Veterans’ Pension and Compensation Benefits Categories
_________________________________________________________________________________
There are 3 MAJOR CATEGORIES of benefits for Veterans and they are :
1. Service-Connected Disability Compensation awards
2. Non-Service-Connected Pensions awards
3. Length of Military Service Retirement Pensions
American Veterans’ Benefits Alliance handles Category 1 and Category 2 claims. In this section of our site, we speak about Category 2 ~ Non-Service-Connected Pension awards.
Here at AVBA, our mission is to help Veterans and Surviving Spouses to learn about, understand, and if qualified, help with all required forms, necessary documents, submit claims on behalf of, and actively monitor the entire claims process toward a successful approval of and be awarded this little-known, very generous, TAX FREE monthly benefit known as the Aid and Attendance Pension award, the VA’s most common type of Category 2 ~ Non-Service-Connected Pensions award compensation.
Did you know that the VA Aid and Attendance Pension award may be available to help pay for Senior Care? Even if you don’t need to be in a hospital or nursing home, the Veterans’ Pension may be able to help with daily care expenses.
For Those Who Qualify, Here Are the Latest Dollar Award Amounts
_________________________________________________________________________________
For War Vets or Surviving Spouses who fully qualify currently, this PENSION’S MONTHLY benefit amounts shown in the chart below depend on whether the Veteran is single, married, has a spouse who may ALSO BE a qualifying War Veteran themselves or, is THE NON – RE MARRIED Qualifying Surviving Spouse OF A Qualifying DECEASED WAR VET.
This chart shows the very latest monthly and yearly precise compensation amounts. Note that once awarded, this Pension is TAX FREE and once awarded, QUALIFYING War Vets and / or Surviving Spouse receive this Pension for the rest of their entire LIVES !
For Those Who Qualify, Here Are the Latest Dollar Award Amounts
_________________________________________________________________________________
For War Vets or Surviving Spouses who fully qualify currently, this PENSION’S MONTHLY benefit amounts shown in the chart below depend on whether the Veteran is single, married, has a spouse who may ALSO BE a qualifying War Veteran themselves or, is THE NON – RE MARRIED Qualifying Surviving Spouse OF A Qualifying DECEASED WAR VET.
This chart shows the very latest monthly and yearly precise compensation amounts. Note that once awarded, this Pension is TAX FREE and once awarded, QUALIFYING War Vets and / or Surviving Spouse receive this Pension for the rest of their entire LIVES !
COMPENSATION CHART
| STATUS | MONTHY | ANNUAL |
|---|---|---|
| SINGLE VETERAN | $ 2,300 | $ 23,600 |
| SURVIVING SPOUSE | $ 1,478 | $ 17,736 |
| VETERAN & SPOUSE | $ 2,727 | $ 32,724 |
| QUALIFYING LIVING SPOUSE | $ 1,562 | $ 18,744 |
| MARRIED* | $ 3,649 | $ 43,788 |
| *Both spouses are Qualifying Vets | ||
What is the Aid & Attendance Benefit?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs Aid and Attendance Program was established by Congress in 1952 under TITLE 38, PART I I, CHAPTER 15, Sections 1501 – 1562 United States Code of Federal Registry.
(https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2011-title38/USCODE-2011-title38-partII-chap15)
As a Pension award, it is not vulnerable to Congressional discretionary budget cuts ! !
The Aid & Attendance Program helps veterans with Non-Service-Connected health issues such as mobility and personal care challenges, many of which arise in their later years and is intended to compensate Veterans and their Spouses for daily living assistance, whether you live in your own home or move to an assisted living facility.
Here are a few examples of the types of services that are covered for qualifying Veterans and / or Surviving Spouses :
NOTE : Those listed showing in the A D L column are “Activities of Daily Living”
and are considered most important as one part of the VA’s qualification factors for approval of this Pension. Those listed in the I A D L column are Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. The V A considers I A D L ‘s somewhat less critical than A D L ’s in the approval process.
Who Qualifies for the Aid & Attendance Program?
_________________________________________________________________________________
5 Qualification Categories :
1. VA Officially Defined, Acceptable Separation from the Military ( Can NOT be Less than Honorable, or Dishonorable ).
2. Service and Length of Service During a VA Officially Defined “ Period of War ” ( See Question 3 below for War Periods Chart ).
3. NON – SERVICE CONNECTED – Need for Assistance with Activities of Daily Living ( See above for ADL ’s ). ( Usually for War Vets or Surviving Spouses aged 65 or older, however there are certain exceptions for War Vets younger than 65 who receive a “SCHEDULER“ , Service-Connected Total Disability Individual Unemployability Rating ( TDIU ) of 100 % Disabled ).
4. VA Defined Income Qualifications – PLEASE NOTE : The Income Qualifications for the Aid & Attendance Pension are very complicated ! Not knowing the precise, correct way the Department of Veterans’ Affairs ( VA ) mathematizes calculating income, and ultimately doing it incorrectly IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DENIALS for A & A Claims ! AVBA is expert at how to do this math !! Please call, text or email us for help ! 818 999 9910, AVBA@email.com
5. VA Officially Defined Asset Qualifications – This is another somewhat complex category . Please contact us for details
Please note that AVBA is a private, IRS Registersed 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit Organization ( IRS Reg. # 47-353092 ), NOT THE VA , AND IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH VA or ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.
By answering the following questions, War Vets will know that they are pre-qualified for the AID & ATTENDANCE benefit and that we here at AVBA stand ready to assist in helping them to receive it.
You must be able to answer Yes to all eight questions !
The 8 Technical Qualifying Questions
_________________________________________________________________________________
Here are those Questions :
QUESTION 1 ~
1. Is the War Veteran or Surviving Spouse 65 years of age older, or within 60 days of their 65th birthday ?
QUESTION 2 ~
2. Did the War Veteran receive an Honorable or General Discharge ?
( Any “Less than Honorable” Or “Dishonorable Discharge“ and regrettably, the Veteran or the Surviving Spouse of the Veteran is AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED! )
QUESTION 3 ~
3. Did the Veteran serve during a VA Officially Defined Periods of War of World War II, Korean War, Vietnam WAR or Vietnam ERA?
Here are VA’s and U.S. Congress’s Officially Defined Periods of War
Specifically for NON Service-Connected Award Benefits Such As the Aid & Attendance Pension~
( NOTE : Click HERE to view the somewhat different Official Periods of War specifically for Service-Connected Disability Awards )
( ALSO NOTE : If a Veteran served ONLY ONE DAY ( or more ) within these War Periods and had 90 days of continuous service, plus otherwise qualifies, they might still be able to be awarded this Pension. )
4. Persian Gulf War ~ August 2, 1990, through January 2, 1992 inclusive.
5. Operations Iraqi Freedom ~ September 11, 2001 – December 18, 2011
6. Operation Enduring Freedom ~ September 11, 2001 – December 28, 2014
QUESTION 4 ~
4. For Vietnam Vets, IF YOU SERVED BETWEEN FEBRUARY 28, 1961 AND AUGUST 5, 1964, Officially known as the Vietnam War ERA , DID YOU SERVE IN COUNTRY IN THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM ? ( If you are a NAVY VETERAN who served between 2 / 28 / 1961 and 8 / 5 / 1964 please see Answer 3 (a ) above )
QUESTION 5 ~
5. Is the War Vet RETIRED OR UNEMPLOYED ?
( Please call 818 999 9910 and check in with one of our Claims Experts if you’re not sure about being W-2‘d. 1099’d, or other )
QUESTION 6 ~
6. Is the household income Less than $ 6,250 per month, counting REGULAR Social Security, Federal Supplemental Security Income, State Disability Income, pension income, interest income, dividend income, bond coupon income, rental income, annuity income, royalty income, etc. ?
QUESTION 7 ~
7. Does the War Vet or Surviving Spouse EVER USE a CANE, WALKER WHEELCHAIR, POWER CHAIR OR POWER STAIRLIFT or, think they may be needing any of these in the NEAR FUTURE to get around ?
QUESTION 8 ~
8. INDIVIDUALLY CONSIDERING TAX YEARS BEGINNING WITH CURRENT YEAR, THEN THE 2 TAX YEARS PRIOR, COUNTING ALL Bank Accounts, Asset Value of all Stocks, Bonds, EFT’s, CD’s, Mutual Funds, Money Markets, 401K’s, 403 b’s, 457 plans, IRA’s, Roth IRA’s, SEP or SIMPLE IRA’s, other Defined Benefit or Defined Contribution Plans, Life Insurance Cash Value, Annuities Cash Value, Collectibles such as Coins, Art, Stamps, Collectible Vehicles’ Asset Values, IN EACH OF THOSE 3 YEARS SEPARATELY and INDIVIDUALLY, DID ALL THE ASSETS TOTAL LESS THAN $150,538 OR NOT ?? Consider each year SEPARATELY.
If you or the Surviving Spouse answered YES TO ALL 8 QUESTIONS, OR, IF YOU’RE CHECKING IN ON OUR WEBSITE FOR SOMEONE WHO YOU THINK MIGHT ANSWER ALL 8 QUESTIONS “YES” – KINDLY RING US AT 818 999 9910 and speak with one of our Claims Experts now – we’ll answer all your questions and if qualified explain how we further help you get this Pension award !!
We can help you understand how much assistance you may be eligible to receive and answer any other questions you might have. If you don’t seem to meet Question 8’s Income Test qualifier, YOU MAY STILL QUALIFY AND WILL NEED OUR HELP !! Call 818 999 9910 TODAY and speak with one of our Claims Experts !
The Aid & Attendance Pension award is in the VA’s NON-SERVICE-CONNECTED benefits category ; if you are seeking information on Service – Connected Disability Award benefits, Click HERE
