Important Information about the Aid and Attendance Program available through the VA

“Aid and attendance” is available to a veteran who requires the aid and attendance of another person in order to avoid the hazards of his/her daily environment.

Under this program, a veteran can receive a maximum of $1743.00 per month in benefits, and a widow/widower can receive up to $945.00.*

Requirements

1. Service Requirements: In general, to qualify, a veteran must have 90 days or more of active duty under other than dishonorable conditions, one day of which was during wartime.

2. Disability Requirements: The veteran must be determined to be “permanently and totally disabled.” (VA considers veterans eligible for the special monthly compensation (SMC) if there is an ability to dress or undress themselves, to be ordinarily clean and presentable or to feed themselves. Also, if they are blind or nearly, if they are a patient in a nursing home because of a mental or physical incapacity.)

The VA will generally accept a letter from the person's doctor as to the veteran's disability. The letter should state that the person has an incapacity that requires care or assistance on a regular basis to protect the claimant from the hazards or dangers incident to his or her daily environment. The veteran does not need to be helpless – he or she need only show that he or she is in need of aid and attendance on a regular basis.

A patient in an assisted living facility is presumed to be in need of aid and attendance.

3. Net Worth Requirements: The VA will consider the net worth of the applicant and will deny the application if the net worth is such that part of it could be consumed for the applicants care. As a rule of thumb, the cutoff is $80,000 est. The home is not counted. In other words, the VA will rarely deny a claim if the net worth is below the number.

(The application simply asks for the net worth of the applicant on the date of the application and does not inquire as to previous transfers.)

4. Income Requirements: The general rule is that even if the applicant fulfills all of the requirements, the application will be denied if the veteran's countable income exceeds the maximum annual pension rate which is currently, $1,743.00* and $945.00.*

However, in computing the income of the applicant, certain items can be deducted from income. Specifically, unreimbursed medical expenses paid by a veteran may be used to reduce the veteran's or surviving spouse's income.

Unreimbursed medical expenses are doctor and dental visits, eyeglasses, Medicare deductions, co-payments, prescriptions, transportation to doctor, therapy, health insurance and funeral expenses. Also included in unreimbursed medical expenses are the costs of an assisted living facility or in-home aid. Obviously, these can make up a big portion of the unreimbursed medical expenses.

Veterans Affairs can assist with the application process. It takes approximately four to six months to be approved but it retroactive from the first month after the month applied for.

For more information about veterans' benefits, please contact any of the offices listed below:

Beaver County Veterans Affairs, Beaver County Courthouse, Bldg. A, Rm. 100, Beaver, PA 15009 (724-728-3934 ext. 22294)

Aliquippa Service Center, City Building, Aliquippa, PA 15001 (724-375-6113)

Ambridge Service Center, Borough Building, Ambridge, PA 15005 (724-266-2558)

Upper Beaver Valley Veterans Service Center, Borough Building, 610 Third St., New Brighton, PA 15066 (724-843-2784).

* Subject to change