Here is a guest post from VeteranAid.org. I felt that the information may apply to some of you so I asked that they write a post for the blog. -Jeremy
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VeteranAid.org has stood by its mission to offer detailed information on a veterans’ pension benefit called Aid and Attendance (A&A) and make sure these veterans and families can find this information for free for over a decade. If veterans require assisted living care in a community or at home, we give them the information they need to apply for the Aid and Attendance benefit themselves.
What is Veterans Aid and Attendance Pension?
The Aid and Attendance (A&A) pension provides benefits for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing and undressing or taking care of the needs of nature. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an assisting living facility also qualifies.
The A&A Pension can provide up to $1,788 per month to a veteran, $1,149 per month to a surviving spouse, or $2,120 per month to a couple. A veteran filing with a sick spouse is eligible for up to $1,406 per month. Many families overlook the A&A pension as it pertains to veterans who are still independent, but have an ill spouse. Keep in mind that in this situation, if the spouse’s medical expenses completely depletes their combined monthly income, the veteran can file as a veteran with a sick spouse.
How to Apply for Aid & Attendance
Start Here! How To Apply.
Connect with other veterans and families who are also filing to receive their benefits. Check out our Forums!
For the latest news affecting senior veterans, head on over to our Blog.
Who started VeteranAid.org?
Debbie Burak is the founder of VeteranAid.org. She is often asked why she took on the mission to educate our veterans and their families about a little known VA pension benefit referred to as “Aid and Attendance” that can help offset the costs of care for senior veterans and their widows.
She says, “The answer is a simple one – I know what it is to be that daughter out of hope, options, resources, and money to provide care for aging parents.”
Debbie discovered the VA Pension at the passing of her father, at the same time needing to move her mother to another assisted living facility. She also realized that her folks had missed out on over $160,000 by not knowing about the VA pension her Dad as a WWII veteran would have been entitled to.
Debbie knew that she had information that could make a difference for others who were just now setting out on this journey of caring for an aging loved one, and so VeteranAid.org, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit, was founded in 2005 to bring to light the VA’s Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit.
Debbie Burak is respected throughout the Eldercare industry for her tireless efforts acting as a Veteran’s Advocate, and is currently working with Congressional representatives to rewrite legislation that will help allow veterans better access to entitlements and benefits.
“My hope is that I can make a difference for someone else while paying honor to those who make the sacrifice and pay the price for our freedom.”
Source: Generation America Reports “One Woman’s Determination to Make a Difference”