How does the VA treat payments made by children to Veteran?

Veteran is receiving care in the home provided by children, and they pay other necessary expenses that are not medical expenses groceries, utilities etc. 

Nothing paid by anyone other than the claimant (and claimant’s dependents declared on the application) is considered UME on the medical expense report, so these expenses would not be declarable.

In order for any expenses paid to a non-spouse family member to be allowed, there must be actual money exchanged and this payment must be from the claimant (or dependent) and cannot be paid by anyone else

Payments made by the children for routine services and items; e.g. mortgage, utilities, clothing, food, etc. is considered family maintenance is not considered income to the claimant.

 Maintenance

Do not count the value of maintenance. In other words, if someone furnishes a claimant free room and board, or pays the claimant’s bills, the value of room and board or the amount of the extinguished debt is not countable.

Regular cash contributions can be considered maintenance, and not be counted as income, if the evidence establishes that

• the donor has assumed all or part of the burden of regular maintenance of

the claimant, and

• cash contributions are used by the claimant to pay for basic necessities,

such as food or housing.

Exception: Cash contributions which are sporadic or in amounts in excess of

what is required for regular maintenance should be considered gifts which are

countable for Improved Pension purposes.