Will the VA Pay for the Care of the Veteran’s Spouse?
Will the VA Pay for the Care of the Veteran’s Spouse?
There is a fantastic program called The Improved Pension (also known as the Aid and Attendance or Non-Service Related Compensation program). This program is for wartime veterans and their widows/widowers. Many times, when the veteran is still living, the spouse of the veteran may be the person who is in need of care. Many times the family asks the VA if the spouse can apply for benefits.
The “book” answer is NO.
The real answer is, YES.
You see, when the veteran is still living, the spouse cannot apply for benefit (because he/she is not a widow/widower yet). However, the VETERAN may apply for the benefits!
With the Improved Pension, there are three levels of benefit; base, house bound as well as aid & attendance. Doctor forms must be completed to show what the medical imitations are for both the spouse and the veteran. If the veteran is perfectly healthy, he may be rated as “base”. If the spouse needs care it triggers a formula. That formula is “Income Less Ongoing Medical Expenses”.
The VA will look at all the income coming into the household and subtract the ongoing medical expenses (which includes the care for the spouse). This may trigger a “pension” for the veteran. The maximum BASE amount of pension (as of the date of this article) is $1,380.00 per month!
I have many veterans I have helped get this money from the VA to help offset the cost for the spouse’s care (as well as take care of the veteran). It is possible to get this benefit, but there are many moving parts to this program. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not available or possible, because it is. Do realize there are many moving parts to this program so you should make sure you deal with a qualified (VA accredited) professional to help you navigate the VA maze.
