There are four types of VA pensions:
- Basic Pension: For healthy Veterans over the age of 65 with low incomes.
- Aid & Attendance: For Veterans over the age of 65 that require assistance with their activities of daily living. This pension provides additional monthly income over and above the basic monthly pension.
- Housebound: For a Veteran or surviving spouse who is substantially confined to home because of a permanent disability. This pension provides an increase to their monthly pension amount.
- VA Survivors Pension: For qualifying surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits set by congress.
Veterans and Survivors can apply for pensions with the help of a trained professional, online, by mail, or in person.
Mail your completed application to this address:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Pension Intake Center
PO Box 5365
Janesville, WI 53547-5365
*Printed copies of pension applications are available at Home Instead in Hattiesburg.
For more information about VA Pension Benefits, visit:
va.gov/pension
Who is eligible for VA pensions?
At least one of these must be true:
- You're at least 65 years old
- You have a permanent and total disability
- You're a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability
- You're getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income
Financial Requirements
Veterans must have a net worth at, or less than $155,356. The net worth calculation includes your and your dependent's assets and income for VA purposes. When you apply for Veterans Pension benefits, you'll need to report all of these assets and income. (If your child's net worth is more than the net worth limit, the VA does NOT consider them to be a dependent when determining your pension)
Note: A primary residence and auto are not counted as part of your net worth, and on-going, non-reimbursable medical/long-term care expenses may reduce your countable income.
Period of Military Service
Veterans must be considered “wartime veterans” meaning, they served at least 90 days of active duty with at least 1 of those days during the wartime dates below, but not necessarily in combat:
- World War II: Dec 7, 1941 – Dec 31, 1946
- Korean War: Jun 27, 1950 – Jan 31, 1955
- Vietnam War: Aug 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975 (or Feb 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975 for Veterans who served in Vietnam)
- Gulf War: Aug 2, 1990 – Undetermined
Veterans who started active duty after September 7, 1980, must have served at least 24 months or the full period that they were called up (with some exceptions).
A&A and Housebound Eligibility
If you get a VA pension and you meet at least one of the the following requirements, you may be eligible for the Aid & Attendance benefits and Housebound allowance:
- You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding and dressing
- You have to stay in bed, or spend a large portion of the day in bed because of illness
- You are a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability
- Your eyesight is limited (even with glasses or contact lenses, you have only 5/200 or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less)
Note: Veterans cannot receive Aid and Attendance benefits and Housebound benefits at the same time
VA Aid and Attendance Benefit and Housebound Allowance
VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits provide monthly payments added to the amount of a monthly VA pension for qualified Veterans and survivors. If you need help with daily activities, or you’re housebound, find out if you qualify.
