VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound Benefits are available as a supplement to the VA Pension for veterans and survivors who either a) require the aid and attendance of another person in their daily lives or b) are housebound.
Individuals must be receiving a VA Pension or VA Survivors Pension to qualify for additional benefits. Further qualifications determine whether an individual can receive Aid and Attendance benefits or Housebound benefits. Note that you cannot receive both Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits at the same time.
Note: The Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension programs are offered only to individuals who meet strict income and net worth requirements. Those who have assets (not including their home or vehicle) beyond the net worth limit are ineligible for a VA pension and therefore ineligible for Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits.
Veterans who receive disability benefits and surviving spouses who receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation may also be eligible for VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound Benefits. It is an add-on benefit to these current awards and is not available on its own. Contact the VA or a Veterans Service Organization for more information.
Who qualifies for Aid and Attendance benefits?
To qualify for Aid and Attendance benefits, an individual must:
- Require the help of another individual for help performing activities of daily living, including feeding, dressing, and bathing, or
- Be bedridden for the majority of the day due to illness, or
- Be a patient in a nursing home as the result of a loss of physical or mental abilities in connection with a disability, or
- Have limited eyesight – that which is best corrected to 5/200 (maximum) in both eyes with glasses or contacts, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees (maximum).
Who qualifies for Housebound benefits?
To qualify for Housebound benefits, an individual must spend the majority of their time confined to their home as the result of one or more permanent disabilities.
How to Apply
Individuals can apply for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits by completing VA Form 21-2680, Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance, and sending it to their local pension management center. This form requests demographic information, asks whether the individual is hospitalized, and includes a section for supporting “examination information.”
This section must be filled out by a medical practitioner and requests the doctor to provide a description of each of the individual’s diagnoses and the associated symptoms, a list of disabilities that are considered “permanent and totally disabling,” a list of activities which the individual needs assistance performing, a description of the individual’s physical appearance, and a list of any ambulatory aids used by the individual. This information helps the VA evaluate the individual’s qualification for additional benefits.
Individuals who live in nursing homes must also fill out VA Form 21-0779, Request for Nursing Home Information in Connection with Claim for Aid and Attendance. This form requests information about the nursing home’s location, pricing, and the individual’s date of admittance and must be filled out by a nursing home official.
These forms, and any additional supporting documentation (including doctor’s reports, details about an individual’s day-to-day life, and details about how an individual’s disability prevents or limits their ability to perform activities of daily living) should be sent to an individual’s local pension management center or brought to a VA regional office for processing.
For additional information on the veteran’s benefits, or for help with an application or filing a claim, contact our Education and Veterans Services Department at (888) 298-4442.