VA Veteran’s Benefits You May Not Be Aware Of

I grew up simply knowing that my father fought in the Korean Conflict. He did not talk much about his service in the Army other than some of the places that he traveled while enlisted. I did not realize the significance of his service as it relates to my mother until five years ago when she was no longer able to care for herself. Luckily, I was provided an informational flyer about VA Veteran’s Benefits upon placing my mother into an assisted living facility. What caught my eye was the subheading that stated, “VA Veteran’s Benefits—Aid & Attendance monthly pension available to qualified veterans, their spouses and their widows.” I was completely surprised to learn that there were benefits available to my mother. So, I finished reading the flyer and called the number to uncover what my mother might qualify for as a veteran’s widow. Thanks to my father’s service, my mother qualified for the widow’s pension. Having these additional funds to help pay for the cost of her care has made a tremendous difference in the quality of care my mother receives and will continue to receive for the rest of her life. As a result of this experience, my focus and mission as a Certified Senior Advisor® has been to help other qualified veterans, their spouses, and their widows learn more about VA Veteran’s Benefits and how to work with an accredited VA representative.

When you or someone you love faces the challenges of aging, disability and chronic diseases and needs daily support and assistance of another individual, exploring options to help pay for those services can become quite a challenge. Our heroic men and women of the Armed Forces that have made significant sacrifices for our country and are entitled to their benefits provided by the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.  Sadly, many veterans and their families are confused or unaware of who qualifies, what benefits are available and how to apply.

Understanding the terminology and intricacies of VA Veteran’s benefits and services offered can make a difference in applying, qualifying, and receiving these benefits and services. The Veterans Pension program is a monthly payment that is provided to wartime Veterans, their spouses and widows who meet certain age or disability requirements, and who have income and net worth within certain limits. To be more specific, this pension is provided when the veteran served 90 days active duty, (with one day being during the wartime periods of: World War II (12/7/41 to 12/31/46), Korean Conflict (6/27/50 to 1/31/55), Vietnam Era (2/28/61 to 5/7/75 for “in country,” otherwise 8/5/64 to 5/7/75), and Gulf War (8/2/90 to date yet to be established by law). The Veteran must have received discharge other than “dishonorable,” be over 65 years old, or be permanently & totally disabled.

There are several different types of pensions available to Veterans. The pension mentioned above is a non-service-connected VA pension. Income and asset limits apply, but the VA also considers “Unreimbursed Medical Expenses” as part of qualification. These include expenses like Medicare premiums, cost of Home Health Care, Assisted Living, Nursing Homes, Independent Living, and other “Medically Necessary Expenses” that are not reimbursed by insurance. As of October 18th, 2018, the VA changed the asset limitations to include residential lot-size limits, a 3-year look-back on asset transfers, and how trusts and annuities can be used.

Understandably, this process can be overwhelming, especially when you are managing all other aspects of care and transition for your loved one. Utilizing the skills, knowledge, and expertise of Accredited Attorneys, Claims Agents or Veterans Service Organizations representatives can make such a difference in the outcome of the care that your loved one receives by helping you navigate, understand, and complete the necessary paperwork.

The VA trusts Accredited Attorneys, Claims Agents or Veterans Service Organizations representatives because they are trained and certified in the VA claims and appeals processes and can help you with VA-related needs. They work on behalf of Veterans and service members as well as their dependents and survivors. They pass an exam, background check, and take continuing-education courses to make sure they are providing the most up-to-date information. Furthermore, they are not allowed to charge you a fee to help you file your initial application for benefits. They want the caregiver and families to understand every option available for their loved ones and ensure that resources are accessible for the facility or individual that is responsible for providing daily treatment and support.

Here at Ideal Senior Living Solutions, LLC, we understand the challenges faced with aging and the stress of being a caregiver. We want caregivers and families to understand every option available to their loved ones and ensure that resources are accessible for the facility or individual that is responsible for providing daily treatment and support. Everything we do is driven by a universal mission—to enhance the lives of aging adults and their families. Supporting our veterans is a major part of this mission by working with an accredited VA representative to help you through the process of navigating, understanding, and completing the necessary paperwork if you qualify for Veteran’s VA Benefits. To learn more, please give us a call at 262-573-8710 or visit our website today at: https://idealseniorlivingsolutions.com/.