Do you Qualify for VA Aid and Attendance?

All too often veterans are told they do not qualify for VA Aid and Attendance.
The truth is you may be eligible for benefits to help pay for needed extended care if you meet The 3 Ms of eligibility. These are: Military, Medical and Money.
Military service. A veteran or a surviving spouse of a veteran must have 90 days of active duty, with one day during a period of war, and have been discharged with an other than dishonorable discharge. The periods of war include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. Gulf war veterans must have two years of active duty to qualify.

Medical need. A claimant must have the need of assistance of another individual with at least two activities of daily living. These are bathing, dressing, ambulating, toileting and eating. Legally blind or cognitively impaired also creates a medical need. An example of this would be someone with dementia may simply need daily reminders to eat and bathe, this would qualify.

Money. The VA looks at both income and assets. In order to qualify for the full benefit your income must be less than your cost of care. Here is an example, take someone with an income of $3,000 per month and their cost of care in an assisted living community is $4,500 per month, they would have $1,500 negative per month. They would qualify for the full monthly benefit of $2,120 for a married veteran, $1,788 for a single veteran, and $1,149 for a surviving spouse. The amount of assets they can have is not as straightforward and is somewhat

Do you Qualify for VA Aid and Attendance?

All too often veterans are told they do not qualify for VA Aid and Attendance.

The truth is you may be eligible for benefits to help pay for needed extended care if you meet The 3 Ms of eligibility. These are: Military, Medical and Money.

Military service. A veteran or a surviving spouse of a veteran must have 90 days of active duty, with one day during a period of war, and have been discharged with an other than dishonorable discharge. The periods of war include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. Gulf war veterans must have two years of active duty to qualify.

Medical need. A claimant must have the need of assistance of another individual with at least two activities of daily living. These are bathing, dressing, ambulating, toileting and eating. Legally blind or cognitively impaired also creates a medical need. An example of this would be someone with dementia may simply need daily reminders to eat and bathe, this would qualify.

Money. The VA looks at both income and assets. In order to qualify for the full benefit your income must be less than your cost of care. Here is an example, take someone with an income of $3,000 per month and their cost of care in an assisted living community is $4,500 per month, they would have $1,500 negative per month. They would qualify for the full monthly benefit of $2,120 for a married veteran, $1,788 for a single veteran, and $1,149 for a surviving spouse. The amount of assets they can have is not as straightforward and is somewhat subjective process. We have had claims approved with over $80,000 in total assets and others denied for less than $30,000 in total assets. So, how do you know what the correct amount is? The best advice is to consult with an accredited agent or attorney who understands the rules. A competent advisor can help you qualify even if your net worth is excessive.