Coming off of a weekend celebrating our Independence Day, we felt it was a perfect opportunity to touch on the topic of Veterans Benefits as it relates to offsetting the costs for Assisted Living. VA Aid and Attendance is a tax free benefit that provides monthly payments to qualified Veterans and their spouses.
Currently in 2020, the VA Aid and Attendance monthly rates are:
Single Veteran: $1,911
Married Veteran with Spouse: $2,266
Surviving Spouse: $1,228
There are some basic requirements that will help determine eligibility for these benefits. Note, that these are just an overview and that it’s important to contact your local VA office or VA Accredited Elder Care Lawyer to truly determine if you qualify. (Reach out to us directly so we can recommend one of our vetted resources to get your questions answered.)
- 65 years and older
- The Veteran served at least one day during a wartime period. (Note: it is not required to be in combat; make sure to check official war time dates.)
- Must have served at least 90 consecutive days of active duty.
- Surviving spouse must have been married to Veteran at the time of the Veteran’s passing – and has not remarried.
- The Veteran and/or spouse needs assistance with 2 or more activities of daily life (ADLs) that would require Assisted Living, and is confirmed by an Affidavit from a physician. (ADLs include: dressing, bathing, walking, meal prep, incontinence, transferring)
- The Veteran’s monthly income is LESS than or equal to the monthly cost of the Assisted Living community. (Example: Veterans total monthly income $1,900 and the monthly cost for Assisted Living is $3,400)
- The Veteran’s TOTAL assets meet the income requirements. (typically this needs to be less than $127,000; assets include: bank accounts, savings, IRA, investments, cash value life insurance, certificates of deposits, etc. and the value of a homestead is not counted)
Once you apply, it can take time to get approved (up to 12 months currently due to delays because of COVID). It’s important to know, all benefits are retroactive to the date you applied. With all that said, this makes future planning even more critical! If you or your loved one plans on accessing Aid and Attendance benefits, contact us TODAY so we can start to discuss community options so you aren’t caught needing the benefits and waiting for them to be approved!
Be sure that anyone who assists you in the preparation of your VA application is ACCREDITED by the Department of Veteran Affairs. You can confirm accreditation by going to www.va.gov/ogc/apps/Accreditation
Thank you to ALL our Veterans, their spouses and loved ones for their selfless service!
