ARTICLES / General /VA
Benefits - A Little of the Old... /
Other ArticlesBy Trish Hughes Kreis, Staff Writer
The gratitude we give to the honorable and brave
men and women serving our country would be
incomplete if we did not also extend that gratitude
to their families. Families have long been the
backbone of support for our service men and women
during both their active duty and after. The
VA provides numerous programs for veterans and now
their caregivers. Many programs have been around for
quite some time and others have recently been
enacted.
A little known program provided by the VA is the
Veterans Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit.
This can be a huge help to veterans and their
families.
What is it? The Veterans Aid and Attendance
Pension Benefit is the highest level of the Pension
Benefit awarded and can provide extra monetary
assistance if the veteran needs help with dressing,
bathing, cooking or eating. This is paid in
addition to the veteran’s monthly pension.
There is also a “Housebound” Pension program, but
benefits for both programs cannot be received at the
same time. The Housebound Pension program is also
paid in addition to the veteran’s monthly pension,
but is at a lower rate than the Aid and Attendance
Program and has different requirements for
eligibility.
Who is eligible? Any war-time
veteran with 90 days of active duty (only one of
which needs to begin or end during war-time) may be
eligible for the Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit.
A surviving spouse of a war-time veteran may also be
eligible. (The Housebound Pension Program has
different requirements for qualifying.) Please
visit the Web site of the Department of Veterans
Affairs for more detailed information about
qualifying for these benefits (http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/pension/vetpen.htm#7).
Where do I start? If you think you or your
spouse may be eligible for these benefits, do not be
daunted by the lengthy application process.
The benefits under the Aid and Attendance Pension
program are vastly under utilized and will be worth
any difficulty in applying. An excellent
resource for information on this program and the
documents needed to complete the application is the
VeteranAid.org group. The information
available to help with the application process is
detailed and thorough and can be found at
http://www.veteranaid.org/apply.php. It is
necessary to apply for the benefits at the regional
office having jurisdiction over your claim, which is
the same office where the original pension benefits
claim was filed. A list of regional offices
can be found at
http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/ro/rocontacts.htm.
- What happens next? Unfortunately, this
process can take four to six months (or even
longer). However, if the person applying for
the benefits is 70 years or older, the application
can be expedited and should be, but be sure to
request it. In the event the benefits are denied,
there is an appeals process. Mistakes
occasionally happen, so it is highly recommended to
appeal the decision if the benefits are denied.
It can’t hurt and you have nothing to lose. A
pamphlet explaining the appeals process can be
obtained at any VA Regional office or online at
http://www.bva.va.gov/docs/Pamphlets/010202A.pdf.
It is important to note a Notice of Disagreement is
the first step in an appeal and must be filed within
one year of the date the local VA mails you the
original decision denying your claim. Extra
help may be needed during the appeals process, so
please consider using an attorney or another skilled
representative to assist you with your claim.
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