Veterans Aid

There is a little-known benefit administered by the U. S. Veterans Administration that will pay for long-term care benefits to qualified veterans, their current spouses, or an unmarried surviving spouse.

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• If you meet the following requirements for the Aid and Attendance pension you can receive a tax-free monthly benefit of up to: 

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Military Service

*The start date for Veterans serving "in country" is 2/28/1961    

An individual must be either a Veteran, the current spouse of a Veteran or the unmarried spouse of a deceased Veteran who, with limited exceptions, never remarried.

The Veteran must have:

1. Been honorably discharged

2. Served during a period of declared war (whether in combat or not)

3. Served for a minimum period of service

Medical Needs

In order to qualify under the Medical Needs:

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• An individual under age 65 must be permanently and totally disabled.

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• An individual over the age of 65, the current spouse of a Veteran (who may be under age 65) or the unmarried spouse of a deceased Veteran (who may be under age 65) need not be permanently and totally disabled, but must meet at least one of the following health requirements:

1. Blind or nearly blind

2. In a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity

3. Needs the daily assistance of another individual with at least 2 of the following Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) ie. Medication, Bathing, Dressing, Using the Restroom, Transferring, Eating

4. Has a mental condition that requires daily supervision or must be in a protected environment

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Income Test

There are ways you can plan so that you receive the full benefit to help pay for care.

• The formula for determining whether an individual meets the Income Test is almost impossible to understand.

• The VA will look at the Total Income of an individual including, if married, the income of the spouse and compare that to the individual's total Unreimbursed Recurring Medical Expenses (URME).

• If the individual's total Unreimbursed Recurring Medical Expenses is close to or exceeds total income, the Veteran, spouse or widow(er) should qualify for the applicable maximum Aid and Attendance benefit.

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This is an area where we can be of assistance. We can help you meet the Income Test before you apply for the benefit. There are ways you can plan so that you receive the full benefit to help pay for care.

Asset Test

Veterans Aid divides your assets into two categories:

Exempt Assets and Countable Assets

• The VA will not count any Exempt Assets owned by you or your spouse.

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• An individual or a couple can not have more than $127,061 (2019) in Countable Assets.

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Gifts

• The VA may impose a penalty waiting period if you transferred any property for less than its fair value (gifts) during the last 3 years. Commonly referred to as the VA “Three-Year Look Back”.

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