Aid and Attendance is an underused Veteran’s benefit.

Millions of wartime veterans and their families are failing to take advantage of a government benefit that could help them pay for long-term care, says the Wall Street Journal. The Department of Veterans Affairs aid-and-attendance benefit pays a maximum of $1,949 a month to qualified married veterans. Eligible single veterans and surviving spouses receive lower payments.

To qualify, veterans must have served at least 90 days of active military service, including at least one day during a war, and not have been discharged dishonorably. For wartime veterans who entered active duty starting Sept. 8, 1980; they must meet additional medical and financial thresholds/needs.

Almost 105,000 veterans and widows utilized the benefit last year, according to the VA. However, the pool of potential recipients is much higher: 2.3 million veterans who served in World War II; 2.6 million who served in Korea and 7.7 million in Vietnam are still living.

"This can be really important not only for older Americans, but also for their kids if they're trying to deal with mom and dad and how they're going to pay" for assisted-living and other long-term-care services, states Tom Pamperin, an associate deputy undersecretary in the VA's Veterans Benefits Administration.

This benefit is underused, because "it doesn't occur to veterans in their 70s who may have had no encounter with the VA other than qualifying for a home loan 40 years ago that there are benefits payable to them."

To increase your monthly income, please contact us about a FREE HANDBOOK about VA Benefits, written by David Wingate, an accredited VA Attorney, of Senior Life Care Planning, LLC, go to info@seniorlcp.com or if you require additional information about VA Benefits, visit our Senior LCP's Website.

We also have a Blog on Elder Issues and Veteran's Benefits.

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