Some veterans assume that since they’ve been denied previous pensions through the Veteran’s Administration that there’s no need to apply for a different type of pension. For example, if a veteran was denied certain types of pensions in the past, they may never even consider applying for the Aid and Attendance Benefit.
The Aid and Attendance Benefit is a pension that was developed after World War I to provide financial assistance for soldiers returning from battle who had been injured and disabled. The initial intention was to provide support for them at home as they went through the recovery process.
Over the years, the pension was expanded to provide coverage for veterans of all walks of life, whether they were injured or disabled during the time of service, and no matter their age.
Today, many veterans rely on the Aid and Attendance Benefit to pay for home care services. Qualifying veterans need to have limited income and assets, currently exceeding no more than $119,000. Since some veterans assume they wouldn’t be approved for other pensions because they were denied previous applications, they may never look into it more seriously. It’s important that these veterans understand the Aid and Attendance Benefit is different than other pensions and doesn’t take into account previous applications for some of those other pensions and benefits.
What’s most important to know about the Aid and Attendance Benefit?
The most important thing for veterans to know is that they need to have served at least 90 days active duty in one of the major branches of the United States military. At least one day of service needs to have overlapped a time of official combat as defined by Congress. If they served any time during the Gulf War, they need to have served a minimum of two years active duty service.
They also need to be able to prove home care support is necessary at this point in their life. If they can do that, if they are limited in their income and assets, and if they are considered a wartime veteran, they should be encouraged to look into the application for the Aid and Attendance pension as soon as possible. Even if they were denied other pensions, they could still be approved for this or the Homebound pension, which can be instrumental at helping these men and women get the support and care they need at home.
Our VetAssist® Program can help you apply for the VA’s Aid and Attendance benefit and access the home care you need. For more information and to learn about The VetAssist Program, contact Veteran’s Home Care at (888) 314-6075.
