Many of our veterans are affected with severely disabling injuries which leave them unable to care for their basic needs. For these veterans, Aid & Attendance benefits (A&A) are available to help with the additional expenses which become part of a disabled veterans life.
A&A provides a monthly stipend to veterans who are already receiving a pension but need additional income in order to pay for the aid and assistance of another person in their home. Similarly, Housebound benefits are available for veterans who cannot leave their homes.
General VA Pension Requirements
In order to receive A&A or Housebound benefits, you must first be eligible for a veterans pension. To be eligible for a pension, you must have at least 90 days of active service, and must have served during a wartime period.
If you meet the service requirements, you must then meet any of the following additional pension requirements:
- Age 65 or older, OR
- Totally and permanently disabled, OR
- A patient in a nursing home receiving skilled nursing care, OR
- Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, OR
- Receiving Supplemental Security Income
A&A/Homebound Pension Requirements
In addition to being eligible for a veterans pension, those seeking to receive A&A must meet several other provisions. In general, only those veterans with severely disabling conditions will receive A&A benefits. The types of veterans who qualify include those people who:
- Require the aid of another person to perform functions for everyday living, including:
- Bathing
- Feeding
- Dressing
- Using the bathroom
- Adjusting prosthetic devices
- General self-care
- Are bedridden
- Are a nursing home patient due to mental or physical incapacity, or
- Are blind or nearly completely blind.
When you apply for pension and or A&A benefits, your medical conditions and general physical health will be evaluated by VA doctors to ensure that your conditions qualify for additional aid.
Income Eligibility Requirements
Even if you meet all of the other eligibility and health guidelines for pension and/or A&A benefits, you may still be limited by your income.
The pension and A&A benefits systems are limited by acts of Congress, which set the maximum amount a person eligible for benefits payments can receive. For example, for 2014, an unmarried veteran with no spouse or dependents can receive up to $12,652 per year in pension payments, or $21,107 per year in pension payments with the A&A supplement. The amount of the pension cap depends on your circumstancesyour cap will change if you are married, unmarried, have dependents, or are seeking A&A or other supplemental benefits.
Most veterans, however, will not receive the maximum amount of the pension. The VA pension and A&A programs are meant to assist low-income veterans, who do not otherwise have much money. If you and your family earn more per year than the amount of the cap, then you will not be eligible to receive a pension.
In order to determine if you are financially eligible for A&A, the VA will look at your familys sources of income. If you receive money from your spouse or from your dependents, their incomes many become part of your familys total income. The VA will also look at your overall net worth. If you have significant assets in property, stocks, annuities, or other sources, then you may not be eligible. Your familys countable income may also be reduced by your out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Once your countable income is determined, it will be subtracted from your yearly pension cap. For example, as noted above, a single veteran with no dependents has a maximum yearly pension capped at $12,652. If that veterans total countable family income is $10,000 per year, the veteran would be entitled to $2,652 per year in pension payments, spread out over the course of the year. If that same veteran required A&A benefits, his or her benefits would be capped at $21,107. A veteran making $10,000 per year would be eligible for $11,107 per year in pension plus A&A benefits as a result of the supplemental A&A payments.
Because of the increased caps for A&A benefits, many veterans who make too much money to earn a pension may still be able to receive A&A benefits if they are otherwise eligible.
To see the current congressional pension rate caps, visit the VAs website, or consult with an veterans advocate like those at Vets National Advocates. Our experienced advocates will help you get the benefits you need, and will fight for you if you have been wrongly denied. Call 877-777-4021 today!
