Veterans benefits due military personnel frequently go unclaimed. Often overlooked are disabled veteran payments, veteran death benefits and burial allowances, veterans life insurance, savings bonds and military back pay.
The Aid and Attendance (A&A) Special Pension provides benefits for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist them in eating, dressing, bathing and going to the bathroom.
It includes individuals who are blind and patients in nursing homes due to mental or physical incapacity. Residents of an Assisting Living Facility (ALF) also may qualify.
The A&A Pension provides up to $1,519 per month to a veteran, $976 per month to a surviving spouse, or $1,801 per month to a couple. Only one in seven who are eligible have claimed this benefit – Special Pension benefits totaling billions of dollars have gone unclaimed.
Any War-Time Veteran with 90 days of active duty, 1 day beginning or ending during a period of War, is eligible to apply for the Aid & Attendance Special Pension. Surviving spouses (the marriage must have ended due to death) of a War-Time Veteran may also apply.
The veteran or surviving spouse must qualify both medically and financially. To qualify medically, you must need assistance performing normal daily tasks, such as eating, dressing, dressing, and going to the bathroom. If you are blind or in a nursing home or assisted living facility due to mental or physical incapacity, you may also qualify. To qualify financially, you must have less than $80,000 in assets, exclusive of your home and automobile.
Eligibility must be proven by filing the Veterans Application for Pension or Compensation – VA Form 21-526. You will also need your Form DD-214 – Discharge/Separation Documents. These may be obtained by mail from:
The National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri 63132
or use the online form: Standard Form 180. Surviving spouses will need VA Form 21-534 For additional assistance contact the VA at 800-827-1000 /. 800-829-4833 (TDD) or contact your local VBA office.
To search for other veteran benefits, including veteran’s life insurance, go to: Veterans Benefit Search
