Did you know that the VA offers a benefit that can help pay for in-home-care as well as Assisted Living and Memory Care? They do!
Aid & Attendance (A&A) and Housebound Pensions are stipends that may be added to existing pension amounts, meaning a veteran must first be pension eligible to receive these benefits. A&A and Housebound are mutually exclusive pension supplements, meaning veterans may not receive both at the same time—they either receive A&A or Housebound. As of 2015, a single veteran is eligible for up to $1,788 per month. A veteran with a spouse is eligible for up to up to $2,120 per month, and a surviving spouse may be eligible for up to $1,149 per month. A non-service-connected (NSC) pension is a financial stipend similar to social security that can provide for the needs of lower income veterans whose annual income is below a certain threshold. This will allow veterans who are receiving no or minimal social security income to increase their income to more of a livable wage. A disability is not required. All veterans may apply for VA benefits, and they are encouraged to apply for as many benefits as they need. It is not uncommon for a veteran to receive multiple benefits, such as pension income, home loans, and educational benefits, at the same time.
-Excperted from CSA Journal, number 63
By Carilyn Ellis
