  The                       IADLS are

                       •    Shopping
                       •    Food preparation
                       •    Housekeeping
                       •    Laundry
                       •    Medication handling
                       •    Telephone usage
                       •    Transportation (ex.: getting to doctors’ appointments)

         5)   Meet financial criteria which includes both assets and income (assets can generally be                                worked around)
         6)   The Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefit application, in very general terms, is calculated as                      follows:  Total Income minus total medical cost equals a given amount.  If the total                                      medical cost  reduces income to an amount below the potential benefit amount, then the VA                  will pay to bring the veteran’s remaining income up to the potential benefit amount, but                          not to exceed the maximum benefit for that veteran or spouse’s status.

                          Example (Married Veteran)               -                Maximum Benefit    =    $2,642

                             Income                                                                           $ 3,000
                             Medical Expense (assisted living cost)                   ($3,000)
                             Remaining Income                                                      ($   0   )
                          The Veteran would qualify for the full amount        $2,642

However, if the assisted living benefits for veteran's cost was only $2,000 then the veteran would be left with $1,000 of his/her income and the benefit would be capped at $1,642.  Max benefit equals $2,642 - $1,000 remaining income equals $1,642.
The actual calculation is a little more complex, and the numbers work out a little differently than explained above, but for understanding the concept, the above conveys the message.

Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Benefit Amounts Based on Status

                                    Surviving Spouse             $1,432 Monthly / $17,184 per year
                                    Single Veteran                  $2,229 Monthly / $26,748 per year
                                    Married Veteran               $2,642 Monthly / $31,704 per year
                                    Two Vets Married            $3,536 Monthly / $42,432 per year

Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Benefit Wartime Dates

                                    •    Mexican Border period (May 9, 1916, to April 5, 1917, for Veterans who served in                                              Mexico, on its borders, or in adjacent waters)
                                    •    World War I (April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918)
                                    •    World War II (December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946)
                                    •    Korean conflict (June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955)
                                    •    Vietnam War era (November 1, 1955, to May 7, 1975, for Veterans who served in                                              the Republic of Vietnam during that period. August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975, for                                              Veterans who served outside the Republic of Vietnam.)
                                    •    Gulf War (August 2, 1990, through a future date to be set by law or                                                                    presidential proclamation)

If you believe you may qualify for this aid and attendance benefit, please call and we will discuss your options.  If you don’t believe you qualify, call anyway.  With proper guidance, virtually anyone can qualify for Medicaid benefits, regardless of assets or income.

Be aware that dramatic changes in benefit qualification criteria in the Veteran's Aid & Attendance program are underway. It is critical that the information used in evaluating eligibility is current. The information on this site is believed to be current as of June 1st, 2015. Changes in the program are certain. It is crucial that you are aware of any changes before filing an application. We are happy to provide assistance at your request.

Anyone giving advice regarding veteran's benefits must be an Accredited VA Representative. This requirement is true for both attorneys and non-attorneys alike.

No firm, whether attorney or non-attorney, can legally charge for filing an initial application for veteran's benefits. If a veteran has been denied, appeals and reapplications may be at a cost to the veteran.

What has it been like working with Platinum Benefit Services?

“I would have been lost trying to deal with the government without the help and advice from Platinum Benefit Services.  They did an excellent job with my problems.”

Ed Wonorski

“I was extremely satisfied with the service and attention that I received.  All questions were answered promptly and in a satisfactory way.  All contacts were intelligent professional and very caring.  I would recommend Platinum Benefit without reservation.”

Wallace Conway

“My experience was very positive – this is a complicated process in transferring to Medicaid and I was assisted every step of the way.  I have already referred a friend to Platinum who is in need of similar circumstances.”

Steven Spina