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.
Recently enacted legislation has also brought
long-awaited help for caregivers of veterans.
Changes in the VA benefits for post 9/11 veterans
include numerous services for both veterans and
their caregivers.
- Where do I
start? There are two ways to get information
about the services you may qualify for. Visit
the US Department of Veterans Affairs Web site for
caregivers at www.caregiver.va.gov. Also, the toll-free
VA Caregiver Support Line at 855-260-3274 provides
assistance and operates every day except Sunday.
- Who is eligible?
Eligible veterans must have sustained a serious
injury in the line of duty after 9/11 and must need
assistance for one or more personal care activities
due to neurological impairment or injury.
Veterans must also be enrolled for VA health
services (if you are not already enrolled, please
visit
www.va.gov/healtheligibility/application to
enroll now).
- What services
are available? Numerous services, as well as
monetary assistance, are available once eligibility
has been established. These include a monthly
stipend (early applicants have already started
receiving their checks this month). Also,
money is available for travel expenses while
accompanying veterans to appointments for care and
treatment (including a per diem allowance and
lodging). Mental health services and
counseling are available as is caregiver training
(which is provided by Easter Seals, a leader in
caring for the disabled). Another service
available is respite care which would allow a break
for the caregiver by providing a professional
caregiver to care for the veteran for up to 30 days
per year.
- How do I apply?
To see if you may qualify, please visit
www.va.gov/healtheligibility/caregiver to answer
four brief questions. At the end of the
questionnaire, you will be directed to the full
application. The application for eligibility can
also be directly accessed at
https://www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez/Form/10-10CG.pdf.
Caregiver Support Coordinators are available at
every VA medical center to assist with the
application process and to answer questions about
the benefits available as well as the application
process itself. Additional assistance is
available by calling the toll-free number
877-222-VETS (8387).
- What happens
next? Within three days of filing the initial
application, the Caregiver Support Coordinator will
arrange for the veteran’s caregiver to complete the
application and will coordinate the caregiver
training. An assessment will be done to
determine the veteran’s needs and what assistance is
needed with daily living activities. The
caregiver then completes the training. They
even have training available (either online or
through a self-study book and DVD) which can be
completed at home. Caregivers know it can be
difficult to leave their loved one for even a short
amount of time, so this home study option is an
example of how well thought out the program is.
There is a home visit after the training and once
that has been completed and everything has been
approved, the monthly stipend will start arriving.
For those who applied soon after this program
started in May, the stipends were already arriving
in July. The earlier you apply, the quicker
the benefits will be available.
Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for
help. The government has made these benefits
available to veterans and their caregivers so they
will be used. The country is indebted to our
veterans and these programs are available to help.
There are many ways to thank a veteran for his or
her service (personally saying thanks or buying them
a cup of coffee, for instance) but providing care to
both the veteran and their caregiver is, by far, the
most thanks we can give as a country.
Trish Hughes Kreis is a freelance writer and
full-time Legal Administrator who coordinates the
care of her disabled youngest brother, Robert.
She advocates on behalf of Robert in order to keep
him as healthy and happy as possible and has managed
to persistently navigate the maze of social services
and government programs available to help him.
Most importantly, she keeps Robert in a steady
supply of Word Search books and 7-Up and entertains
him by being on the losing end of many card games.
She can be contacted at robertssister@att.net or
through her blog
www.robertssister.com.
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