NO CHANGE TO VETERANS AID & ATTENDANCE BENEFITS FOR 2010
NO CHANGE TO VETERANS AID & ATTENDANCE BENEFITS FOR 2010
There will be no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to Veterans Aid and Attendance benefits for 2010. Each December 1, the rates for the next year become effective. Both VA Compensation and Pension benefits are tied to the Social Security Administration (SSA) COLA. Because SSA did not increase COLA this year, there will be no change to the VA benefits. The VA will sending letters to beneficiaries notifying them that there will be no COLA for 2010.
Aid & Attendance is a special pension available to wartime veterans to help pay for unreimbursed medical expenses. A qualified married veteran can receive up to $1,949/mo. tax-free while a widowed spouse can receive up to $1,056/mo.
The Aid and Attendance benfit has been a godsend to many families. Seniors no longer have to worry about running out of money in retirement homes. For those with relatives in St. Louis, no cost aid for the various aspects of the application can be obtained from the folks at www.moveteranaid.org . They will prepare all the applications for you, and the family only needs to fill out minimal information. Your senior veteran will only need to sign in six places and the rest is done for you.
Posted by: Guy Porter | 02/10/2010 at 03:59 PM
Are you a war time Veteran? Are you a surviving spouse of a Veteran? If the answer to this is, "yes", then you may be eligible for a separate pension through the VA called Aid & Attendance. This pension has been around since 1952. Most Veterans and or spouses have never heard of this pension and sometimes find it hard to believe that it even exists. The Aid & Attendance pension is a separate pension set aside for those Veterans, spouses and surviving spouses who are aging and are at the point in their lives that they are in need of some assistance with their care. This care could be provided while living in your home, Retirement Living, Assisted Living or a Nursing Home. If you are in need of assistance with ADL's (activities of daily living) then you may qualify.
Five areas are looked at to determine eligibility. 1) Were you a Veteran during a specific time of war, honorably discharged, served 90 days active duty, one day during war time, state side or overseas? 2) Do you have an expense for care? Expenses such as; prescriptions, Medicare supplement, doctors or hospital co-pays, caregiver or family members assisting with aid, retirement or assisted living expense etc. 3) Income- usually this is Social Security, Retirement, Pension, Rental Income etc. 4) Cash Assets- Checking and Savings, 401K, IRA's, Investments etc. 5) Health- if you are using a walker or a cane, oxygen, need meals, bathing, transportation, assistance, etc. If you feel you meet some of these criteria, you may qualify. What is this pension worth to me? A Veteran may receive $1,644 a month, a surviving spouse $ 1,056 a month, a Veteran and his spouse who both qualify $1,949 a month. This is a TAX FREE pension. The pension is retroactive, meaning; you will receive monies back from the first day of the month after you apply. How long does it take to get the pension? 4-6 months. It will take longer when Alzheimer's or severe Dementia is involved due to an additional step that is required by the VA.Many Senior's have lost much of their savings due to the downward economy. This pension has helped many Veterans, spouses and surviving spouses increase their standard of living either by helping them afford care in their home, or the possibility of moving to or staying at a Retirement or Assisted Living. www.seniorcareassociates.com
Posted by: cautrey | 03/24/2011 at 12:03 PM