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The fastest way to receive VA Aid and Attendance benefits is to submit what is known as a fully developed claim. Receiving a quick response from the VA is important. VA benefits can pay up to $2,642 per month for home care and senior living care. Given that the cost of care can be quite high, receiving money from the VA in the shortest time possible is a great help for families. But what is…

Under normal circumstances, the Department of Veterans Affairs requires the original or a certified copy of discharge papers when applying for VA aid and attendance benefits. However, due to the pandemic, the VA is acting more leniently. The VA is starting to accept regular copies of a veteran’s DD 214 or Report of Separation paperwork. In a recent letter that we reviewed, the VA wrote the following: “Due to local conditions caused by COVID-19, the…

Expediting A Claim There are only a few ways exist to expedite an Aid and Attendance claim. 1) The veteran was a prisoner of war. 2) The applicant is terminally ill. 3) The applicant is under financial duress, which means they are receiving eviction notices or the utility company is about to turn off the lights. Way to make the process quicker Aside from the three ways mentioned above, sending a fully developed claim may…

American Merchant Marines in oceangoing service during the period of armed conflict (December 7, 1941, to August 15, 1945) and meet at least 1 of the following qualifications:   1. Employed by Office of Defense Transportation (or their agents) or the War Shipping Administration as a merchant seaman documented by the Department of Commerce (Merchant Mariner’s Document/Certificate of Service) or U.S. Coast Guard 2. A civil servant employed by the U.S. Army Transport Service (later…

Discharge Papers When applying for VA Aid and Attendance pension, the VA prefers either original or certified discharge papers (as a result of Covid, the VA is often accepting photocopies, but not in every case) also known as DD-214 and Report of Separation papers. The VA WILL NOT return papers submitted, so we do not recommend sending the original. What if I do not have a certified copy of the discharge paperwork to submit with…

Summary Aid and attendance is a Department of Veterans Affairs pension benefit for wartime veterans and surviving spouses of wartime veterans. Aid and Attendance is a tax-free benefit that is used to help pay for the cost of assisted living, home care, nursing care, adult day care, and some independent living facilities. If you are eligible, the VA will deposit money into your bank account that you then use to pay the cost of unreimbursed…

After years of false-starts and deliberation, the Department of Veterans Affairs finally implemented significant rule changes to their pension program.  Commonly referred to as aid and attendance, the pension benefit underwent important and major changes effective October 18th, 2018.  This article will not be an exhaustive report of all rule changes to the aid and attendance pension program.  If you would like to read the full rule changes, they can be found here.  However, after…

VA Form 21P-0969 is a new Department of Veterans Affairs form.  Most claimants applying for the aid and attendance pension will need to complete and submit VA Form 21P-0969 as part of their claim for VA benefits.  This article will explain why the Department of Veterans Affairs created VA Form 21P-0969 and which applicants need to complete this form.  We will also offer some tips to ensure successful completion of this form. VA Form 21P-0969:…