What Is VA (war-time) Pension?
VA helps Veterans and their families cope with financial challenges by providing supplemental income through the Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension benefit programs. VA’s pension program provides monthly benefit payments to certain wartime Veterans with financial need, and their survivors. As Veterans and survivors consider applying for these benefits, VA would like to share important information about the pension program and organizations offering assistance with pension applications.
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VA offers two broad categories of Pension benefit programs:
- Veterans Pension: Tax-free monetary benefit payable to low-income wartime Veterans. Learn More
- Survivors Pension: Tax-free monetary benefit payable to a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse and/or unmarried child(ren) of a deceased Veteran with wartime service. Learn More
Veterans and survivors who are eligible for Pension benefits and are housebound or require the aid and attendance of another person may be eligible to receive additional monetary amounts.
What is enhanced or Special Monthly Pension?
Aid and Attendance (A&A) is an increased monthly pension amount paid to a Veteran or surviving spouse.
You may be eligible if:
- You require the aid of another person in order to perform activities of daily living, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, toileting, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting yourself from the hazards of your daily environment, OR,
- You are bedridden, in that your disability or disabilities requires that you remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment, OR,
- You are a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity, OR,
- You have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less, in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.
Housebound is an increased monthly pension amount paid to a claimant who is substantially confined to his or her home because of permanent disability. Additionally, if you are a Veteran, you may quality for the increased housebound amount if:
- You have a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling AND, due to such disability, you are permanently and substantially confined to your immediate premises, OR,
- You have single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling AND, another disability, or disabilities, evaluated as 60-percent or more disabling.
- You may not receive enhanced or special monthly pension without first establishing eligibility for VA pension. However, because enhanced pension is based upon a higher income limit, a claimant ineligible for basic pension at the A&A and Housebound rate at the same time.
* You should provide copies of any evidence that would help establish that you need A&A or are Housebound. Such evidence would include a report from your physician validating the need for aid and attendance or demonstrating that you are housebound.
* If possible, the evidence should be in sufficient detail to enable VA to determine generally whether there is a disease or injury producing physical or mental impairment that renders you unable to perform the activities of daily living without assistance, or confined to your home or immediate premises.
To learn more about what Veterans and their families should know when applying for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Pension Benefits click here.
Who Is Eligible?
Pension benefits are needs-based and your “countable” family income must fall below the yearly limit set by law. There is a net worth limitation that must be met. Veterans must have at least 90 days of active duty, including one day during a wartime period. If the active duty occurred after September 7, 1980, you must have served at least 24 months or the full period that you were called up (with some exceptions). You must also be:
- Age 65 or older with limited or no income, OR
- Totally and permanently disabled, OR
- A patient in a nursing home receiving skilled nursing care, OR
- Receiving Social Security Disability Insurance, OR
- Receiving Supplemental Security Income
* The Veteran must have met the service requirements above for surviving spouses and children applying for the Survivors Pension.
How to Apply?
Contact our office at (330) 722-9368 and work with an accredited Veterans Service Officer.
To locate a County Veterans Service Officer near you CLICK HERE