The cost of assisted living can add up over the years. If you or a loved one are U.S. military veterans or a surviving spouse, you may be eligible for additional financial assistance besides your basic pension.
What Is Aid & Attendance
The Department of Veterans Affairs has established several programs to provide financial assistance to veterans. Each of these programs has different eligibility criteria.
Veterans or their widowed spouses over 65 years are eligible for the basic VA pension if their income is below the specified amount.
Veterans or their widowed spouses who meet the basic VA pension requirements but who are unable to live alone and need additional help, may qualify for a supplementary assistance scheme – the Aid and Attendance benefit.
The Aid and Attendance provides eligible veterans and their surviving spouses with additional monthly payments above the basic pension amount. There is a long list of requirements you need to meet to avail of these benefits but it’s worth looking into so you can apply if you qualify.
What Are Housebound Benefits
The Housebound program is another scheme established by the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is part of the pension benefits paid to veterans and survivors. The Housebound program is similar to the Aid and Attendance program, with additional financial assistance for veterans or their widowed spouses who may require more specialized care and attendance.
Being eligible for VA pension is a mandatory requirement in order to qualify for Housebound benefits. In addition to the basic pension requirements, you must also meet one or more of these conditions:
• Needing somebody else’s help to perform everyday personal and household tasks
• Having to live in a nursing home because of physical or mental limitations
• Being partially or wholly incapacitated
• Having limited field of vision making it challenging to perform tasks independently
How To Apply For VA Benefits
Qualifying for the VA benefits is not automatic. You have to first go through an extensive application process. The Department of Veterans Affairs reviews every application thoroughly and allocated funds according to the eligibility criteria that you meet.
The basic documents you will need to get started with the process are your latest tax returns, marriage certificate, Social Security numbers for yourself and your spouse, and your current health insurance provider’s account numbers.
You will also need a copy of your discharge documents, bank statements and certificates of other financial assets, medical documents including a letter from your doctor detailing your current diagnosis, prognosis, and current ability to care for yourself.
You then have to fill out the relevant applications form that you will find on the Department of Veteran Affairs website.
Make sure that you submit all the information and documentation asked so that your application is not held up and there is no delay in receiving the funds you need.
