ARTICLE: VETERANS' ADMINISTRATION SPECIAL PENSION BENEFIT

The Veterans' Administration offers a Special Pension with Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefit that is largely unknown. Some reports indicate it is being claimed by only one in seven who are eligible for it. It can pay for in-home caretakers, a skilled nursing facility, and assisted living. Low income veterans of all wars can qualify. Their disability does not have to be war-related and spouses of deceased veterans are also eligible.

This Special Pension (part of the VA Improved Pension program) allows for Veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in activities of daily living (eg: eating, bathing, dressing, toileting) to receive additional monetary benefits. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an assisted living facility also qualifies.

This most important benefit is overlooked by many families with Veterans or surviving spouses who need additional monies to help care for ailing parents or loved ones. This is a "pension benefit" and is not dependent upon service-related injuries for compensation. Most Veterans who are in need of assistance qualify for this pension. A Veteran is eligible for up to $1,519 per month, while a surviving spouse is eligible for up to $976 per month. A couple is eligible for up to $1,801 per month.

Every county has a "county service officer" whose job it is to help people process claims but not all are informed about this benefit. If you're not confident about the information you are receiving from the county service officer in your county, try another county to get the information you need.

You also might want to contact a good financial advisor or an elder law attorney. However, federal law prohibits private individuals from charging veterans for benefit claims, so expect to be charged for other services while handling the claim.

You should also expect the claim to take some time to be processed but the good news is that, even if it takes the VA six months to process it, if you're deemed eligible, it's retroactive to the date you filed the claim.

To learn more about the Aid & Attendance Special Pension, Eligibility Requirements, How to Apply, What to Expect, Necessary Forms, and Resources to help you with this critical benefit, please go to http://www.veteranaid.org.

In addition, the Aid and Attendance Benefit is considered to be the third tier of a VA program called Improved Pension. The other two tiers are Basic and Housebound. Each tier has its own level of benefits and qualifications. While at the www.veteranaid.org site, I urge you to read an important document prepared by the American Veterans Institute that clearly explains the Improved Pension program, its levels of benefits and the qualifications for each. If you or your loved one does not qualify for Aid and Attendance, you may want to check to see if you qualify for another level of the Pension.

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