ARE YOU A VETERAN OR THE WIDOW OF A VETERAN? YOU COULD BE ENTITLED TO A TAX FREE PENSION FROM THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has a little known tax free pension available to help qualified veterans, spouses and their surviving spouses pay for home health care, assistance living or nursing home care. The VA Aid & Attendance & Housebound Pension is designed to provide qualified veterans and their un-remarried surviving spouses with financial benefits outside of the traditional VA residential system. This pension benefit provides a direct, tax free monthly pension to help defray the cost of long-term care.
Eligibility Requirements
- The claimant must be 65 years old and/or unemployable.
- The veteran must have an Honorable or General discharge (any other than Dishonorable discharge).
- The veteran must have served at least 90 days of active Federal duty with at least one day during an official period of conflict (there is not requirement for actual combat service).
- The claimant must require hands on medical care, be receiving the required care and must be paying for the receipt of that care.
- The claimant must satisfy VA financial eligibility requirements.*
Access of your benefit through this system provides you with access to care. With this non-service connected disability pension in hand, you are able to afford the care you need. Secondly, you have a choice. You have the power to select the services you need as well as the provider that meets those needs. Thirdly, the pension is dependable. Like Social Security, the pension will always be there for qualified beneficiaries and is paid directly to you by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
Maximum Benefit Amounts for 2019
Qualifying Military Service
Veterans must have been honorably discharged, and have served at least 90 days of active duty military service, with at least one day during one of the following periods:
- World War II: 12/07/1941 through 12/31/1946
- Korean Conflict: 06/27/1950 through 01/31/1955
- Vietnam (in country): 02/28/1961 through 05/07/1975
- Vietnam (all other): 08/05/1964 through 05/07/1975
- Gulf War: 08/02/1990 through TBD
Reserves and National Guard are not qualified unless they served 90 days active Federal duty with 1 day during a period of conflict.
Service in the Merchant Marine during World War II counts the same as Naval Service, providing the veteran was at sea for 90 days.