Here are the basic qualifications for the Aid & Attendance Special Pension:
Any War-Time Veteran with 90 days of active duty, 1 day beginning or ending during a period of War, is eligible to apply for the Aid & Attendance Special Pension. A surviving spouse (marriage must have ended due to death of veteran) of a War-Time Veteran may also apply. The individual applying must qualify both medically and financially. To see the periods of war that have been qualified by Congress,
Click Here.
To qualify medically, a War-Time Veteran or surviving spouse must need the assistance of another person to perform daily tasks, such as eating, dressing, undressing, taking care of the needs of nature, etc. Being blind or in a nursing home for mental or physical incapacity, or residing in an assisted living facility also qualifies.
To qualify financially, an applicant must have less than $80,000 in assets, EXCLUDING their home and vehicles.
What you need to determine is what is
"Countable" income after backing out all allowable expenses. Please see the following to help you determine that figure.
The VA suggests that its adjudicators use a certain amount of personal judgment on this issue. But the bottom line is: does it realistically appear that the veteran or surviving spouse may outlive their assets? If so, they are likely eligible.
Do NOT count their residence or vehicle when estimating net worth.
Do NOT count a life insurance policy (because the policy holder must be
deceased in order to benefit from it).
DO count CDs, annuities, stocks, bonds, savings, checking, IRAs, Keogh,
etc.
DO count any assets owned by the spouse as well.
As a rule of thumb, assets should not exceed $80,000. That amount drops
depending on the age of claimant.
List below the estimated ANNUAL income of the veteran or surviving spouse:
Estimate total income (If married include spousal income): ______
All income must be included. This includes social security, pension,
interest income, dividends, income from rental property, etc.
If the veteran is married, then any spousal income must also be included.
List all unreimbursed, recurring health care expenses:
This includes:
Assisted Living costs (per month): _________________
Nursing Home costs (per month):________________
Home Care service (per month):_______________
Health Insurance premium (per month):_______________
Medicare premium (per month):_________________
Regular (unreimbursed) prescriptions
(per month & verifiable through a pharmacy print-out): _____________
TOTAL Expenses per month: __________
(multiply x 12 to get total annual expenses)
Subtract your total annual health care expenses from your total annual
income and write the amount here: _____________. This is your "countable" income
