Yes. Having money in savings, a retirement account or other investments does not automatically disqualify a veteran or surviving spouse from VA Aid & Attendance. The VA looks at the applicant’s total countable net worth—not the existence of any one account—and some major assets are excluded.
Savings and investments usually do count, however. The important questions are how much those accounts are worth, whose assets must be included, how annual income affects the calculation and whether any money was transferred before the claim. A family can have meaningful savings and still fall below the limit, while another family with the same bank balance may not qualify because its annual income or other assets change the result.
Savings are not an automatic disqualifier. VA pension rules combine countable assets with annual income for VA purposes. The primary residence, one vehicle and ordinary household possessions are generally excluded, so the number that matters may be very different from a family’s total financial worth.
What Is the Current VA Net-Worth Limit?
For claims filed from December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2026, the VA pension net-worth limit is $163,699. The limit applies to Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension, including claims seeking the higher Aid & Attendance level. The VA adjusts this figure periodically, so families preparing a claim after November 30 should verify the new amount before relying on it.
The current threshold and the VA’s basic definitions appear on the official Veterans Pension rates page.
The threshold is not simply a bank-account ceiling. For pension purposes, net worth generally combines:
- Countable assets owned by the applicant and applicable dependents
- Annual income for VA purposes after permitted deductions
Suppose a married veteran’s household has $105,000 in countable financial assets and $18,000 in annual income for VA purposes. The starting net-worth figure would generally be $123,000. That falls below the current limit, although the veteran would still need to satisfy the service, age or disability, and medical requirements for the underlying pension and Aid & Attendance level.
A different household might also have $105,000 in savings but $65,000 in other countable investments. Even before annual income is considered, its countable assets would exceed the current threshold. The account balance alone never tells the whole story.
Which Savings and Investment Accounts Usually Count?
The VA generally looks at the fair market value of property the applicant owns. Common countable financial assets can include:
- Checking and savings accounts
- Certificates of deposit and money-market accounts
- Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and brokerage accounts
- Individual retirement accounts and other retirement investments
- Investment real estate or other real property that is not the primary residence
- Other property with financial value that does not fall within a specific exclusion
An account does not become exempt merely because the family considers it “retirement money” or does not plan to withdraw it soon. Likewise, moving cash from a savings account into a certificate of deposit or brokerage account usually changes the form of the asset, not whether its value exists.
Ownership also matters. A married veteran’s financial review generally includes the spouse’s countable assets and income. Accounts held jointly with a child or another person may require closer review of who actually owns the funds and who has access to them. Families should not assume that adding someone’s name to an account either removes the money from the applicant’s net worth or proves that the entire balance belongs to the applicant.
For a broader explanation of the calculation, see our guide to VA Aid & Attendance income limits and net-worth requirements.
Does Investment Income Count Separately?
It can. The value of an investment account may be a countable asset, while income generated by investments or retirement arrangements may also be part of annual income for VA purposes.
That is one reason a family should not estimate eligibility by adding up account balances alone. Interest, dividends, retirement distributions, annuity payments, Social Security and other recurring income can affect the annual-income side of the calculation. Certain unreimbursed medical expenses may reduce income for VA purposes, but those deductions must be supported and must satisfy the applicable rules.
The practical calculation is therefore more detailed than “assets under $163,699.” The VA combines countable assets with annual income for VA purposes, and that income figure may be lower than gross household income after allowable deductions. Our Aid & Attendance fact sheet provides an overview of the other requirements that still apply.
Which Major Assets Are Usually Excluded?
The primary residence is generally excluded while it remains the applicant’s principal home. The residential-lot exclusion normally covers up to two acres, although additional acreage may also be excluded when it is not marketable separately from the residence. One vehicle and basic household goods or personal effects suitable to the family’s lifestyle are also generally excluded.
These exclusions explain why total household wealth and VA countable net worth are not the same thing. A veteran could own a home, a vehicle and a moderate savings account without the home’s full market value being added to the pension calculation.
But excluded property can become countable money. If the primary home is sold, the proceeds held in a bank or investment account are generally countable assets unless another rule applies. The same principle applies when another excluded item is converted into cash. The sale itself may not make the family ineligible, but the form and value of what the family owns after the transaction matter.
Retirement Accounts, Annuities and Trusts Need Individual Review
Families frequently assume an IRA, 401(k), annuity or trust is protected because it was created for retirement or estate planning. That assumption can be dangerous.
Retirement and investment accounts are generally part of the financial review even if the applicant is taking only required distributions. Annuities and trusts can be more complicated because the VA may examine access, ownership, payment rights and how the arrangement was funded. Moving money into an arrangement that limits the applicant’s access can also raise a separate asset-transfer question.
The name printed on the account is not enough to determine how the VA will treat it. Before changing beneficiaries, retitling property, purchasing an annuity or funding a trust, families should have the transaction reviewed in the context of both VA pension rules and their broader financial or estate plan.
Do not give away savings or retitle investments simply to get below the limit. The VA reviews certain transfers made for less than fair market value during the 36 months before a pension claim. A covered transfer can create a penalty period of up to five years during which pension is not payable.
What If Your Savings Put You Over the Limit?
Being over the threshold today does not mean a family must remain over it permanently. Families naturally use savings to pay for the applicant’s own care, medical bills, housing, home modifications, transportation and ordinary living needs. Receiving goods or services at fair market value is fundamentally different from giving money away.
For example, a veteran who is over the limit while living at home may later use savings to pay for in-home care or assisted living. As those legitimate expenses reduce countable assets, the household may eventually reach a point when a pension claim deserves another review.
What the family should not do is manufacture eligibility through gifts or below-market transfers. The VA’s three-year look-back applies when assets were transferred for less than fair market value and retaining those assets would have pushed net worth above the limit. The consequence can be a period during which no pension is payable even after the applicant’s remaining assets fall below the threshold.
Our detailed guide to the Aid & Attendance look-back period, gifting and penalties explains how covered transfers and penalty periods work.
Unsure Whether Your Accounts Put You Over the Limit?
A balance sheet that looks straightforward can change once the VA’s exclusions, annual-income rules, medical-expense deductions and ownership questions are applied. Patriot Angels can review the household’s current financial picture and help you understand whether an Aid & Attendance claim may be appropriate.
Call (844) 757-3047 or use our free consultation page to discuss your family’s situation.
Request a Free ConsultationRecords to Gather Before Reviewing Eligibility
The goal is not to move money before anyone has calculated the result. The first step is to document what exists. Useful records include:
- Recent statements for checking, savings and money-market accounts
- Statements for brokerage, IRA, 401(k), pension and annuity accounts
- Documents showing ownership of jointly titled accounts or property
- Records for real estate other than the primary residence
- Current Social Security, pension and retirement-income statements
- Documentation of unreimbursed medical and care expenses
- Records of significant gifts, transfers, account retitling or below-market sales during the previous 36 months
Use current values rather than old tax returns alone. Tax records may help identify income sources, but they do not necessarily show what an investment account is worth when the claim is prepared. Marketable investments can rise or fall, and account statements provide a clearer snapshot.
Families should also preserve explanations for unusual transactions. A large withdrawal may have paid an assisted-living entrance fee, a home-care provider or a medical bill. Without the corresponding invoice or receipt, the transaction can look like an unexplained transfer.
Financial Eligibility Is Only One Part of Aid & Attendance
Falling below the net-worth limit does not by itself create eligibility. Aid & Attendance is a higher level of VA pension, so the applicant must qualify for the underlying Veterans Pension or Survivors Pension and meet the additional medical standard.
For a veteran, the review can include qualifying wartime service, discharge status, age or disability, financial eligibility and the need for regular assistance or another qualifying medical circumstance. A surviving spouse must meet the applicable relationship and marital requirements in addition to the financial and medical rules.
Care expenses can be extremely important because allowable unreimbursed medical expenses may reduce income for VA purposes. But paying for care does not erase the service, relationship or medical requirements, and not every expense is automatically deductible. The entire claim must work together.
Avoid Making a Permanent Decision From a Rough Estimate
Two families with the same amount in savings may receive different answers. One owns only a primary residence and has substantial deductible care expenses. The other owns investment property, receives significant retirement income or transferred assets inside the look-back period. Their visible bank balances may match while their VA calculations do not.
That is why online rules of thumb such as “you cannot have more than $80,000 in the bank” are unreliable. The current standard uses a published net-worth limit and specific definitions of assets, income and exclusions. It also changes over time.
Before deciding not to apply, build a complete inventory and calculate the household’s position under the rules in effect for the expected filing date. Before moving or gifting property, get advice that accounts for the look-back rule. A careful review is less costly than creating a transfer penalty or abandoning a potentially valid claim because of a mistaken assumption.
The Bottom Line
Veterans and surviving spouses can qualify for Aid & Attendance while owning savings or investments. Those accounts usually count, but they are only part of a larger calculation that includes annual income for VA purposes and excludes certain property such as the primary residence and one vehicle.
The right next step is to list the household’s current accounts, income, excluded property, medical expenses and any transfers made during the previous three years. That review can show whether the family is already below the limit, whether ordinary care spending may change the timing or whether a past transaction needs closer attention.
Patriot Angels has helped veterans and surviving spouses navigate the Aid & Attendance process since 2012. To request a free benefits review, call (844) 757-3047 or visit our free consultation page.
This article provides general educational information and is not legal, financial, tax or estate-planning advice. VA eligibility depends on the applicant’s circumstances and the laws, regulations and benefit figures in effect when the claim is reviewed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have money in savings and still qualify for Aid & Attendance?
Yes. Savings generally count as an asset, but having a savings account does not automatically disqualify you. The VA compares total countable assets plus annual income for VA purposes with the net-worth limit in effect for the claim.
What is the VA Aid & Attendance net-worth limit in 2026?
The limit is $163,699 for claims evaluated from December 1, 2025, through November 30, 2026. Families filing after that period should verify the updated limit.
Do stocks and bonds count toward the VA net-worth limit?
Generally, yes. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other marketable investments are normally countable at fair market value.
Does an IRA or 401(k) count as an asset?
Retirement accounts are generally included in the financial review. The account terms, ownership and any related income or distributions should be documented.
Does investment income count for Aid & Attendance?
Investment, retirement and annuity payments may be included in annual income for VA purposes. Allowable unreimbursed medical expenses may reduce that income.
Does the veteran’s spouse’s savings count?
For a married veteran, the spouse’s countable assets and income are generally included in the household financial calculation.
Does the applicant’s home count as an asset?
The primary residence is generally excluded, subject to the VA’s rules concerning the residential lot and use of the property. Other real estate is generally countable.
What happens if the applicant sells the primary home?
The home may be excluded while it is the primary residence, but cash or investments received from selling it are generally countable assets. A sale should be reviewed before the family relies on an earlier eligibility estimate.
Can you give money to your children to qualify?
Giving away assets can trigger the VA’s 36-month look-back rule and may create a penalty period. Do not transfer money simply to reduce net worth without qualified guidance.
Can savings be used to pay for assisted living or home care?
Yes. Paying fair market value for the applicant’s own care is different from giving assets away. Legitimate care spending can reduce assets over time, and qualifying unreimbursed medical expenses may also affect income for VA purposes.
Do debts reduce countable assets?
Do not assume every household debt can simply be subtracted from savings. The VA’s asset definition addresses mortgages or encumbrances tied to property, and the treatment of a specific debt or payment should be reviewed before calculating eligibility.
Is being under the net-worth limit enough to qualify?
No. The applicant must also meet the underlying pension requirements and the applicable medical standard for Aid & Attendance. Financial eligibility is only one part of the claim.
