Two-minute read
Is there VA money for care at home?
Five short answers, before you spend an evening on the internet.
About two minutes
- Is there VA money for care at home?
- Often, yes. The VA has several routes that put help inside the house rather than in a facility: a monthly pension increase, an aide arranged by the VA, a clinical team that visits, or a budget the veteran directs. Which one fits depends on service history and on what has become difficult day to day.
- Am I a veteran, a spouse or a surviving spouse?
- All three can matter. A veteran may qualify. A spouse of a living veteran may qualify. A surviving spouse may qualify after the veteran has died, and that last one is the most frequently missed.
- What is Aid & Attendance?
- It is an increase added to a VA pension for someone who needs help with everyday activities: bathing, dressing, eating, moving safely, managing medicines. It is claimed alongside a pension, not on its own.
- Does Martin charge for this help?
- No. Martin helps families understand VA benefits for care at home and connects them with accredited veteran service officers who file the claim. There is no charge for this help. If anyone asks you to pay to file a VA claim, stop and ask why.
- What should I bring to the call?
- Whatever you can find, but come even if you have nothing. The first call is about working out whether this is worth pursuing, not about paperwork.
Useful, if you have it
- Discharge papers (DD-214 or equivalent)
- Marriage certificate, and a death certificate if you are a surviving spouse
- A rough picture of income and savings
- The name of the doctor who knows the situation best
- A short list of what has become difficult in the last six months
Several months is normal once a claim is filed, and benefits are commonly paid back to the filing date. That is the reason not to leave it until the spring.
