VA Non-Service Connected Benefit
I normally do not like to do long blogs but this information
is too important and most people eligible for this benefit do not even know it
exists. This benefit is a monetary non-service-connected pension benefit this is
different from a Service Connect Disability Pension.
Do you know a veteran or surviving spouse who might need
assistance with homecare, assisted living, or nursing home facility? Veterans or
surviving spouses 65 and older may not know how to file for this benefit and
continue to go without the help they need. The veteran or surviving spouse can
choose any facility aligned with their finances or a provider can document the
need for a caregiver. The veteran and the spouse cannot receive the benefit at
the same time.
There are two different pensions: “Aid and Attendance"
and "Housebound."
The Aid & Attendance (A&A) increased monthly pension
amount may be added to your monthly pension amount if you meet one of the
following conditions:
•You require the aid of another person in order to perform
personal functions required in everyday living, such as bathing, feeding,
dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or
protecting yourself from the hazards of your daily environment
•You are bedridden, in that your disability or disabilities
requires that you remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of
convalescence or treatment
•You are a patient in a nursing home due to mental or
physical incapacity
•Your eyesight is limited to a corrected 5/200 visual acuity
or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5
degrees or less
This increased monthly pension amount may be added to your
monthly pension amount when you are substantially confined to your immediate
premises because of permanent disability
Caregivers get any financial assistance for caring for a
veteran. Caregivers/spouses/family members of a veteran may get tax free money
for taking care of a veteran or surviving spouse. Like all programs the person
must meet all eligibility requirements to receive the money.
VA pension benefit can cover a portion of nursing home care
if the veteran or surviving spouse is paying for the care out of pocket. Since
with some exceptions, assisted living is un-reimbursed by insurance, the money
from the VA pension can be the difference that allows the veteran or surviving
spouse to afford the cost of assisted living.
Don’t forget add in your social security income sources to
the VA pension. Putting these two benefits together allows many veterans to afford
the monthly bill for assisted living
The question we should all explore is who is eligible?
The Aid and Attendance and Housebound pensions are
non-service-connected pensions, which are for veterans whose disability or
death was not caused by or aggravated by in the line of duty in active
military. These pensions are not to be confused with VA service-connected
disability compensation payments, which are for veterans whose disability was
caused by an illness or combat-related injury while in the line of duty in the
active military.
Wartime service veterans may be entitled to receive an Aid and
Attendance pension or a Housebound pension if they meet the following
eligibility requirements:
Annual family net income (income minus expenses) see an example on how
to calculate your income and expenses on the VA
website.
PLEASE bear in mind: The VA reduces countable income by subtracting the
medical expenses associated with out-of-pocket costs such as assisted living or
home care. Many veterans and surviving spouses have negative net income and
meet this income requirement.
A wartime service veteran must be permanently and totally disabled. For
VA pension purposes, permanent and total disability means that with reasonable
certainty the veteran will not be able to maintain a substantially gainful job
due to his or her disability. The disability must be non-service-connected and
not due to willful misconduct. Nonservice-connected means that the disability
must not have been caused or aggravated by military service.
The veteran must have care-needs requirements. To meet these
requirements, a veteran typically receives care in an assisted living facility
or receives non-medical home care services. A physician must document the need
for these caregiver services.
The veteran must have had ninety days or more of active military
service, at least one day of which was served during official wartime. To have
served during wartime, the veteran did not need to see combat. For example, the
veteran may have served in Alaska during World War II and still be eligible.
Check for exceptions! Veterans who entered active duty after September
7, 1980, generally must have served 24 months or the full period for which
called or ordered to active duty. There are exceptions to this rule; check with
a veteran service officer (VSO) for details.
The veteran's discharge must be honorable or general and not be due to
willful misconduct.
How to apply:
You can write to the
Pension
Management Center that serves your state or you can find assistance at your
local VA facility. A great source of information is veteran service
organizations, such as the regional offices of the American Legion, DAV, and
VFW. Another great source is
A Place for
Mom, connecting Mom, Dads, and families to senior living assistance and
information. They also help Grandmothers, Grandfathers, Sisters, Brothers, and
even friends or neighbors. A Place for Mom representative was the one who first
told me about this benefit.
If they are currently living in their home, contact a certified Senior
Real Estate Specialist, like me, to help facilitate any real estate needs. Go
to
Homesizing.com and leave me your
contact information. If I can’t help you, I have a great network of people across
the country who can.
Catherine Seybold
Sales Agent
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
catherine.seybold@cbmove.com
571-510-0456
Military Relocation Professional
Senior Real Estate Specialist
"The postings on this site are my own and don't necessarily represents Coldwell Banker positions, strategies or opinions."
