By Richmond Senior Advisor Care Team · September 25, 2026
VA Aid and Attendance is an add-on to VA pension. VA pays the difference between countable income and the maximum annual pension rate ($29,093 for a veteran alone, $34,488 with one dependent, $18,697 for a surviving spouse, Dec 2025-Nov 2026), and unreimbursed care costs above 5 percent of the rate reduce countable income. The net worth limit is $163,699.
What is Aid and Attendance, exactly?
Aid and Attendance is not a separate benefit with its own check. It is a higher maximum annual pension rate, or MAPR, that applies to a veteran or surviving spouse who qualifies for VA pension and needs help with daily activities, is bedridden, is in a nursing home because of disability, or has limited eyesight. VA pays the difference between the person's countable income and that MAPR.
What are the 2026 Aid and Attendance rates?
VA's rates for December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026 are below. Monthly figures are the annual rate divided by 12.
| Situation | Maximum annual rate | About per month |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran, no dependents, Aid and Attendance | $29,093 | $2,424 |
| Veteran, one dependent, Aid and Attendance | $34,488 | $2,874 |
| Surviving spouse, no dependent child, Aid and Attendance | $18,697 | $1,558 |
The net worth limit, which combines assets and annual income for VA purposes, is $163,699 for the same period. A primary home generally does not count.
How do assisted living costs change the calculation?
Countable income is reduced by unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 5 percent of the MAPR, and for someone who needs help with daily activities, assisted living and home care costs can count as medical expenses. For a veteran with no dependents, 5 percent of $29,093 is about $1,455 a year, so expenses above that reduce countable income.
Here is a simplified illustration, not a determination. Suppose a single veteran receives $24,000 a year in Social Security and pays $40,000 a year for assisted living. After deducting care costs above the 5 percent threshold, countable income would fall to zero, and VA could pay up to the full MAPR of $29,093 a year, about $2,424 a month, toward a cost that Virginia's statewide assisted living median puts at about $6,944 a month in CareScout's 2025 survey.
Actual results depend on VA's review of income, expenses, net worth and medical evidence. Use the example only to see why a veteran with moderate income may still qualify once care costs begin.
What is the three-year look-back?
When VA receives a pension claim, it reviews asset transfers made in the three years before filing. If assets were transferred for less than fair market value and would have pushed net worth over the limit, VA can impose a penalty period of up to five years. Be cautious about anyone who suggests moving money into a trust or annuity to qualify, and get advice from an accredited representative or elder law attorney first.
How does Aid and Attendance interact with the Auxiliary Grant and Medicaid?
VA pension counts as income for other programs. A veteran receiving pension with Aid and Attendance may have too much income for the Auxiliary Grant, which is tied to SSI eligibility, and pension affects Medicaid calculations as well. For a veteran in a Medicaid-covered nursing home, VA pension is generally reduced to a small monthly amount. Because the programs interact, ask the local Department of Social Services and a veterans service officer to look at the whole picture before applying for one in isolation.
What records speed up a claim?
VA decides faster when the claim arrives complete. Gather the veteran's discharge papers showing wartime service, a marriage certificate and death certificate for a surviving spouse's claim, a physician's statement describing the need for help with daily activities, Social Security and pension award letters, bank and investment statements, and an assisted living or home care contract with recent receipts showing what is paid each month.
Keep copies of everything submitted and note the date. If VA asks for more evidence, respond quickly; delays in answering requests are a common reason claims drag on.
How long does VA take to decide a pension claim?
VA does not guarantee a timeline, and processing varies. A fully developed claim, with all evidence submitted at once, generally moves faster than one that requires VA to request records. If the claim is approved, payments are usually made back to the effective date VA assigns, so families often cover care costs privately while waiting. Plan cash flow for several months rather than counting on an immediate decision.
How do Richmond-area veterans get help applying?
Accredited veterans service officers, including those with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, help with pension claims at no charge. The Central Virginia VA Health Care System on Broad Rock Boulevard has social workers who can explain VA-paid care options for enrolled veterans, which are separate from pension. Gather discharge papers, a physician's statement about the need for help, income records, asset statements and receipts for care costs before you start.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 2026 VA pension net worth limit?
$163,699 for December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026.
Can a surviving spouse get Aid and Attendance?
Yes, through Survivors Pension; the 2026 maximum with Aid and Attendance is $18,697 a year for a spouse with no dependent child.
Do assisted living costs count as medical expenses for VA pension?
Care costs for someone who needs help with daily activities can count as unreimbursed medical expenses that reduce countable income.
Who helps Richmond veterans file for free?
Accredited veterans service officers, including the Virginia Department of Veterans Services.
