A cover letter for the veterans Aid and Attendance benefit, while not required with the full Aid and Attendance application, is recommended in order to keep documents organized and clearly state to the VA what it is you are seeking. - award of the A&A pension benefit. The cover letter example shown below was shared by one of our wonderful forum members when he was able to successfully help his loved one receive the Aid and Attendance pension benefit. Many of our users have also noted their success with using this cover letter format.

Here you will see a cover letter drafted with fillable spots to input the applicant's information. Note, when the word "applicant" is used in this article we are speaking of the veteran or surviving spouse who is seeking the Aid and Attendance pension benefit. All of the italicized words in brackets [like this] are spots where you should insert the information specific to your own application.

Note: here is an example of a brief description about the applicant you could write in the section below:

"I am assisting my mother, [Mother's Name], in the filing of this application. She is 91 years old and living on a limited income of social security and _______ pension benefits. She has assets of less than $35,000. She requires the regular aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living; she can no longer walk without assistance, dress or bathe herself or attend to personal hygiene, prepare and serve meals for herself, or dispense her regular prescription medicines.  She has lived at the assisted living facility for the last 2.5 years."

As for the name and location of the pension center to send this application, you can find those listed on our How to Apply page here.

[Name of Pension Center where Application is being sent]                                                                                             [Date] Veterans Administration
[Address of application center]
[City, State, Zip of application center]

RE: Filing of VA Form [21-527EZ or 21-534EZ]  for [Name of Veteran]    

Dear Sir/Madam,

Enclosed is an application for Compensation and/or Accrued Benefits for a [Veteran’s Name] - VA Form [21-527EZ or 21-534EZ] that is being filed by [Applicant]

[Please give a brief description of the veteran’s information]

The following forms and supporting paperwork are included with this application to support the request for the VA Benefit which includes the Aid & Attendance allowance:

1. VA Form [21-527EZ or 21-534EZ] - Application for Compensation and Accrued Benefits
2. VA Form 21-0845 - Authorization to Disclose Personal Information to Third Party 
3. VA Form 21-2680  - Physician Statement for [Veteran’s Name]
4. VA Form 21-0779 – Request for Nursing Home Information in Connection with Claim for Aid and Attendance and Assisted Living Facility Certification. Only if the applicant is in a nursing home or assisted living facility
5. Copy of Military Records for [Veteran].
6. Copy of Birth Certificate for [Veteran]. This is not applicable if filing for surviving spouse
7. Copy of Marriage Certificate for [Veteran’s Name] and [Spouse’s Name.]
8. Social Security Benefit letter for [Veteran] Only if applicant currently receiving Social Security
9. Bank Statements from _list all bank names__________________________________.
10. Invoice from [Name of Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home] Only if applicant is in a nursing home or assisted living facility
11. Medical expense report for [Veteran] 

[List additional items if needed, if applicant needs to include more documents]

Paragraph of expedition if veteran over the age of 90:

Due to [veteran’s name] advanced age of [X years old] we request that this application be expedited to the greatest degree possible. If you have any questions or need more information please contact me at [Phone Number]. Thank you for your consideration of this application.

Sincerely,

[First and last name of applicant]

[Relation to Veteran; if applicable]

I hope this cover letter example proves to be helpful for you when filling out the Aid and Attendance application. For more information on how to apply for A&A, please visit VeteranAid.org. Want to find out if you're eligible for this benefit? Use our eligibility calculator.