Many veterans or their surviving spouse don’t know about or understand how to go about getting Assisted Living veterans benefits.
The simple truth is that most families think that they need to use a veteran’s home or nursing home run by the VA for a place for their aging veteran’ care. With this well-kept VA secret now finally beginning to get out among the general population it is important to know that every single Assisted Living facility is an option for your war-time veteran relative or friend.
This VA benefit often provides funds that help the veteran or their surviving spouse pay 50% up to even 100% of the Assisted Living facilities cost. Who knew that you could get paid a benefit from the VA to help you offset these expensive care costs.
For too long it was commonly thought that you needed to be wounded or have an immediate disability incurred during the veteran’s active duty.
It was too often understood or assumed that a veteran did not qualify for any VA benefits if their disabilities they face as they grow older did not have it’s origin from a documented active duty injury or wound.
This myth has been soundly busted.
WWII, Korean and Vietnam veterans are now beginning to experience normal disabilities due to the natural aging process. Some of these difficulties are due to their active duty but many are not.
The non-service connected disability pension benefit from the VA does not require that the difficulties or disability that you are now experiencing be related to your active duty. Again, to be clear…it does not have to be service related.
What is this little-known VA benefit? It is officially called the “Improved Disability Pension Benefit”. Their are three monthly payment thresholds that are defined by:
- Income and Assets
- Housebound Status
- Need for assistance with activities of daily living
The third threshold entitles the recipient to an entitlement commonly called “Aid and Attendance”.
A widowed surviving spouse of a qualified veteran (just 90 days of active duty with 1 day during an official stated period of war) is also eligible for this pension benefit.
For widowed surviving spouses it is officially called the “Improved Death Pension Benefit with Aid and Attendance Entitlement”.
So, this “new” benefit you may be hearing about called the “Aid and Attendance Benefit” is really either the long-standing VA benefit no one every heard about called either the:
- Non-Service Connected Disability Pension Benefit with Aid and Attendance Entitlement (for veterans)
or the
- Non-Service Connected Improved Death Pension Benefit with Aid and Attendance Entitlement (for un-remarried widowed surviving spouse of an qualified veteran)
Now, here is the best part.
The award amount of this VA non-service connected benefit:
- A Veteran with a dependent (typically spouse) can get up to $23,388 per year, paid monthly at $1,949
- A Veteran with no dependents can receive up to $17,728 per year, paid monthly at $1,644
- An un-remarried widow surviving spouse can receive up to $12,684 per year, paid monthly at $1,057
Assisted Living Veterans Benefits Qualifications
There are five qualification criteria:
- When the veteran served with at least 90 days of active duty with a least 1 day during a stated time of war. (The veteran does not have to have seen action, serve overseas or be in a combat area to qualify)
- Must no longer be able to safely drive
- Must need assistance with activities of daily living
- Must have liquid assets less than $80 thousand. But, there is no look back if you need to do move assets out of the applicants name to meet this requirement. If you transfer excess assets today you are eligible tomorrow.
- The actual amount of the veterans benefit you can receive is based on a simple formula.
This last qualification criteria often confuses families looking to get the Veterans Benefits for Assisted Living.