The Eligibility Verification Report
Each year, veterans or surviving spouses receiving the VA Aid and Attendance Pension must prove that they are still eligible to receive this VA pension benefit. To do this, they must submit a form called the Eligibility Verification Report (EVR). The EVR requires disclosure of the veteran or surviving spouse’s income, assets, and anticipated medical expenses for the current calendar year as well as actual medical expenses paid for the previous year.
Although it may seem tempting to put it off, completing this form as soon as possible is an important task. The deadline to complete the EVR is March 31st. If you miss the deadline, the VA may delay pension payments until you submit the EVR. Even worse, if you cannot prove that you or your family member still meets the eligibility requirements, the VA could discontinue the pension altogether.
In order to ensure that you can complete the EVR properly, it is important that you keep a record of all unreimbursed medical expenses throughout the year. This includes doctor’s visits, payments to caregivers, assisted living rent, and medications. If you don’t keep adequate records, you may end up reporting fewer expenses than you actually had causing the VA to reduce the amount of your Aid and Attendance pension.
Because the EVR can result in an adjustment of the pension amount or even a discontinuation of benefits, many veterans or their family members feel they need help completing the form. Attorneys and other professionals who are accredited with the VA can help you with the EVR in several ways. They can show you how to adjust assets to stay within the VA’s financial eligibility requirements, assist you with providing adequate documentation to support the EVR form, and answer any other questions or concerns you may have about the EVR. Seeking professional help with completing the EVR can be an important step in making sure that your loved one continues to receive the benefits they deserve.
For more information or to view the actual EVR form, you can visit http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-0510-ARE.pdf.
