A Personal Approach To Meeting The Needs Of Veterans And Their Families
Millions of veterans and their families—our nation’s greatest heroes—are eligible for Veterans Benefits but do not take advantage of them. Why? Many reasons, including confusion over the benefits available, eligibility requirements, and the complexity of the application process itself.
Benefits available to veterans and their families include:
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
- Disability Compensation
- Employment & Training
- Parents’ Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
- Special Monthly Compensation
- Survivor Benefits
- Veterans Health Care
- Veterans Life Insurance
- Burial and Memorial
- Death Pension
The Aid and Attendance Program
The VA Aid and Attendance pension program is available to veterans, or their widowed spouses, where the veteran served 90 days or more of active duty, with one day during a period of wartime. For an eligible veteran or widowed spouse, Aid and Attendance benefit pays up to $2,230 for the veteran and over $1,209 to the spouse to assist with medical expenses and the cost of long-term care.
This benefit can help a veteran or widowed spouse pay anyone, including their child, for home care. It can also be used to help pay for professional care in the home, assisted living rent, nursing care, prescription drugs, insurance premiums, copays and much more.
Bottom line? The Aid and Attendance Program can allow a veteran or widowed spouse to pay for care, whether in their home or at an assisted living community, and help them stay out of a nursing home and preserve their assets for as long as possible.
Eligibility Requirements:
- The veteran must have served 90 days or more of active duty, with one day during a period of wartime.
- The veteran must have received a discharge other than dishonorable
- The veteran or spouse must have medical expenses or care needs
- Applicants must pass an asset and income test before getting Aid and Attendance benefits
While net worth and income are both factors, there are no specific income or asset limits set by the VA. It is important to work with a VA accredited attorney in filing for this benefit to ensure that you receive the maximum that you may be entitled to and to help your claim get processed as quickly as possible. As part of a long-term care plan, prepared by a skilled elder law attorney, most estates can be positioned so the veteran or widowed spouse qualifies for VA Aid and Attendance benefits. Never assume your loved one is not eligible!
The program also gives veterans or a widowed spouse access to the VA pharmacy, which can help reduce prescription drug costs. The pension is directly deposited into the veteran or widowed spouse’s bank account and the pension funds may be used in any manner they wish, including to care for a spouse.
Given the importance of the Aid and Attendance benefit in coping with the high cost of long-term care, together with that of other Veterans Benefits, you owe it to yourself and your loved ones to contact a Virginia Beach Veterans Benefits Lawyer that focuses on this highly specialized and often neglected area of the law. A firm, that is, like the Law Office of Angela N. Manz.
We can quickly determine if you are eligible for Veterans Benefits and guide you through the complicated application process from start to finish. Unlike some of the people out there who may only be interested in selling you a financial product, our goal is to help you obtain the Veterans Benefits you deserve and protect your assets for as long as possible. Angela Manz is an accredited VA attorney. This means she has been granted the authority by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to prepare, present and prosecute claims for Veterans Benefits before the VA. Her extensive experience can streamline the process and help you obtain benefits quickly with minimal stress; help you receive the maximum amount of benefits your service entitles you to; and quite possibly, help you receive benefits even if you have been denied them in the past.
This last point is extremely important. Although people who work for the VA may mean well, they do not know the intricacies of the laws surrounding Veterans Benefits and cannot give you specific legal advice on how to obtain the maximum benefit. Ms. Manz does. Veterans Benefits law is one of the primary areas of her practice, and she is 100-percent dedicated to making sure veterans and their families receive all of the benefits they deserve.
Please contact the Law Office of Angela N. Manz today for a consultation to learn more about how we can assist you.
Frequently Asked Questions: Veterans Benefits
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