The Veteran Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefits offered by the Veterans’ Administration are considered a pension benefit. This means that the needs you are facing do not have to be service related. It also includes the needs of a surviving spouse of a veteran. If you need assistance with your daily living activities, are blind, require nursing care due to mental or physical incapacity or in an assisted living facility, this benefit may be just what you need to help offset the cost of your long term care.
In order to qualify for the Veteran Aid and Attendance benefits, a veteran must have at least 90 days of service in an active duty capacity with at least one day of that service falling within a defined period of war. The Veterans’ Administration defines the periods of war as:
- WWI: 4/16/1917 through 11/11/1918
- WWII: 12/7/1941 through 12/31/1946
- Korea: 6/25/1950 through 1/31/1955
- Vietnam: 8/5/1964 through 5/7/1975
- Persian Gulf: 8/2/90 through a future date to be set by law.
Liquid assets and income are also factors determining eligibility. The adjudicator within the Veterans’ Administration would use a number of factors to determine what asset and income limit an applicant is allowed to have to be eligible to apply for the A&A benefits. These factors can include the age of the veteran or surviving spouse, amount of monthly income as well as the cost of non-reimbursed medical expenses. If your income and assets exceed the eligibility limit, there may be options available to you in order to qualify. The VA does not have a 5 year look back rule, so transferring your assets to a properly drafted irrevocable trust may allow you to meet eligibility requirements.
