What Is Veterans’ Aid And Attendance?
In addition to traditional veterans’ benefits, “Aid and Attendance” is another pension benefit available for veterans that often goes unused. Aid and Attendance benefits are meant to help veterans as they age and have issues completing daily living activities without assistance. If you believe that you are entitled to Aid and Assistance benefits in the Boston area, the experienced elder law attorneys at Fisher Law are here to help. Call the office or contact us today to schedule a consultation of your case now.
Aid and Attendance Benefits
Veterans’ pension benefits provide tax-free payments to veterans and their spouses with a financial need. The pension is available to veterans who do not have a service-connected disability resulting from military service. Aid and Attendance benefits is an additional benefit that can be added on to the pension for veterans who need “aid and attendance” in completing daily living activities on a permanent basis. Daily living activities are defined as routine tasks performed on a daily basis that most people complete every day without need assistance. The six basic daily living activities are as follows:
- Eating,
- Bathing,
- Dressing,
- Continence,
- Mobility, and
- Grooming.
Qualifying for Aid and Attendance
In order to qualify for Aid and Attendance benefits, a person must meet military service and physical requirements. A veteran must have served at least ninety days of active duty, with at least one day during wartime in addition to an honorable discharge. The veteran applying for benefits must also have one of the following physical limitations:
- Need help from another person performing daily living activities,
- Spend most or all day in bed because of illness, or
- Have eyesight limited to 5/200 even with glasses or contact lenses or have a concentric visual field that is five degrees or less.
Income Limits for Aid and Attendance
There are limits to the Aid and Attendance benefits that a veteran can receive based on a person’s net worth, countable income, and maximum annual pension rate. Countable income is how much income is earned, including retirement and Social Security payments. The maximum annual pension rate refers to the maximum pension amount a veteran can receive based on the number of dependents, if they are married, and whether the spouse also qualifies for veterans’ benefits. To qualify for Aid and Attendance, a veteran’s countable income and maximum annual pension rate must qualify the applicant for a veterans’ pension as well as have a net worth maximum of $130,773 in 2021. Surviving spouses are also entitled to this benefit so long as they also meet the income and physical qualifications. To learn more about whether you may qualify for Aid and Attendance, talk to our office today.
Call or Contact Us Now
Do you need help in applying for Aid and Attendance veterans’ benefits in the Boston area? If so, the experienced Norwood elder law attorneys at Fisher Law are here to help. Call the office or contact us today to schedule a consultation now.
Source:
va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/
