Applying for VA Aid and Attendance Pension

The Aid and Attendance Pension is a type of monthly financial assistance for qualified veterans or their surviving spouses to pay for the cost of elderly care, e.g. meals, medication, clothing and personal assistance expenses.

Who are Qualified?

  • Veterans over the age of 65 who meet the income requirements for financial assistance.
  • Veterans who are suffering from both physical and mental incapacity.
  • Veterans who require the aid of another person to perform personal functions essential for daily living such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, and ensuring their safety and security.
    Veterans who are bedridden, defined by the VA as having a disability (or multiple disabilities) that keeps the patient in bed “apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment.”
  • Veterans who are confined in a nursing home due to physical or mental impairment.
  • Veterans who have limited eyesight to “a corrected 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less” according to the VA.
  • Surviving spouses and dependent children of veterans who have died may also be eligible for similar benefits through the VA Survivors Pension program.
The veteran or their surviving spouse, is not required to meet all these conditions, just one is enough to justify consideration for Aid And Attendance payments.

How to Apply: 3-Step Process

1. Identify which documents you’ll need to send to the VA

Personal circumstances vary so identify only the relevant documents to support your claim. Include a marriage certificate, death certificate or statement of occupancy from a nursing home, as necessary. Take advantage of the assistance offered by some nursing care facilities who will work with you to certify a resident’s qualification for A&A.

  • Copy of current year Social Security award letter
  • DD-214 Military Discharge papers (originals, no photocopies). Note: You can request official replacements for lost originals from the National Archives
  • Proof of all assets (bank and investment statements) and income
  • Proof of insurance premiums and unreimbursed medical expenses

2. Fill out the correct VA Application Forms

Depending on your circumstances, select and completely fill out the application forms linked below that are relevant to your claim.

3. Mail the Application

But before you do, make sure to save personal, back-up copies of every item in the application packet as well as any other correspondence with the VA. It’s highly recommended that you send your completed application via USPS Certified Mail Return Receipt to confirm that the VA receives your application. Veterans in California can mail their applications to the following designated pension center –

Department of Veterans Affairs
Claims Intake Center
Attention: St. Paul Pension Center
PO Box 5365
Janesville, WI 53547-5365

What to Expect 

The workload at your region’s VA pension center will determine how fast your application will be processed. Sending an accurate and complete application with no missing forms, information and documents can speed up the process.

While every case varies, the application process typically takes around nine months from the date you submit it until approval. Once the VA approves the application, benefits will be paid retroactively from the original filing date.

Top Aid and Attendance Forms:

What’s Next?

Once you’ve determined that you might qualify for Aid and Attendance Benefits, book your free consultation meeting with our team at Crider Law and we’ll help you effectively file your application and fast-track your claim.

Whether it’s your first time to file, pursuing an appeal or just want to learn more about your rights and entitlements under the VA pension program, we will support you every step of the way.

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