Do you receive a VA pension? If you do, you may be eligible for certain benefits that can help you maintain or improve your quality of life. For example, the VA Aid and Attendance Benefit can help you receive the funds you need to access home care services. You can use this VA Benefits Guide to help you find out which pension benefits you qualify for.
Accessing the Aid and Attendance Benefit
If you already receive a VA pension and you need assistance with the activities of daily living, you could qualify for the Aid and Attendance pension benefit. To qualify for this benefit, you must meet at least one of these four requirements:
- You need physical assistance with daily activities such as bathing, grooming, dressing and eating.
- You spend a large portion of the day in bed due to illness or disability.
- You are a nursing home patient due to disability-related loss of mental or physical abilities.
- Your vision is limited to 5/200 in both eyes or your visual field is concentrically contracted to 5 degrees or less, even with glasses or contact lenses.
AVCC can screen you to determine if you qualify for Aid and Attendance. If you’re eligible, we can help you apply for this VA benefit, and we will contact the VA continuously to ensure your application moves smoothly through the process.
Understanding the Housebound Pension Benefit
The VA also offers a Housebound pension benefit. This is similar to, but separate from, the Aid and Attendance pension benefit. You must spend most of your time in your home due to a disability to qualify for the Housebound pension benefit. The Housebound benefit is listed on the same page of the VA’s site as Aid and Attendance, but that page notes that you cannot receive the Housebound benefit and the Aid and Attendance benefit at the same time.
Accessing Surviving Spouse Pension Benefits
If you were married to a Veteran who has died, you could qualify for a VA Survivor’s Pension. To receive this pension, you must not have remarried after the Veteran’s death, and your Veteran loved one must have served during specific periods detailed on the VA’s website. Additionally, your Veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge. Your income and net worth must also fit within certain limits set by Congress if you want to receive this VA benefit for spouses.
How Does AVCC Help You Receive Pension Benefits?
AVCC works with Veterans who want to access the Aid and Attendance pension benefit. We screen Veterans to determine their eligibility. Then we fill out their applications and make sure each one gets through the approval process without hitting any snags along the way. Once they begin receiving the funds from the Aid and Attendance benefit, we help our Veterans match up with home care providers in their communities. We also provide training and resources for providers in our network so they can successfully provide home care to Veterans. Overall, we work with the Aid and Attendance benefit and help our Veterans access this Veterans pension so they can receive home care that improves their daily lives.
What if You Need to Apply for a Different Veterans’ Pension Benefit?
While we only work with the Aid and Attendance pension benefit, we encourage you to reach out to other organizations that work with Veterans to see if they work with the Housebound benefit or the Survivor’s Pension. Working with an organization that helps Veterans access these benefits can give you extra resources you wouldn’t have if you applied to the VA for these benefits on your own. They can help you navigate the application process, just like AVCC does with Aid and Attendance.
AVCC works with Veterans who want to access the Aid and Attendance pension benefit. We screen Veterans to determine their eligibility. Then we fill out their applications and make sure each one gets through the approval process without hitting any snags along the way.
Begin Applying for Aid and Attendance With AVCC
If you’re ready to begin applying for Aid and Attendance, reach out to AVCC today. We can help you navigate the process so you can receive this pension benefit and use its funds for medical expenses, home care, and other services you may need.
