Help and Assistance Benefits

One of the Veterans Administration’s best-kept secrets is the veteran’s pension for a non-service-connected disability. This benefit, a pension program, does not require a wartime injury. It is available to veterans and their spouses, provided the veteran is disabled, served no less than 90 days with at least 1 day during the war, and was honorably discharged. This pension benefit can be a great boon for those disabled veterans facing the burden of paying for assisted living, nursing home or home care.

Help and Assistance Benefit:
There is a specific type of VA pension that is of particular importance. It’s called the “Aid and Assistance” (or A&A) benefit and it’s available to those veterans who are disabled and also require the help and assistance of another person on a regular basis. This would, for example, include needing help bathing, dressing, preparing meals, eating, etc. Under this program as of January 2012, a single veteran can receive a maximum of $1703.00 per month. A married veteran may receive up to $2019.00 per month. A surviving spouse in 2012 may receive up to $1094.00 per month. These are the first cost-of-living adjustments since 2008.

The A&A pension also has asset and income limitations that must be met to qualify. Generally, it is assumed that a single person can have up to $50,000 in countable assets (excluding a home and a car) and a married veteran’s countable assets cannot exceed $80,000. However, these numbers are steadily declining as the veteran or his/her spouse ages.

Income Limits:
The VA also sets family income limits that an applicant cannot exceed. In 2012, the annual income limit for a married veteran for the A&A benefit is approximately $24,000.00. However, income limits may be offset by unreimbursed medical expenses. For example, the cost of a nursing home, assisted living, or expenses incurred for home care may be deducted from the person’s income.

A simplified explanation:
A simplified example will help explain. Bill Jones, 79, is a veteran of the Korean War. Due to his dementia, he recently moved from his Flint home to an assisted living facility that costs around $3,000.00 per month. His Social Security and pension income totals $1,800.00 each month. With savings of just $35,000, he applies for the A&A pension. The VA considers his assisted living expense of $3,000.00 per month as unreimbursed medical expenses and offsets it against his monthly income, leaving Bill with a negative income of $1,200.00 each month. As a result, Bill is eligible for the A&A pension benefit of $1,703.00 each month. Now Mr. Jones will be able to afford assisted living and still be able to pay taxes, utilities, insurance, etc. in his vacant house.