For wartime veterans and surviving spouses
The VA may help pay for care at home. Most families never ask.
Aid & Attendance is a VA pension benefit for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with everyday tasks such as bathing, dressing or getting around. One free call tells you whether it is worth applying.
In partnership with Homecare for Veterans, a free nationwide directory of home care agencies that know the VA programs.
What it is
Extra money on top of a VA pension, meant for care
Aid & Attendance has been part of VA pension law for decades. It is not a loan and it does not need to be paid back.
Pays toward care at home
The money can go toward an in-home caregiver, assisted living or a nursing home. Most families use it to stay at home longer.
Care costs count in your favor
The VA subtracts what you already spend on care and medical costs from your income. Many families who look "over the limit" on paper still qualify.
Surviving spouses too
The widow or widower of a wartime veteran can qualify on their own, even if the veteran never applied.
Who may qualify
Four things the VA looks at
- Wartime serviceAt least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period (World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War), and a discharge that was not dishonorable. Service in a combat zone is not required.
- Age or disability65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled for reasons not connected to service.
- Need for help every dayHelp with bathing, dressing, eating, using the toilet or moving safely. Being bedridden, living in a nursing home or having very limited eyesight also counts.
- Income and assets under the VA limitThe VA counts household income after care costs, plus assets other than your home and car. The limit changes every December.
Not sure if that is you or your parent?
Most people are not sure. The call takes about ten minutes. We ask about service, health and care costs and tell you plainly whether applying makes sense.
(800) 000-0000Calling for a parent or spouse is fine. You do not need any paperwork in front of you.
What happens when you call
Ten minutes, three steps
We listen
Tell us about the veteran: when they served, how they are doing, and what care they need or already pay for.
We check the basics
Service dates, age, health and household finances against the VA's current rules. We tell you if it is not a fit.
We point you to the right help
If it looks promising, we connect you with a home care agency in our partner network that works with veterans, and explain how a free VA‑accredited representative can file the claim.
Common questions
Straight answers
The call is free. Filing a VA claim is free too. By law nobody may charge you to prepare or file an initial pension claim. If someone asks for a fee to "get you approved", hang up.
No. We are a private company and are not affiliated with, endorsed by or operated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or any government agency. We help families understand the benefit and connect with care providers. Only the VA decides claims.
Usually yes. The rule is about when he served, not where. Ninety days of active duty with one day falling inside a wartime period is enough, wherever he was stationed.
It helps. Unreimbursed care and medical costs are subtracted from income before the VA checks the limit. A family paying $3,000 a month for care often ends up well under it.
Pension claims commonly take several months. Payments are backdated to the month after the VA received the claim, so starting early matters. Veterans over 90 and those with a terminal illness can ask for faster handling.
Discharge papers (DD‑214 or equivalent), a doctor's statement about the need for daily help, proof of income and assets, and receipts for care costs. Surviving spouses also need the marriage and death certificates. None of this is needed for the first call.
One call
Find out if the benefit is worth applying for
Free, no obligation, and you can call on behalf of a parent or spouse.
(800) 000-0000