The VA Aid and Attendance benefit is one of the most underutilized benefits available to wartime veterans and their spouses. This comprehensive fact sheet provides essential information about the benefit, including eligibility requirements, benefit amounts, types of care covered, and how to apply.
What is Aid and Attendance?
Aid and Attendance is a Veterans Administration enhanced pension for war era veterans, dependent spouses and surviving spouses who need help with activities of daily living. It is a tax-free monthly monetary benefit that helps reimburse the cost of long-term care, whether at home or in a care facility. The benefit does not need to be paid back.
The Aid and Attendance pension can be used to cover costs for home care, adult day care, board and care, assisted living and skilled nursing facility care. Many veterans and spouses are unaware this benefit exists, which means thousands of eligible individuals miss out on financial assistance they’ve earned through military service.
2026 Benefit Amounts
The maximum Aid and Attendance pension amounts for 2026 are:
- Surviving Spouse: $1,558 monthly / $18,694 annually
- Single Veteran: $2,424 monthly / $29,087 annually
- Married Veteran: $2,874 monthly / $34,489 annually
- Two Veterans Married: $3,845 monthly / $46,143 annually
These amounts can increase if the veteran or spouse has eligible dependents. A dependent is a biological child, adopted child or stepchild that is not married and under 18 years of age, between the ages of 18-23 and attending school full-time, or was seriously disabled before the age of 18.
Who Is Eligible for Aid and Attendance?
To qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit, several requirements must be met. Understanding these requirements is essential before beginning the application process.
Wartime Service Requirements
The veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty, with at least one day during an eligible period of war. The wartime periods established by Congress are:
- World War II: December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946
- Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955
- Vietnam War Era: November 1, 1955 to May 7, 1975 for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam (boots on the ground or on a ship off the coast). August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 for veterans who served anywhere in the world.
- Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990 through a future date to be prescribed by Presidential proclamation or law
Service in a combat zone is not required. The veteran simply must have served during one of these eligible wartime periods.
If the veteran entered active duty after September 7, 1980, they must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), with at least one day during an eligible wartime period.
Discharge Status
The veteran must have received an honorable discharge or anything other than a dishonorable discharge. There are several types of military discharges including honorable, general, other than honorable, bad conduct, dishonorable, entry-level separation, medical separation, and separation for the convenience of the government.
A dishonorable discharge is the highest level of punishment and prevents eligibility for most VA benefits. However, veterans who received an other than honorable, bad conduct or dishonorable discharge may still qualify by applying for a discharge upgrade.
Age Requirements
Veterans applying for Aid and Attendance must be at least 65 years of age or older. If you are younger than 65, you must be totally and permanently disabled, or a resident or patient in a skilled nursing facility due to loss of mental or physical abilities, or receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.
There is no age requirement for a surviving spouse.
Marriage Requirements for Surviving Spouses
The surviving spouse of a deceased veteran may qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit if they were married to the veteran for at least one year before the veteran died. Surviving spouses who were married to the veteran for less than a year but had a child with the veteran can also apply for the benefit.
The spouse must have been married to the veteran at the time of their passing and not remarried. There is no requirement that the spouse must have been married to the veteran when the veteran was in the service.
Need for Care Requirements
An essential requirement for the Aid and Attendance benefit is that the veteran or spouse needs help with some of the activities of daily living (ADLs) or requires custodial care.
Activities of Daily Living
The VA recognizes five types of activities of daily living:
Bathing: Any assistance with bathing, including help adjusting the shower head or water temperature, handing someone a towel, brushing teeth, grooming or personal hygiene.
Mobility/Transferring: Help getting up or down stairs, in or out of a vehicle, in or out of a bed or chair.
Dressing: Assistance with putting on clothes, taking clothes off, buttoning, zippering, or any help needed with dressing. Can also include getting clothes out of the closet.
Toileting: Help on or off the toilet, assistance with incontinence.
Eating: Helping someone eat, including cutting up food or feeding the person.
ADLs can also include standby assistance, which means having another person present within arm’s reach to prevent injury during the performance of a daily living activity.
In cases involving cognitive impairment, the assistance can be in the form of reminders, such as reminders to bathe, change clothes, eat, or take medication.
Custodial Care
Custodial care means assistance with at least two activities of daily living, or the person needing 24/7 supervision, usually due to some type of mental or cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Veterans or spouses can qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit if they need custodial care, even if they don’t require help with specific ADLs.
Proof of Military Service
A veteran or spouse applying for Aid and Attendance must provide verification of military service. A Report of Discharge is the official record of a service member’s retirement or separation from military service. This document is also called the DD Form 214.
The DD Form 214 is given to service members who leave active duty after at least 90 days. It shows the individual’s full name, service number, rank at discharge, transfer date and other pertinent military service information. You can order a copy of a veteran’s DD214 from the National Archives, which can take several months, or use a DD214 expediting service for faster processing.
Financial Requirements
The Aid and Attendance benefit has income and asset requirements. Financial eligibility criteria can be complex, and what counts as income or assets can be confusing. The VA has a net worth limit that changes annually. In 2026, the net worth limit is approximately $163,699.
There is also a three-year look-back period on any asset transfers. This policy went into effect on October 18, 2018. The look-back period exists to prevent individuals from transferring assets solely to qualify for the benefit.
Income requirements include calculating what the VA calls “countable income,” which is income after certain medical and care expenses are deducted. Understanding what expenses can be deducted and how to properly document them is critical to getting a claim approved.
Because financial requirements are complex, many applicants benefit from consulting with a Patriot Angels benefit consultant who understands these regulations.
Types of Care Covered
The Aid and Attendance benefit can be used to pay for various types of long-term care:
Home Care
Home care can be provided by a family member, friend, neighbor, or professional caregiver. You do not have to be licensed to provide personal care. The care can be full-time or part-time, and there are no VA requirements regarding how much you must pay a caregiver.
Professional home care agencies typically charge between $25 to $35 per hour, but rates vary depending on location and the level of care needed.
Adult Day Care
Adult day care centers provide supervision and activities during daytime hours. These programs can offer social engagement, meals, and assistance with activities of daily living. They provide relief for family caregivers while ensuring the veteran or spouse receives proper care and supervision.
Assisted Living
Assisted living facilities are long-term care communities for veterans and spouses who can no longer live independently. Residents receive help with ADLs along with other services such as meals, housekeeping, laundry, and recreational and social programs.
Some facilities specialize in certain types of care, such as memory care for individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia, or specialized care for those with Parkinson’s disease.
To qualify for the Aid and Attendance benefit in an assisted living facility, the resident must be paying for and receiving assistance with at least two types of daily living activities.
Board and Care
Board and care facilities, also called residential care facilities, are typically homes located in residential neighborhoods that provide room, meals, and personal care assistance. These smaller facilities often provide a more home-like environment compared to larger assisted living communities.
Skilled Nursing Facilities
Skilled nursing facilities provide 24-hour medical care and supervision. These facilities are appropriate for individuals who need more intensive medical care than what can be provided in assisted living or at home. The Aid and Attendance benefit can help offset the high costs associated with skilled nursing care.
Can You Receive Other Benefits with Aid and Attendance?
Veterans and spouses often have questions about how Aid and Attendance interacts with other benefits:
Aid and Attendance and VA Disability
Veterans receiving VA disability compensation may qualify for Aid and Attendance pension depending on the amount of their compensation. In general, the VA will only pay one benefit at a time – whichever is the highest of the two benefit amounts the veteran or spouse is eligible for.
However, if you are a veteran currently receiving VA disability and rated 30% or higher, you may be eligible for additional compensation if you also need help with daily living activities or custodial care. This is a special type of Aid and Attendance benefit for disabled veterans called Special Monthly Compensation.
Aid and Attendance and Social Security
If your Aid and Attendance claim is approved, it will not affect your monthly Social Security payments. You can receive both benefits at the same time. However, Social Security income is counted as income when determining Aid and Attendance eligibility and benefit amounts.
Aid and Attendance and Medicaid
A veteran or spouse in an assisted living or skilled nursing facility who currently receives the VA Aid and Attendance benefit but can no longer afford to pay out of pocket for their care may be able to qualify for Medicaid long-term care. If the person is approved for Medicaid, their Aid and Attendance benefit will be reduced to around $90 a month.
Aid and Attendance recipients are not disqualified from receiving Medicaid benefits in the future. The two programs can work together, though the Aid and Attendance amount will be adjusted.
Aid and Attendance and Hospice Care
In most cases, a person receiving Aid and Attendance can also receive hospice care. There are no VA hospice care restrictions, but eligibility for independent hospice care service providers may be affected by receiving Aid and Attendance, so it is best to check with the hospice provider.
Aid and Attendance and Basic VA Pension
You do not need to already be receiving a basic VA pension before applying for Aid and Attendance. The Aid and Attendance benefit is an enhanced pension that includes the VA’s Basic Pension plus additional monetary compensation for people who need help with daily living activities.
Submitting an Aid and Attendance application automatically puts you in the VA system. You do not have to be enrolled in the VA healthcare system or “be in the system” to file an Aid and Attendance claim.
How to Apply for Aid and Attendance
The application process for Aid and Attendance can be complex. While many people search online for a simple application form, a complete Aid and Attendance claim requires dozens of application pages, statements, affidavits and forms.
Required Documentation
A complete Aid and Attendance claim includes:
- DD Form 214 (proof of military service and discharge status)
- Medical evidence showing need for care (doctor’s statement or assessment)
- Financial documentation (bank statements, tax returns, proof of income)
- Marriage certificate (for spouse or surviving spouse claims)
- Death certificate (for surviving spouse claims)
- Evidence of care expenses (receipts, contracts with caregivers or facilities)
- Completed VA claim forms
The VA reviews claims based on whether all required evidence has been submitted. Claims missing documentation must go through a development process, where the VA requests additional information. This can significantly delay the approval process.
Why Claims Get Denied
People who apply for the benefit on their own without help or assistance often find it difficult to get an approval or end up receiving less than what they are entitled to. Common reasons why claims get denied include:
- Insufficient documentation
- Mistakes or errors on the claim form
- Inadequate evidence of need for care
- Wrong forms submitted
- Failure to prove that a particular requirement or qualification has been met
- Information sent by the applicant but not received by the VA
- Information sent by the VA but not received by the applicant
- Incorrect calculation of countable income
- Improper handling of asset transfers during look-back period
The complexity of Aid and Attendance regulations is substantial. Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations contains the main set of rules regarding VA benefits, including Aid and Attendance. Veterans Service Representatives are also issued manuals containing thousands of pages of additional benefit policies and procedures. Anyone not trained on these materials can easily make mistakes or errors on the claim form.
Getting Help with Your Claim
Because of the complexity involved in filing an Aid and Attendance claim, many veterans and spouses choose to work with a VA-accredited representative. An accredited representative must be approved by the VA and can charge a fee for pre-filing consultation services.
Pre-filing consultation typically includes document and record reviews, along with research, counseling and assistance needed before the claim is prepared. VA regulations prohibit charging fees for claim preparation, presentation or advocacy, but allow fees for consultation services before the claim is submitted.
Working with an experienced benefits consultant can help you:
- Determine if you meet all eligibility requirements
- Gather and organize required documentation
- Properly calculate countable income and assets
- Understand which medical expenses can be deducted
- Complete claim forms accurately
- Submit a complete claim package to avoid delays
- Navigate the look-back period for asset transfers
- Maximize your benefit amount
Let Patriot Angels Guide You Through the Process
Since 2012, Patriot Angels has helped over 30,000 veterans and surviving spouses secure more than $1 billion in Aid and Attendance benefits. Our benefit specialists under the direct supervision of our VA-accredited attorney understand the complexities of the application process and have a proven track record of success.
We provide comprehensive pre-filing consultation services to ensure your claim is complete, accurate, and positioned for approval. With an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and thousands of satisfied clients, Patriot Angels has the expertise and experience to help you navigate the VA system successfully.
When you work with Patriot Angels, you’ll receive:
- A free eligibility assessment to determine if you qualify
- Expert guidance on gathering and organizing required documentation
- Accurate calculation of your countable income and assets
- Strategic advice on maximizing your benefit amount
- Clear explanation of the three-year look-back period
- Ongoing support throughout the VA review process
Don’t risk having your claim denied due to missing documentation or calculation errors. Our benefit specialists stay current on all VA regulations and policy changes, ensuring your application meets every requirement.
Call 877-427-8065 today for your free consultation. Let us help you access the benefits you’ve earned through military service.
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