What is the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance Benefit?
If you are a Veteran who has served our country in the military or armed forces, or if you are the surviving spouse or surviving child of a Veteran, you are entitled to certain benefits and assistance programs offered by the United States as a thank you for your service and sacrifice. You probably know about some of the benefits and assistance programs you are entitled to, but you may not be familiar with all of the benefits and assistance programs available to you. One of the benefit programs you may not be aware of is the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance (VA&A) monthly financial assistance benefit program.
What is the Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefit?
The Veteran’s Aid and Attendance benefit is intended to provide additional monthly financial assistance intended to help the Veteran pay for their cost of care when someone is helping you with daily living tasks such as cooking, feeding, bathing, and dressing. This additional monthly monetary benefits goes above the benefits provided by other VA programs such as the VA pension program.
What are the eligibility requirements to receive the Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit?
The idea behind the VA&A benefit program is to provide additional monetary support to those Veterans who require the “aid and attendance” of another person for your personal care or assistance with daily living tasks on a consistent basis. In order to be eligible to receive the VA&A benefit, you must be a qualified Veteran or surviving family member who is also eligible to receive a pension or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits in addition to meeting the eligibility requirements to be considered a Veteran or surviving family member. There are also specific eligibility requirements that outline how you can qualify for needing the “aid and assistance” of another person, including:
Requiring the aid or assistance of another person to perform basic personal daily living tasks such as cooking, eating, bathing, dressing, using the restroom, adjusting prosthetics, and protecting yourself from daily hazards in the environment.
- Being bedridden
- Being a patient in a nursing home because of physical or mental incapacity
- Having eyesight limited to a corrected 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes
Because determining whether you qualify to receive the Veteran’s Aid and Assistance benefit can be confusing and frustrating, it is best to speak with an experienced Veteran’s benefits attorney who is accredited through the VA to help you determine which benefits you should be eligible for.
How to apply for the Veterans Aid and Attendance benefit
You may obtain the proper forms you need in order to apply to begin receiving the VA&A benefits by writing to the Pension Management Center (PMC) responsible for serving your state or by visiting your local regional benefit office in person. However, before you apply for any Veterans benefits, you should have a Veteran’s benefit attorney who is accredited with the VA review your application for any errors or omissions which could hold up your application process.
If you have been denied for Veteran’s benefits or are unsure whether you qualify for Veteran’s benefits, contact the trusted Overland Park Veteran’s benefits attorneys at Stockton & Kandt, LLC. Our Veteran’s benefits attorneys are accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and we guarantee a turnaround time of 90 days. To schedule an appointment to speak with one of our knowledgeable attorneys call us at 913-856-2828 or contact us online today. Our knowledgeable VA-accredited attorneys work diligently to obtain the benefits you deserve, quickly and compassionately. We work with Veterans in Overland Park, Gardner and surrounding areas.