The VA can pay your family back for the care you thought you couldn't afford.
Aid & Attendance is a monthly, tax-free check — up to $1,478 for a surviving spouse and up to $2,727 for a married veteran — for wartime veterans and their spouses who need help with daily living. Most eligible families have never heard of it. The VA pays you. You pay for care.
The care is what qualifies you. The check is what pays for it.
Bathing, dressing, medications, meals — a doctor confirms the need for regular assistance.
Here's the part almost nobody knows: what you spend on care is subtracted from your income before the VA decides anything.
Income that looked "too high" on paper drops below the line once care costs come out. The care itself unlocks the benefit.
Not to a doctor, not to an agency. Directly to the veteran or surviving spouse, every month, for life, as long as the need continues.
For many families the real, out-of-pocket cost of home care drops by hundreds — sometimes to a small fraction of the sticker price. Use the calculator below to see your number.
Veterans — and yes, spouses too.
Surviving spouse
The widow or widower of a wartime veteran qualifies in their own right — married to the veteran at the time of death, and not remarried. This is the largest group of people missing out.
Single veteran
A veteran with 90 days of active duty, at least one day during a wartime period, who now needs help with daily living.
Married veteran
A married wartime veteran who needs care receives the higher household rate.
What about the spouse of a living veteran?
If the veteran is healthy but the spouse is the one who needs care, the spouse can't receive Aid & Attendance directly — but her care costs still reduce the household's countable income, which can unlock the veteran's base pension. Smaller check, same idea. Call us and we'll walk through it.
What would care actually cost your family?
Enter what applies to you. The worksheet on the right shows the VA's math, line by line — the same way a pension examiner would run it.
The VA's arithmetic
Quick eligibility check
- 90 days of active duty, with at least 1 day during a wartime period (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War)
- Needs regular help with daily activities — bathing, dressing, medications — or is housebound
- Assets under roughly $160,000, not counting the home and one vehicle
- Surviving spouses: married to the veteran at time of death, not remarried
What families ask us
Is this the same as VA health care or disability?
No. Aid & Attendance is a pension benefit based on wartime service, need for care, income, and assets — not on a service-connected injury. Many families who were told "you don't qualify for VA benefits" qualify for this one.
Does it cost anything to apply?
No. Accredited Veterans Service Officers file claims for free, and no one is allowed to charge you for preparing an initial claim. Alara helps you through every step at no cost — that's a promise, not a promotion.
How long does it take?
Typically 3–9 months. Payments are retroactive to the month after filing, so starting sooner means a bigger first check. Care usually needs to be in place around filing time so the VA can count the ongoing expense.
What if we have too much in savings?
There's a net-worth limit (about $160,000, home excluded) and a 3-year lookback on gifts and transfers. Don't move money before talking to a professional — planning done wrong creates penalties. We can point you to the right help.
Can a family member be the paid caregiver?
Often, yes — care can be provided through a licensed agency that employs a family member. Ask us how this works in your state.
Can I get Aid & Attendance if the VA already pays for some of my care?
Yes. VA health care and the Aid & Attendance pension are separate programs, and you can receive both. Only the care you pay for yourself reduces your income for pension purposes — hours the VA already covers don't. Many families use both: VA-covered hours plus additional hours they pay for, with the pension offsetting most of that cost.
I receive VA disability compensation. Can I get this too?
Not both at once. The Aid & Attendance pension is needs-based, and a veteran receiving service-connected disability compensation elects whichever benefit is greater. This page is about the pension, which most often helps non-service-connected wartime veterans and their surviving spouses. If you're not sure which applies to you, call us and we'll walk through it.
Find out in one phone call.
Five minutes. No cost, no obligation, no one is allowed to charge you for this. We'll tell you honestly whether Aid & Attendance fits your family — and what your real cost of care would be.
Call a nurse — (702) 814-9630Alara Home Care is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This page and calculator provide general information and estimates only; they are not a benefit determination, and they are not legal or financial advice. Eligibility and payment amounts are decided solely by the VA. Maximum rates shown are 2025 figures and adjust each December with the federal cost-of-living increase. Claim preparation and filing assistance are available at no charge from VA-accredited Veterans Service Officers; Alara never charges for benefit guidance.