Aid and Attendance provides monthly payments for U.S. military veterans who need help with daily activities. Veterans can use it to cover the costs of a nursing home or caregiver. Aid and Attendance is paid as part of a pension plan through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Veterans can often get $32,729 a year or more if they qualify for a VA Pension with Aid and Attendance.
How VA Aid and Attendance Helps Veterans
The symptoms of mesothelioma, combined with the effects of treatments, mean that many former service members need a caregiver during their cancer battle. Aid and Attendance allows veterans with mesothelioma to afford this care.
Aid and Attendance is one of several financial mesothelioma VA benefits. This type of disability benefit is designed to help veterans and their family members afford long-term care for a service-related injury or illness. This benefit is tax-free.
Aid and Attendance can help pay for:
- Care for surviving spouses
- In-home care from a nurse or caregiver
- Stays at an assisted living facility
VA Aid and Attendance benefits are currently available to qualifying mesothelioma patients that served in the armed forces, as well as their loved ones.
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center can help you and your family apply for VA Aid and Attendance and other benefits. Get started right now.
How Much Does the VA Pay for Aid and Attendance?
The amount of compensation varies depending on your overall income and the number of dependents you support.
As of 2024, VA Aid and Attendance compensation amounts include:
- $27,609 if you are a single veteran with no dependents
- $32,729 if you have a dependent child or spouse
- $43,791 if you and your spouse are both veterans who need Aid and Attendance
Please note that these are not the amounts you’ll receive.
Veterans pensions — and, by extension, VA Aid and Attendance — are paid by subtracting your income from the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) that you qualify for. The numbers listed above are possible MAPRs you could access. So, if your income is $8,500 and your MAPR is $32,729, you’d receive $24,229 that year.
Eligibility Requirements for VA Aid and Attendance
You must first qualify for a VA pension to receive VA Aid and Attendance. Once you get monthly pension benefits, the VA will determine how much Aid and Attendance compensation you can receive.
VA Income Limits
The first step in qualifying for VA Aid and Attendance is to make sure your net worth is below the established pension limit. For 2024, the limit is set at $155,356.
One of the following must also be true:
- You are age 65 or older
- You have a permanent disability (such as mesothelioma)
- You are receiving nursing care in a nursing home or are housebound
- You are receiving social security disability insurance
- You are receiving supplemental security income
In addition, you must meet military service, disability, and income requirements set by the VA to receive Aid and Attendance compensation benefits.
Get a Free Veterans Packet to learn how Aid and Attendance, along with other VA benefits, can help you.
Service Requirements for VA Aid and Attendance
There are two key service requirements to qualify for VA Aid and Attendance. First, you must have received an honorable or general discharge. You also need to have served for 90 days of continuous military service, including one day or more during a wartime period.
Wartime period dates include:
- World War II (From December 7th, 1941 until December 31st, 1946)
- Korean conflict (From June 27th, 1950 until January 31st, 1955)
- Vietnam era (From August 5th, 1964 until May 7th, 1975)
- Gulf War (From August 2nd, 1990 until a final date not yet determined)
With the exception of the Gulf War, asbestos — the only known cause of mesothelioma — was heavily used by nearly every branch of the military during all these wartime periods.
Asbestos exposure is why many wartime veterans are at a high risk of mesothelioma, asbestosis, or other asbestos-related diseases. Veterans of the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army, and the U.S. Marine Corps could have inhaled asbestos fibers during their service.
If you entered active duty after September 7th, 1980, you must have served at least 24 months, or for the full period of your active duty, and served at least 1 day during a wartime period.
Finally, if you began active duty after October 16th, 1981, and hadn't served more than 2 years previously, you may qualify for Aid and Attendance.
Disability Requirements for VA Aid and Attendance
Disability requirements allow the VA to understand why you need the help of another person.
You must meet one following disability requirements:
- You require the aid of someone else for bathing, feeding, dressing, using the restroom, shaving, or adjusting prosthetic devices
- You are bedridden
- You are confined to a nursing home because of physical or mental reasons
- Your corrected eyesight is limited to visual acuity of 5/200 or less in both eyes
Asbestos-related VA claims will explain how mesothelioma, asbestos lung cancer, or a similar illness has affected your health and why you need Aid and Attendance as a result.
Income Requirements for VA Aid and Attendance
In 2024, the net worth limit to qualify for a VA Pension and Aid and Attendance is $155,356.
The VA will also look at how much money you make each year (your countable income) to make sure it does not cross a set limit, which varies by your disability rating, the number of dependents, and additional factors.
Countable family income includes:
- Your total income (including that of your spouse and dependent children)
- Disability payments
- Interest payments
- Retirement benefits
The VA excludes some forms of annual income, such as public assistance, in this total. A portion of unreimbursed medical expenses can reduce the total amount of countable income.
Applying for VA Aid and Attendance
To start the VA Aid and Attendance claims process, you need to get a copy of VA Form 21-2680 and fill it out.
You’ll need to provide the following during the application process:
- Age, height, weight
- Blood pressure
- Name and social security number
- Specific mobility issues
- Proof of your mesothelioma diagnosis
- VA claim number
The VA also recommends including evidence that proves why you need Aid and Attendance. For example, you can ask your mesothelioma specialist for a written statement explaining your condition and how a caregiver may help you.
When completed, send the form to the Pension Management Center (PMC) in your state by mail or fax. You can also apply for VA Aid and Attendance online at the VA's official site.
Get Help Filing for VA Aid and Attendance
Our team is here to help you access VA Aid and Attendance if you have mesothelioma. We work with VA-certified attorneys who can make filing a mesothelioma claim hassle-free.
This allows you to focus on recovering from mesothelioma treatments while still getting the financial compensation you deserve.
Our team can help you:
- File for any type of veterans benefits
- Pursue treatment through the VA health care system
- Start your VA pension claim
- Learn about other benefits that you may qualify for
Get help with filing for VA benefits right now. Our VA mesothelioma lawyers, caring patient advocates, and on-staff veterans are standing by to help you.
FAQs About Mesothelioma Aid and Attendance
How can mesothelioma Aid and Attendance help me?
Veterans with mesothelioma deserve the best care possible, and Aid and Attendance benefits may allow them to afford it.
Aid and Attendance can potentially award thousands of dollars per month to those who qualify. This can help pay for in-home care or stays at a nursing home.
Other VA benefits (such as VA health care) can allow veterans with mesothelioma to get medical treatments for free or at a lower cost.
What is the VA Aid and Attendance rate for 2023?
Between December 1st, 2022 and November 30th, 2023, the VA Aid and Attendance rate is $32,729 for veterans with a dependent spouse or child.
The rate may be higher or lower depending on the number of dependents and if the veteran's spouse qualifies for Aid and Attendance.
The VA will then pay the difference between the veteran's Aid and Attendance rate and their income.
How long does it take to receive VA Aid and Attendance?
It can take a few months to receive VA Aid and Attendance, but exceptions may be made if you have mesothelioma since this cancer is aggressive and often deadly.
Our VA-accredited attorneys can help you get Aid and Attendance, as well as other VA benefits, faster. Call (877) 450-8973 to learn more.
