The Aid and Attendance Benefit is a great pension for many veterans who need some type of support and care at home. While there are going to be challenges in convincing an aging veteran, for example, to consider home care, many of those first arguments against it is worrying about the cost.

 

VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit: Caregiver Tips

VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit: Caregiver Tips

 

This pension was developed by the VA following World War I in order to help soldiers get the care they needed due to injuries sustained in battle. It expanded through the years to provide coverage for veterans from all walks of life, whether they were actually injured or disabled during their time of active duty service.

It is specifically designed for veterans with limited financial resources. In other words, in order to qualify for the Aid and Attendance Benefit, a veteran’s combined income and assets cannot exceed $80,000 as currently defined by the VA. (A primary residence might not be included in those calculations.)

Sometimes, though, it’s difficult to convince other family members why this is such a good pension to consider for those qualifying veterans.

 

Here are three things some family members don’t quite realize about this pension.

 

First, it’s partly based on income and assets.

As already mentioned, the threshold for combined income and assets is $80,000. That may change next year and in the years ahead, but if a veteran does not have a lot of money coming in every month, if they don’t have many assets to their name, and they require home care support, they might want to consider looking into this pension more closely.

 

Second, it’s only for ‘wartime veterans.’

A veteran needs to have served at least one day of their active duty service during a time of official combat. Somebody who served during the tail end of the Vietnam War, even though they may have still been in basic training in the United States when the war officially came to an end, might be eligible for this pension.

 

Third, a veteran does not need to have fought in combat.

Tied in with this second point is the fact that veterans do not need to have been in a forward combat situation to qualify for this pension. This is a common mistake some families make when dismissing the idea of even applying for the Aid and Attendance Benefit when home care would be beneficial.

As long as veterans and their families know more about the realities of this pension, it may encourage more men and women to seek the financial help they need to pay for home care when it’s most beneficial.

If you or a loved one are needing assistance with VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit, please contact the friendly staff at Veterans Care Coordination™.
Call today: 1-855-380-4400

Posted in Aid and Attendance Benefit, Aid and Attendance Tips, VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit

About Kyle Laramie, Founder & CEO

Kyle founded Veterans Care Coordination in April 2011. As its founder and CEO of VCC, Kyle is driven by the memory of his grandfather, a World War II Veteran who unnecessarily missed out on essential VA benefits because Kyle’s family wasn’t aware of available opportunities. In recognition of his impact in leadership, Kyle was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s prestigious “40 Under 40” list and St. Louis Small Business Monthly’s “100 St. Louisans to Know” in 2014. VCC was named a St. Louis Small Business Monthly “Top 20” small business and a finalist for the St. Louis Post Dispatch Top Workplace (2015-2022), St. Louis Business Journal Best Place to Work (2019 & 2022), and the Arcus Awards (2014). The team has served more than 14,000 Veteran clients and their families. Kyle frequently speaks on Veterans’ benefits, addressing conferences such as the Home Care Association of America and Decision Health. He is passionate about giving back and has built a charitable-minded organization that supports various philanthropic efforts.