It is also very meaningful to me on a personal level. Members of my family have served in the military going to back to the Revolutionary war. My Great Grandfather was in the Cavalry. My Grandfather and his three brothers all served across both theatres in WWII— and all returned home to help build this country. My other Grandfather was an Air Force Colonel and served in WWII as a bomber pilot and then commanded an air base during the Korean War. My Uncle Steve graduated from West Point and then joined the Marines when he graduated and immediately signed up to fight in Viet Nam. He was killed in action on June 2, 1968 commanding a platoon and fought to the death to protect his men.
Everyone knows at Life Care Funding that we drop anything and do everything we can to help a veteran in need of long term care. In this post, I wanted to share specific information to help veterans access the Veteran’s Aide and Attendance benefit, and make sure that they know our program is an accepted spend down of a life insurance policy if they have applied for the benefit and are waiting for approval.
If you are looking for help accessing this benefit please let us know so we can do our best to assist you access the best possible experts in your local area. I hope you find the information below helpful–
Veteran’s Aide and Attendance is supplemental income for wartime veterans providing a monthly, tax-free monetary benefit for veterans’ (and their spouses) that served in an active field of combat.
- A single veteran can receive upwards of $1,700/mo. and with a spouse upwards of $2,000/mo.
Eligibility
Generally, a Veteran must have at least 90 days of active duty service, with at least one day during a wartime period to qualify for a VA Pension. If you entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally you must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), with at least one day during a wartime period.
In addition to meeting minimum service requirements, the Veteran must be:
- Age 65 or older, 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
What Documents are needed to apply for Aid and Attendance?
- Discharge or Separation Documents (DD 214)
- VA Form 21-22 if a Veteran’s Service Organization or 21-22a if individual is acting as the claimant’s representative
- Form 21-4142: Authorization and Consent to Release Information to the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Letter from the claimant’s attending physician VDVA Form 10
- Physician Statement, VA Form 21-2680 or Nursing Home Statement, VA Form 21-0779
- Medical Expenses incurred, VA Form 21-8416
In addition to the VA forms, an applicant will need to gather the following documents:
- Marriage Certificate and Death Certificate (Surviving Spouses only)
- Asset Information (bank account statements, etc.)
- Verification of Income (social security award letter, and statements from pensions, IRAs, annuities, etc.)
- Proof of Medical Premiums (Insurance Statements, Medication or Medical bills that are not reimbursed by Medicaid or Medicare)
- Voided Check for Aid and Attendance Direct Deposit
The Long Term Care Benefit Plan is a qualified spend-down while an applicant waits for VA Benefit approval.
How to Apply
You may apply for Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits by writing to the VA regional office where you filed a claim for pension benefits. If the regional office of jurisdiction is not known, you may file the request with any VA regional office. You should include copies of any evidence, preferably a report from an attending physician validating the need for Aid and Attendance or Housebound type care.
- The report should be in sufficient detail to determine whether there is disease or injury producing physical or mental impairment, loss of coordination, or conditions affecting the ability to dress and undress, to feed oneself, to attend to sanitary needs, and to keep oneself ordinarily clean and presentable.
- Whether the claim is for Aid and Attendance or Housebound, the report should indicate how well the applicant gets around, where the applicant goes, and what he or she is able to do during a typical day. In addition, it is necessary to determine whether the claimant is confined to the home or immediate premises.
At least one of the following conditions must be present
- You require the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living, such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting yourself from the hazards of your daily environment
- You are bedridden, in that your disability or disabilities requires that you remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment
- You are a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity
- Your eyesight is limited to a corrected 5/200 visual acuity or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less
Click here to apply: http://benefits.va.gov