By Rita Files … Too often, veterans go without services they need simply because they are unaware of benefits they earned through their service. Consider the Aid and Attendance benefit, which is meant to help aging veterans and their surviving spouses pay for care at home, in a nursing home, or in an assisted-living facility. Millions of veterans and their families are failing to take advantage of it. According to a recent report, about 105,000 veterans were using the benefit last year. Yet the pool of potential recipients could be much bigger. There are 2.3 million World War II vets…
CHAMPVA health benefits are for spouses and dependent children of living veterans who are rated 100% and for surviving spouses and dependent children of veterans who were 100% rated at the time of death or who died service connected. They are not available for pension surviving spouses. The forms are 10-10d and 10-7959c
If the veteran died of a service connected condition, the maximum amount is $2,000.00. If the veteran was in receipt of any other kind of monetary benefit, the maximum benefit is $300.00 for burial and $300.00 for plot. If the veteran was none of the above, no burial benefit. Burial benefit is a reimbursement benefit. Therefore, the claimant must show that they personally paid “out of pocket” expenses related to the burial. The form is 21-530.
When a veteran files an application for NSC pension, the veteran must be eligible as of the date of entitlement i.e. informal or primary application. Income is then projected outwards from the effective date (first day of the next month). For instance, if the VA received an application on February 20th, the date of entitlement is the 20th, but the effective date (retro-active payment date) would be March 1st, so all income from March 1st would be countable, but none before. However, a potential issues arises problem. Because, every claim is audited every two to four years. Therefore, the VA cross…
If a war time veteran who served 90 days active duty with one day during war time, an honorable discharge, AND have limited financial resources and gross income, the veteran can file for non-service connected pension benefits and use the cost of home care etc. to offset their total household gross income to receive the pension. If the veteran is independent, the maximium per month is $1,291.00 or $15,493.00 annually. If the veteran, also requires assistance, can qualify for up to $1,949.00 per month or $23,396.00 annually.
Yes. See following from 38 CFR 3.262 (i) Compensation ( civilian ) for injury or death. (1) Compensation paid by the Bureau of Employees' Compensation, Department of Labor (of the United States), or by Social Security Administration, or by Railroad Retirement Board, or pursuant to any workmen's compensation or employer's liability statute, or damages collected because of personal injury or death, less medical, legal, or other expenses incident to the injury or death, or the collection or recovery of such moneys will be considered income as received, except as provided in paragraph (i)(2) of this section. The criteria of paragraph…
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site, the benefit is paid in addition to monthly pension benefits. To qualify for the aid benefit, the veteran must generally be 65 or older (if not permanently disabled), have served during wartime and meet certain other income and asset requirements and medical requirements. In particular, annual income for the veteran and his or her spouse — not counting unreimbursed medical expenses — must be below a certain level. As for medical requirements, the veteran must require the aid of someone else to perform everyday “personal functions,” be bedridden, live in a…
Vietnam-era Veterans whose service involved duty on or near the perimeters of military bases in Thailand anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975 may have been exposed to herbicides and may qualify for VA benefits. The following Veterans may have been exposed to herbicides: U.S. Air Force Veterans who served on Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) bases at U-Tapao, Ubon, Nakhon Phanom, Udorn, Takhli, Korat, and Don Muang, near the air base perimeter anytime between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975. U.S. Army Veterans who provided perimeter security on RTAF bases in Thailand anytime between February 28,…
The $90.00 personal allowance reduction is not countable as income towards Medicaid, M21-1MR, Part V, Subpart iii, Chapter 3 1. General Information on Pension Reductions for Medicaid-Covered Nursing Facility Care Change Date May 14, 2007 a. Provisions for Pension Reduction 38 CFR 3.551(i) limits to $90 per month the amount of Improved Pension that can be paid to a veteran (or surviving spouse) with no dependents who • is in a Medicaid-approved nursing facility, and • is covered by a Medicaid plan for services furnished by the nursing facility. No part of the $90 monthly Improved Pension may be used…
The President of Senior Life Care Planning is David Wingate, an Accredited VA attorney, who is experienced in navigating the intricate claims process for VA benefits. Our blog provides answers to questions that veterans and their families may have with regards to non-service connected pension, disability compensation, and a variety of other VA benefits. Additionally, we educate veterans about new VA benefits they may not be aware of, such as compensation now available to many Vietnam veterans that were exposed to Agent Orange and who have Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease, and chronic B cell leukemia. We also provide information…
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