There are many benefits available to veterans who have served this country. One of these benefits is access to housing through the VA loan program, which makes it easy for veterans to obtain affordable financing at competitive rates. There is also another benefit available specifically to older and disabled veterans that is not as well known. This benefit is known as the Aid and Attendance Special Pension, and it is widely unused because so many veterans are unaware that it exists.

How the Pension Helps Veterans

The Aid and Attendance Special Pension was created in 1951 when Congress passed a law to help older veterans pay for the out-of-pocket costs of long-term health care. These long-term costs refer to the recurring health-related expenses veterans may have, such as the cost of a caregiver, medical costs, assisted living charges and more. The money received from the pension is tax-free and allows veterans to receive over one thousand dollars a month to cover any out-of-pocket costs they have as a result of the care they receive.

How to be Eligible for the Pension

In order to be eligible for this pension, the recipient must be a veteran and be older than 65 years old, but veterans who are 65 years old or younger can still be eligible for the pension if they are considered to be completely disabled. The veteran must also require regular attendance from an individual other than his or her spouse on a consistent basis. Requirements of the pension also state that the veteran must have received an honorable discharge, and they must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one of those days being during a wartime period. In some cases, the spouse of a deceased veteran can be eligible to receive the pension, as well.

Pair the Pension with VA Loan Benefits to Increase Your Savings!

Veterans can take advantage of a VA loan refinance to receive additional benefits. With a VA loan refinance, veterans can refinance their current mortgage with a VA loan to lower their monthly mortgage payments or to consolidate their debt in order to reduce their overall monthly expenses!

There are even more VA loan benefits available exclusively to disabled veterans. They can have both service requirements and the funding fee waived. They also can receive accommodation grants to make their homes more accessible for their particular disability. With the financial assistance available from the pension and the ability to lower monthly expenses with a VA loan, disabled veterans have a great opportunity to live more comfortably and improve their quality of life.

Many veterans are missing out on this exclusive pension and benefit that they earned as a result of their service to this country. Veterans who are interested in receiving the pension should speak with a VA representative to find out if they are eligible for the pension and to a home loan specialist to find out how they can take advantage of VA home loan benefits in order to save money!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/many-older-veterans-are-unaware-of-special-pension-take-advantage-now-5007180.html

About the Author

Victoria Belle-Miller is the newest member of the VeteransLoans.com writing staff. Her background in journalistic writing and ability to evaluate the issues that Americans face in daily life make her a strong addition to the VA loans team and a valuable source of sound advice!

Whether it’s the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard, each and every branch plays a vital role in protecting the interests of our nation. The men and women who unselfishly serve are now eligible for unprecedented educational benefits and financial aid under the New GI Bill.

The GI Bill was first enacted under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 to help soldiers returning from WW II go to college so they could re-enter the work force after serving in the military during the war. More than two million veterans used the financial aid available to them to go back to school. Having the largest educated work force in the history of the nation led to an unparalleled period of economic prosperity in America.

Today, the men and women in the service are working long and difficult hours to combat the terrorism that has proliferated all over the world since 9/11. That’s why the New GI Bill was enacted in July of 2009. The new bill, called the Post-9/11 GI Bill, was put together to help active duty members who served 90 days or more after September 11, 2001. The purpose of the bill is to provide service members and their families access to educational benefits through grants and scholarships provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

There are various programs that fall under the New GI Bill. For example, the Montgomery Bill provides financial aid to service members who want to participate in independent study programs, or to complete required Continuing Education credits for their jobs. It also provides funding for certain on-the-job training and apprenticeship programs. Some of these programs may be online. The GI Bill covers tuition and fees for online college and university programs the same as a regular university.

If a veteran chooses to attend classes online, it must be with an accredited university or college. The GI Bill does not cover any expenses associated with universities or colleges that are not accredited. Distance classes offer active duty military members the opportunity to continue their education while allowing them the flexibility to continue the important work of the armed forces.

Grants and scholarships for family members of the military are also available through the New GI Bill. There are circumstances in which a military member can transfer his or her benefits to an eligible family member, such as a spouse or child. There are also scholarships available to the children of military members who were killed in the line of duty. One such scholarship is the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship. There are many other grants and scholarships available for spouses and children of military members. Spouses and children who are eligible for benefits may also choose to attend online classes, as long as the classes are through an accredited college or university.

The financial aid that is available to veterans under the New GI Bill is unprecedented. Up to $49,000 in benefits may be available. The financial aid that is offered may be used to cover up to 100% of tuition. Depending on eligibility, a veteran may also be eligible for grants that can be used to pay for books, fees, and supplies. The application may be completed online or submitted to your local Veterans Affairs office.

All benefits under the New GI Bill are tax-free. Active duty service members and veterans now have more opportunity than ever before to complete the college degree they’ve been waiting for, especially with the federal grants available. Even if they are stationed overseas, with the financial aid provided by the New GI Bill, military members can enroll in accredited online universities and colleges. Online, going to school for a military member has never been easier.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/education-articles/gi-bill-allows-military-members-and-veterans-to-attend-online-college-from-anywhere-4719154.html

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VA Improved Pension Benefit

If you haven’t heard of it, you are not alone. Currently there is a ground swell effort to inform veterans about this benefit. The Governor of Illinois felt it was such a serious situation that he created a non-profit corporation to work with other corporations, service groups and individuals like us, to get the word out and to educate Veterans and the families on this benefit. There are about 22 million veterans in the United States and about two billion dollars of benefits that go untouched every year. And a lot of it has to do with the fact that people just don’t know that the benefits are available. They don’t know that they qualify and they don’t know how to apply.

You’ll notice that it says “Aid & Attendance and Housebound”. The power of this benefit is that it provides extra income when you need it most, when you health changes and you need care. How many of you have helped care for a loved one? How many of you know someone who has lost just about everything because of the cost of care?

You know when this benefit was introduced in 1952; long-term care wasn’t such a big issue. Families stayed close. Not so many children went away to college, and then farther away for their careers. Things were pretty simple.

Now families are busy, busy. Children are scheduled in soccer, gymnastics, ballet, t-ball, so many events that they eat supper on the road, order meals by numbers “I’ll have a #2 meal super-sized” and it’s a different world.

So now, long-term care cost is a fact of life. We can’t rely on family. And most of us, being really honest would rather NOT have a family member help us with those really personal care needs.

So would extra money help your family when you need care? Sure! Most of us are not going to turn it down, especially when you’ve already earned it. That’s why the Improved Pension Benefit is so important.

Qualifications for Veterans & Widows

So people ask, “What are the qualifications for this benefit?” The first qualification is a discharge from military service that is anything BUT dishonorable.

The veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least ONE day served during a declared state of war. Now you did not actually have to be in combat. As an example, you could have been a clerk in San Diego harbor, and never left US shores. As long as you had 90 days active service, you did not have a dishonorable discharge and one day was during wartime, you qualify on those points.
Finally, you have to be totally disabled, OR age 65 and older. This benefit has been on the books since 1952 and one of the reasons Veterans didn’t take advantage of it was that they thought you had to be disabled. Let’s take a look at this benefit. It is a pension. At what age do we generally qualify for a pension? The age we start receiving a pension is when we hit retirement and that is usually at age ….??? Right, 65! So it makes sense that if you are 65 or older, then you qualify for the pension, because of your age. It doesn’t matter that you are not disabled.

Declared States of War

The next thing people want to know is, “What are the Declared States of War?” How many of you were in the Korean War? You will remember that during the Korean War, it was called a Police Action, an advisory thing, right? Vietnam was that way, too. However, for benefits related to Periods of War, these are the dates and events recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs. These are the wars that count for this benefit.

Mexican Border Period 1916-1917
WWI 1917 – 1921
WWII 1941 – 1946
Korean War 1950 – 1955
Vietnam War 1962 – 1975
Gulf War 1990 – . . .

DVA Improved Pension 2008

So people want to know, “How much money are we talking?” Here are the pension amounts for this year. Now there are different amounts if you are Housebound, and there are amounts if you are simply low income. For now, let’s look at the numbers for Aid & Attendance. When you need Aid & Attendance, you are typically in a facility. Your costs of care are the greatest. Your need for extra money is the greatest. AND the pension benefit is the greatest.

If you are a couple, Veteran and Spouse, and one of you is receiving care in a facility, you could receive up to $22,113 per year, TAX FREE. So how would an extra $1842/month help with you care costs? Would you want the money that your service earned? Sure you would.

For a single veteran, it could be up to $18,654/year, or over $1554/month, TAX FREE.

For the surviving spouse of a veteran, it’s up to $11,985/year, or /$998/month, TAX FREE.

This benefit is available every year you continue to receive Aid & Attendance in a facility. There is a Cost of Living adjustment every year that reflects the increase in Social Security. It’s normally, about 3%, this year it was 2.3%.

It is a Means Testing program, which means they look at both your Income and your Assets. Now at this point, people will look at each other and say, “Oh we have too much income and assets to qualify.” But there are two important things to know, that can make all the difference.
First, your out-of-pocket medical expenses are deducted from your income. When your health and lifestyle change and you need care and assistance, there can be substantial expenses, and these are deducted from you income.
Second, the VA counts your assets as of the date of the application. So, you can create an estate plan and reposition your assets before the application.

Income Testing

Let me share with you my favorite couple Roy and Dale. You remember them. They had a dog named, Bullet, a horse named Trigger, a friend named Pat who had a Jeep named….Does any know the name of Pat’s Jeep? It was Nelly belle. How about Dale’s horse, do you know her horse’s name? It was Buttermilk. They were my favorite couple when I was growing up. I used to watch their program all the time and knew that Roy, in his white hat, would always get the bad guys in their black hats.

Now Roy and Dale are very comfortable, 2500 dollars in income each month. Everything’s paid for. Life was good. But then Roy falls off Trigger and breaks his hip. He goes to Happy Trails Care Facility. His expenses for facility care, medications, health insurance premiums total $3200/mo. Now life is not so good. They are spending $700 more each month than they have coming in. Where do you suppose that extra money is coming from? Right, their savings! Their income is upside down and they are burning through their assets quickly.

So here is an example of a couple going from having plenty of income, to losing money because of a simple fall, change in health and need for Aid & Attendance. Roy was a veteran and his service has earned him the Improved Pension Benefit, they would qualify for $1801.25 per month. Would that make a difference in their lives? Could it save the drain on their estate? Absolutely!

Asset Testing

Now, it is also means tested for Assets. Whatever you have titled in your name will be counted with the exception of your house and car as long as one of you is residing in the house. This is the opportunity to put in place the estate planning that you’ve been putting off. You can put things in place so your assets are controlled by family; and you know that things will still go the way you want, without losing them. With the VA, there is no look back period. It is very important to have everything properly titled and positioned before you make application for the benefits, so be sure to consult with a professional.

Documents Needed

Sometimes people have misplaced their discharge papers. Some people call it their military jacket, others refer to it as the DD214, and still others call them separation papers. It may be that you don’t know where these papers are. Don’t worry, you can apply for duplicates and it takes about 4 weeks for them to arrive. Other forms needed are the Marriage Certificate and a Death Certificate if the veteran is deceased. These just take some time to get from the county or state departments. They do need to be certified copies and that can be done at the courthouse in most places.

If you need to do some estate planning for you assets, that takes a little time. So by the time the documents arrive, you’ll have things in place and be ready for the application process.
When you send in the completed application, the first thing the DVA does is time stamp it, enter it into their system and assign a case number. That’s important, because the time stamp is the date counted for your first benefit payment. It may take up to six months for the application to be processed. But when it’s processed and approved, the DVA will go back to the time stamp on the application, and send a check retroactive back to the date the application was entered into the system.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/insurance-articles/little-known-veterans-pension-program-can-earn-you-up-to-22000-tax-free-527645.html

About the Author

Insurance Professional from Venice Florida

email: lance@ssflorida.com

website: http://www.ssflorida.com

There are a series of forms that you need to complete become entitled to receive the aid and attendance level of benefits. Some of these forms are official VA forms while others you need to provide do not have to be VA forms.

There are different benefit claim applications depending on if you are the war-time veteran or the widowed surviving spouse of a war-time veteran. What do we mean by war-time veteran? To be eligible for the benefit the qualifying veteran must have served 90-days of active duty with at least one of those days during a stated period of war.

Yes, Korea and Vietnam are official wars. The Cuban missile crises and other “skirmishes” are not stated period of war. The Gulf conflict which began with Gulf I in 1990 is an official period of war.

For a war-time veteran you will need the VA Form 21-526. For non-service connected disability claims you will only need to use Part A, C and D. For service connected disability claims you will also need to include Part B. If you are submitting a non-service connected claim, do not include Part B. It will only confuse the process and could very well cause your claim to be denied.

A non-service connected disability is typically for a war-time veteran who because of advanced aging has now come to need the assistance of another individual (family, friend or outside care) to help with everyday activities of daily living. Things like cooking, bathing, dressing, needs of nature, and getting to and from places.

For a widowed surviving spouse of a war-time veteran you will need the VA Form 21-536. There are no extra parts of the claim application. Again, the widowed surviving spouse will need to have needs of care similar to those outlined above for the veteran.

An important note for widowed surviving spouse claims is that the widow needs to have been married to the veteran at the time of the veteran’s death and not have remarried.

For both the veteran and the widowed surviving spouse you will want to make sure to include the proper documentation (discharge doc, physician evaluation, marriage certificate, death certificate -if appropriate, and a letter form the care provider).

It is also always best to document your eligible expenses on the VA Form 21-8416.

While there is no official VA aid and attendance forms that you need to complete. To be eligible for the aid and attendance entitlement you will need to properly complete and include the necessary documentation.

Greg Cook through his Aid and Attendance Veterans Benefits Handbook has helped thousands of elderly veterans and their widowed surviving spouse. To learn how break the secret code of this best kept VA secret visit the Veterans Care Advisors website at http://www.VeteransCareAdvisors.com

You too can be on the way to fully understanding the ins and outs of qualifying for this benefit and the best ways to document your eligibility for a properly formatted and documented claim application. Get started today to fully understanding how to get this VA Financial Assistance Benefit.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/the-number-one-thing-you-need-to-know-about-the-aid-and-attendance-forms-4765546.html

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Many veterans or their surviving spouse haven’t heard of or perhaps understand how going about receiving veterans assisted living benefits in the form of financial aid called aid and attendance.

The very simple the fact is that a lot of families believe that they need to work with a veteran’s home or nursing home operated by the VA for a destination regarding their aging veteran’s care. Because of this well-kept VA secret now eventually beginning to get out amongst the general populace it’s very helpful to know that each and every Assisted Living facility can be an option to your war-time veteran relative or friend.

This VA benefit often provides money that assist the veteran or their surviving spouse pay 50% up to perhaps 100% of the Assisted Living facilities cost. Who knew that you could get paid a benefit through the VA to assist you offset these pricey care charges.

For too much time it was generally thought that you actually required to be wounded or even receive an immediate disability incurred in the veteran’s active duty.

It had been all too often understood or suspected that the veteran did not qualify for any specific VA benefits when their disabilities many people confront as they get older didn’t have it’s origin originating from a documented active duty accident or wound.

That myth has been soundly busted.

WWII, Korean and Vietnam veterans are starting to experience typical disabilities because of the biological aging process. Some of these issues result from their active duty but a majority of are not.

The non-service connected disability pension benefit from the VA commonly called aid & attendance does not demand that the problems or disability you are now experiencing be related to your active duty. Once more, to be clear…it doesn’t have to be connected.

What is this little-known VA benefit?

It is officially named the “Improved Disability Pension Benefit”. Presently there are three payment thresholds that are defined by:

1. Income and Assets

2. Housebound Status

3. Requirement for assistance with activities of daily living

The 3rd threshold entitles the recipient to an entitlement widely known as “Aid and Attendance”.

A widowed surviving spouse of the qualified veteran (just 3 months of active duty together with 1 day during an official stated time of war) is also eligible for this pension benefit.

For widowed surviving spouses it’s officially called the “Improved Death Pension Benefit with Aid and Attendance Entitlement.

So, this “new” benefit you may be reading about called the “Aid and Attendance Benefit” is actually either the long-standing VA benefit nobody every heard about also known as either the:

Non-Service Connected Disability Pension Benefit with Aid and Attendance Entitlement (for veterans)

or the

Non-Service Connected Improved Death Pension Benefit with Aid and Attendance Entitlement (for un-remarried widowed surviving wife or husband of an qualified veteran)

Now, here is the best part.

The award amount of money of this VA non-service connected benefit:

1. A Veteran with a dependent (typically spouse) can get as much as $23,388 per year, paid once a month at $1,949

2. A Veteran without dependents has the potential to receive as much as $17,728 annually, paid monthly at $1,644

3. An un-remarried widow surviving spouse can potentially be given as much as $12,684 per year, paid out monthly at $1,057

Assisted Living Veterans Benefits Qualification

There are five qualification conditions:

1. When the veteran served along with at the least 3 months of active duty together with at least 1 day during a stated time of war. (The veteran does not need to have seen action, serve offshore or even be inside a battle area in order to qualify)

2.Must no longer be able to safely drive

3.Must need assistance with activities of daily living

4.Will need to have liquid assets under $80 thousand. However, there is absolutely no look back in case you have to switch assets from the applicants name in order to meet this qualification. If you move excess assets today you will be qualified tomorrow.

5.The specific amount of the veterans benefit you are able to receive is based on a fairly easy formula.

The final qualification requirement frequently confuses families looking to get the Assisted Living Veterans Benefits. Luckily, specialized help accessible to make sure that a quick and correct approval from the VA with regard to your loved one.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/elderly-care-articles/discover-how-you-too-can-receive-your-fair-share-of-assisted-living-veterans-benefits-2603950.html

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Don’t let your fair share get improperly delayed or denied. Get the help you need. Veterans Care Advisors has created the Aid and Attendance Handbook which takes families step-by-step through each and every step of the whole process. The Aid and Attendance Veterans Benefits Handbook is available at http://www.VeteransCareAdvisors.com

Ask an elderly Veteran if they are aware they may be eligible for a pension from the Veteran’s Administration and they will tell you “I’m not eligible because I was not injured in the War.” This is a common misconception which keeps many Veterans from tapping into a benefit they well earned by serving our country. The fact is elderly, disabled Veterans and their widows may very well qualify for large sums of money, but they have to apply for the funds. There are several Veteran pensions, but the pension designed to help elderly Veterans and Veteran’s Widows pay for costly Home Health Care, Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home fees (if the Veteran is not covered by Medicaid) is called Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance. The pension can pay a married Veteran up to $1,949.00 per month, an unmarried Veteran up to $1,644.00 per month and a Veteran’s Widow can receive up to $1,056.00 per month. The amount one receives is based upon their medical expenses and their current financial and medical status. The pension is paid by check directly to the Veteran or Veteran’s Widow every month as long as they meet the criteria.

The Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance is the government’s best kept secret. I cannot tell you how many seniors have told me that they called Veterans Affairs and were actually told that this pension does not exist or that they do not qualify. For thirteen years, I have assisted Veterans and Veteran’s Widows in obtaining these funds – they really do exist.

To get the maximum pension amount, a Veteran must qualify medically and financially and must have served their country for at least one day during “War Time”. Also the Veteran must have been honorably discharged. Every case is considered individually. If a Veteran or Veteran’s Widow feels they may qualify, they can apply for the pension. The pension can take many months to actually be approved. The average waiting period is three to eight months. The first check will be retroactive to the month the application arrived at the Veterans’ Affairs, therefore the first check may be for thousands of dollars. Subsequent checks will arrive monthly for the approved amount. This pension money can mean the difference between affording adequate care for an aging Veteran/ Widow or having no care at all.

As with any governmental program, success is all in the paperwork. The pension application is many pages long and some of it is in essay form. It is the exact wording used in the essay areas that mean the difference between approval and denial. Also, Veteran’s Affairs does not tell Veterans about all the supporting documents that they would like to see. The better the medical and financial records, the better the chances are of approval. Including the right medical forms signed by a doctor is very important for approval. Also typical of governmental red tape is the frustrating lack of communication. Once the application is filed and in the process of being reviewed, it is nearly impossible to get an update or check on the status of the application unless the Veteran/ Widow make the call themselves. For most of our clients, they are too ill or too confused to make a call like that.

In a perfect world, financial assistance for those who qualify should be easily accessible and easy to get. But the reality is that government agencies are inherently complicated and their application processes are never self explanatory or simple. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse and no one will tell you the rules. The rules are written in a handbook, but the Veterans Affairs is not allowed to give them to you. Seasoned Eldercare professionals can often navigate these processes for you. They may charge for their services, but to attempt to do it yourself and have your application denied, will cost much more money. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs supposedly employs staff to help Veterans and their Widows apply for these pensions for free, but it is these very people who have told so many seniors that they do not qualify, when in fact they could qualify if they made one small change. Perhaps Veteran’s Affairs is afraid that if they made it easy for every Veteran to apply, the pension fund would go broke. Given that War Time includes the Gulf War Era which began in 1990 and has not ended yet, I anticipate the pension fund will one day be either broke or impossible to get. For now, the money is very much available and attainable.

Here are the Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance eligibility criteria for the year 2008.
1) Veteran served in the Military for at least one day during War Time or had a spouse who served at that time. Spouses are people whom you never divorced.
2) Honorably Discharged from the Military.
3) Currently has medical or psychological condition which make the Veteran or Veteran widow dependent on the aid or assistance of a non- family member in order to meet their daily care needs or they reside in an Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home ( not on Medicaid). This claim must be supported by physician signed forms, financial data and medical records.
4) Veteran Financial Criteria: Have assets in their own name below $80,000 (if married) or below $50,000 (if single). The car and house does not count as an asset. Annual income below $19,736,.00 (if single) or $ 23,396.00 (if married) after all medical expenses such as insurance premiums/copays, assisted living facility fees, paid caregiver salary, medications, medical transportation/ supplies, certain housing expenses, etc.
5) Veteran Widow Financial Criteria: Assets below $50,000 and income less than $12,681 per year (after medical expenses listed above).
6) Note: Income figures are AFTER MEDICAL EXPENSES. VA may require someone of advanced age to have fewer assets than quoted above. We have seen this when applicants are near 100 years old.

In many cases, if a person has a paid care giver, such as a nurse’s aide, or they pay an assisted living facility, or they pay out of pocket for a nursing home, those expenses impact so greatly on a person’s net income, that they will meet the criteria for the income level.

If a Veteran or Veteran Widow has cash assets above the limit, they are allowed to place those assets into certain investments in order to have them “sheltered”. This sheltering does not have a penalty or “look back period” associated with it. Proper asset sheltering for Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance should be done under the supervision of an elder care professional or attorney well versed in Medicaid planning because one could easily ruin the chances of ever getting Medicaid if the V.A.
pension planning was done incorrectly.

With a little professional planning, many Veterans and Veteran Widows can receive pensions that make a significant difference in the amount of care they receive. After all, the reason for this particular pension is to assure that a Veteran or Veteran Widow does not live in a substandard environment in their old age. It takes a little work to apply for this pension, but anything worth having usually does.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/financial-assistance-for-elderly-veterans-and-their-widows-is-a-well-kept-secret-1611400.html

The United States has fought many wars throughout the world since that time to keep freedom here at home and continues to do so. From the beginning our country we established a program to care for the men and women of our military who fought in those wars.

The veterans aid and attendance program goes back to 1636 when Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony fought with the Pequot Indians. The Pilgrims enacted a law from English law that reads, “If any man shall be sent forth as a soldier and shall return maimed, he shall be maintained competently by the colony during his life.” In 1789 U. S. congress passed as law that pensions were to be provided to disabled veterans and their dependents and in 1811 the first domiciliary and medical facility for veterans was completed. 

There are Veteran’s hospitals, out-patient centers, nursing homes, residental care facilities and Veteran’s homes throughout the country.  When it comes to long term care priority is given to war disabled veterans who need nursing home care.  There is another benefit to help Veterans pay for long term care  called  the Aid and Attendance Improved Pension.  Veterans or their single surviving spouses can become eligible if they have a regular need for the aid and attendance of a caregiver or if they are housebound. Aid and Attendance care is defined as assistance with bathing, dressing, eating, medications, toileting, walking or a danger to oneself because of memory impairment.

The benefit is $1656 per month for the Veteran, $1949 for both the veteran and their spouse or $1056 for the surviving spouse, tax free for life.  To receive the Pension, a veteran must have served on active duty, at least 90 days, with at least one of those days during a period of war. Their must be a discharge under conditions other than dishonorable. Single surviving spouses of such veterans are also eligible. If younger than 65, the veteran must be totally disabled. If age 65 and older, there is no requirement for disability. There is no age or disability requirement for a single surviving spouse.

To be eligible these must be an expense for care either provided by an in-home care provider, family member or assisted living.  VA also looks are income vs expenses and the veteran’s assets.  Unlike Medicaid VA allows redistribution of assets in order to qualify.  It is very important the you seek the assistance of a trained professional who also knows Medicaid laws before giving any assets away. 

The secret for receiving a successful award for aid and attendance or housebound ratings is not in filling out the form but in knowing what documents and evidence must be submitted with the application. Knowing the secrets for a successful award — with the special case of long term care recipients — is 95% of the battle. Even though the form is challenging, filling out and filing a claim is a formality.  A knowledgeable consultant can provide information to shorten VA’s decision window of 6 to 12 months to possibly 3 or 4 months. A Veteran’s benefit consultant also understands how to maximize the benefit or avoid a denial. The consultant can also provide guidance for meeting the asset test. Finally, a consultant can provide the actual strategies for reallocating assets and he or she can arrange for trusts or income conversions to allow for the best possible accommodation of assets for beneficiaries thus avoiding or reducing taxes, family disputes and Medicaid penalties.

Contact us today to help you get the benefits you deserve.  Call 866-837-2659 or info@agingavenues.com

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