How to qualify for aid and attendance

A couple's actual income can't be higher than $23,396 ($19,736 for an individual or $12,681 for a veteran's widow or widower). However, veterans whose annual earnings exceed that sum, qualify if their income falls below that sum by deducting unreimbursed medical expenses i.e. cost of assisted living, home health care, prescription drugs or insurance premium.

To qualify financially, a veteran's assets must not exceed $80,000, not including their home or personal car.

Additionally, the medical thresholds includes requiring assistance with activities of daily living i.e. bathing, eating, dressing, housebound, blind or residing in an assisted-living facility or nursing home due to a disability.

For help with qualification, Veterans (Go to www.va.gov, click on "Locations," and then click on "Accredited Agent.") contact Senior Life Care Planning at 301 663 9230 or visit our website at www.seniorlcp.com

One big caveat: Some of the groups hosting free seminars about aid-and-attendance benefits might try to sell an annuity, trust or other financial-planning instrument to help veterans trying to qualify. And those products might be costly and unsuitable, depending on the veteran's situation and age.

We see a number of cases, where a financial planner (scammer) sells an annuity to an 80 year old plus veteran with a 20 – year surrender penalty. Consequently, if the veteran has to be placed in a nursing home, the veteran will not qualify for medicaid, causing huge financial repercussions.

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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