VA Aid and Attendance: using a veteran’s benefit to pay for home care

1. Wartime service. Generally at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period. Anyone who enlisted after September 7, 1980 usually needs 24 months. Wartime periods include World War II, Korea, the Vietnam era, and the Gulf War, which began August 2, 1990 and hasn’t ended. The discharge can’t be dishonorable.
2. Age or disability. The veteran is 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, or gets Social Security Disability or SSI. For a surviving spouse, the veteran’s service is what counts.
3. Need for help. The person needs help with daily activities like bathing, dressing, or eating, or is mostly confined to bed, or has very limited eyesight. A doctor fills in this part of the application.
4. Limited net worth. Net worth must be under $163,699 for the year to November 30, 2026. That figure counts savings and investments plus the year’s income. The home, the car, and most furnishings don’t count.

This is the part most families miss. When the VA works out countable income, it subtracts medical expenses the family pays out of pocket, and paid home care for someone who needs help with daily activities counts. A veteran whose Social Security looks too high to qualify can become eligible once the cost of care is deducted.

For example, three four-hour visits a week is about 52 hours of care a month. At our rates that comes to $2,080 to $2,496, and that amount comes off the income the VA counts. When you apply, list the care you already pay for as an ongoing medical expense, with its invoices.

At the veteran-alone maximum, the monthly payment would cover about 11 to 14 hours of care a week at our rates. For most families it pays for part of the care, not all of it.

1. Gather the veteran’s discharge papers (DD-214), income for everyone in the household, bank and investment statements, and a list of medical expenses including home care and health insurance premiums.
2. Apply for the pension itself: VA Form 21P-527EZ for a veteran, or 21P-534EZ for a surviving spouse. You can apply online at VA.gov.
3. Include VA Form 21-2680, which the doctor completes to show the need for help. The VA explains the steps on its Aid and Attendance page.
4. If you need time to gather papers, submit an intent to file first. It holds your start date for up to a year while you finish the application.
5. Keep copies of everything. Decisions often take months.