DO YOU QUALIFY FOR AN IMPROVED PENSION WITH AID AND ATTENDANCE OR HOUSEBOUND ALLOWANCE?
We want Summit Pointe residents to be well informed—and get all the help they need and deserve. That’s why we wanted to pass this good information on to you. Did you know that if you’re a veteran who is housebound or needs help with daily activities, the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) may give you additional money each month?
The Veterans’ Administration offers an Improved Pension with Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefit—part of the VA Improved Pension program that assists veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular help of another person in eating, bathing, dressing, 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.
If you’re housebound, you, too, may be eligible to receive an additional allowance each month. It’s important to note that you can’t get both A&A benefits and housebound benefits at the same time.
Eligibility for A&A benefits
According to the VA, you may be eligible if you get a VA pension and meet at least one of the following requirements:
- You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding and dressing
- You have to stay in bed or spend a large portion of the day in bed because of illness
- You are a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability
- Your eyesight is limited (even with glasses or contact lenses, you have only 5/200 or less in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less
Eligibility for housebound benefits
- The VA states that you may be eligible if you get a VA pension and spend most of your time in your home because of a permanent disability
Want to learn more?
Visit the VA website or stop by your VA office. Find your nearest VA regional office.
