Veteran Benefits
Aid & Attendance / Housebound
An increased monthly pension for those who need help with daily activities, live in a care facility, or are largely confined to home.
There’s a free calculator on this page - estimate your Aid & Attendance benefit. No sign-up, no cost.
Who this is for
If getting through the day is harder than it used to be - and you are paying for help, or a loved one is giving it for free - this benefit was built for exactly that. It adds money on top of a VA pension to help cover the care you need.
In plain language
What Aid & Attendance / Housebound covers
- Added on top of a Veterans Pension or Survivors Pension
- Helps if you need help bathing, dressing, eating, or managing medications
- May help pay for in-home care, assisted living, or nursing-home costs
- Housebound benefit applies if a disability keeps you mostly at home
What Is Aid & Attendance?Official video - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - theSITREP
5 things most veterans aren't aware of
These apply to nearly every VA claim - and they change how much you get and when.
Your filing date sets your back pay
Benefits are generally paid back to the day you file - not the day you are approved. Filing an intent to file today can protect months, even years, of retroactive pay.
One condition can trigger others (secondary claims)
A service-connected condition that causes another - like sleep apnea from PTSD, or a bad knee from a bad hip - can be rated on its own. Each secondary condition adds to your rating.
A medical nexus is what wins the claim
The VA needs a documented link between your condition and your service. A clear nexus opinion is often the difference between an approval and a denial.
Accredited help is free to file an initial claim
By law, an accredited agent cannot charge a fee to prepare and file your original claim. If someone asks for money up front to file, that is a red flag.
A denial is not the end of the road
You have three appeal lanes - Higher-Level Review, a Supplemental Claim with new evidence, and the Board of Veterans Appeals. Many denials are overturned on review.
$29,093/yr
Aid & Attendance MAPR for a single veteran (2026)
$34,488/yr
MAPR with one dependent - added on top of the base pension
$163,699
Net-worth limit you must stay under to qualify
The full picture
Everything you need to know
Nothing hidden behind a click, and nothing you have to go looking for on another website. Here is the whole story in plain language - the facts and the figures first - so you can decide what fits your situation.
Key facts & current figures
- Adds to a pension: 2026 MAPR with Aid & Attendance is about $29,093/yr for a single veteran and $34,488 with one dependent.
- Housebound is a smaller add-on (about $21,313/yr MAPR for a single veteran); you cannot receive Housebound and Aid & Attendance at the same time.
- A surviving spouse's pension can be increased with Aid & Attendance too.
- Requires a doctor's statement (VA Form 21-2680) showing you need help with daily activities, are bedridden, in a nursing home, or have very limited eyesight.
General figures, current as of December 2025 and reviewed each year. Your exact amount depends on your situation - always confirm on va.gov.
What Aid and Attendance is
- It is extra money added on top of a VA pension for veterans or surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities, or who are housebound.
- Everyday activities include bathing, dressing, eating, using the bathroom, and moving around safely.
Who qualifies
- You must first qualify for a VA pension.
- Then a doctor must confirm that you need the help of another person, are bedridden, live in a nursing home, or have very limited eyesight.
- Housebound is a smaller add-on for veterans who are largely confined to their home. You cannot receive Housebound and Aid and Attendance at the same time.
2026 amounts (effective December 1, 2025)
- With Aid and Attendance, the MAPR is about $29,093 per year for a single veteran, and about $34,488 with one dependent.
- The Housebound MAPR is about $21,313 per year for a single veteran.
- A surviving spouse pension can also be increased with Aid and Attendance. Always confirm current amounts on va.gov.
Step by step: how to apply (this is always free)
- Step 1: Have your doctor complete VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Aid and Attendance). This form describes the care you need.
- Step 2: File it with your pension application (VA Form 21P-527EZ), or add it to an existing pension by mail.
- Step 3: Keep records of your care costs, such as a nursing home or an in-home aide, since these can lower your countable income.
Estimate your Aid & Attendance benefit
Aid & Attendance estimator
Aid & Attendance is paid on top of the base pension at a higher MAPR when you need help with daily activities. Enter your income and out-of-pocket medical or caregiver costs to see your estimated tax-free monthly and annual amount. Switch between veteran and surviving spouse to compare.
Who is applying?
How much daily help do you need?
Aid & Attendance and Housebound raise the maximum rate, but you cannot receive both at once - the VA pays the higher one. A doctor confirms the level of care you need.
Your household
Do you have a spouse or a dependent child?
Additional dependent children
Beyond the first dependent above
Your yearly finances
Social Security, pensions, wages, interest - before taxes.
Assisted living, in-home aides, insurance premiums, prescriptions. These can raise your payment.
Enter your yearly income to see your estimate
Pension fills the gap between your income and the maximum rate. Fill in Step 4 and your tax-free monthly amount appears here.
Estimate only. Net worth must be under $163,699. Rates adjust yearly with the COLA - confirm on va.gov.
This calculator is free. No sign-up, no catch.
Most people in this business hide tools like this behind a paywall or a sign-up form. We don’t. Use it as much as you need. And if you want a real accredited agent to look at your actual claim, we’re one call away — it’s free to talk, and free to file your claim.
Albert L. Thombs Jr. — VA-accredited claims agent (#45147), a disabled veteran with a team of advocates who do this every day.
How the money really works
The parts of pension people get wrong
The estimator gives you a number. This shows you why it lands there - the arithmetic, the three levels of the benefit, the net-worth test, and the mistakes that get good claims denied.
Worked example
How care costs turn “too much income” into a real check
Meet a single wartime veteran living on $22,000/yr (Social Security and a small pension), paying $18,000/yr for daily help and needing Aid & Attendance. On paper that income looks too high. Watch what actually happens.
- 1Maximum rate for this situation (Aid & Attendance)$29,093
- Out-of-pocket care counted – $18,000 minus the 5% threshold ($872)-$17,128
- 3Countable income – $22,000 income minus the care deduction$4,872
- 4Yearly pension the VA pays (rate minus countable income)$24,221
Estimated monthly, tax-free
$2,018
about $24,221 per year
Without counting those care costs, the same wartime veteran would see only about $591/month. The medical deduction is the whole game - and it is exactly what most people miss.
Basic, Housebound, or Aid & Attendance
These are the three levels of the same benefit. The more daily help you need, the higher the maximum rate - here are the 2026 ceilings for a wartime veteran.
Basic pension
You get through the day without regular help from another person.
$1,453/mo max
up to $17,441 per year
Housebound
A disability keeps you mostly confined to your home.
$1,776/mo max
up to $21,313 per year
Aid & Attendance
You need another person to help with daily activities, or you live in a care facility.
$2,424/mo max
up to $29,093 per year
These are maximum rates. The VA pays the gap between the rate and your countable income, so your actual check depends on your finances. You cannot receive Housebound and Aid & Attendance at once - the VA pays the higher one.
Rates verified against VA published pension MAPR tables, effective December 1, 2025 (2.8% COLA).
The $163,699 net-worth test
To qualify, your assets plus your annual income must stay under this limit (Dec 1, 2025 - Nov 30, 2026). What surprises people is what the VA leaves out.
Counts toward the limit
- Savings, checking, and investment accounts
- Stocks, bonds, and CDs
- A second property or land you do not live on
- Your annual income counts on top of assets
Does NOT count
- The home you live in (and a reasonable lot)
- Your vehicle
- Normal household goods and personal effects
- Out-of-pocket medical costs (they lower income)
The 3-year look-back trap: giving away money or property to get under the limit can backfire. The VA reviews transfers from the last 3 years and can set a penalty period - roughly one month of ineligibility for about every $2,874 transferred. Talk it through before you move any assets.
Why pension claims stall or get denied
The benefit is real, but the paperwork is unforgiving. These are the reasons good claims come back denied - and every one of them is avoidable.
Net worth over the limit
Assets plus annual income top the $163,699 ceiling. Note what does NOT count - your home, your vehicle, and normal household goods.
Gifting inside the 3-year look-back
Money or property transferred for less than fair value in the last 3 years can trigger a penalty period that delays payments.
No qualifying wartime service on file
The VA cannot find the required active duty (90+ days, or 24 months if the veteran entered service on or after September 8, 1980) with at least one day in a recognized wartime period. The DD-214 has to show it.
Care costs never documented
The single biggest miss: income looks too high because nobody subtracted the out-of-pocket aide, assisted-living, or insurance costs that lower it.
Aid & Attendance claimed with no exam
Asking for the higher rate without a physician’s statement (VA Form 21-2680) that spells out the daily help you need.
Your complete benefit picture
$29,093/yr
the most the VA pays a single veteran with Aid & Attendance - paid on top of the base pension, before you even count the health, housing, and survivor benefits below.
Two ways to move forward — both free
Not sure if this applies to you?
Ask our free assistant a few plain questions and get an honest read on what you and your family may qualify for, at no cost. It takes just a few minutes, and there is no sign-up and no obligation of any kind. You will get a clear, plain-language picture of where you stand and what might be worth filing. And if you would rather talk to a real person, an accredited agent is only a message away.
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Do not miss this
The money test is where good claims get denied
Aid & Attendance rides on top of the need-based VA pension, so before the VA ever weighs your medical need your household has to pass a net-worth test. This is where deserving claims fall apart.
The limit is $163,699 (assets plus yearly income). Your home and car do not count, and unreimbursed care costs above 5% of the MAPR are subtracted from your income - which is why someone with a modest income but heavy care bills can still qualify.
3-year look-back
The VA reviews assets you gave away in the 36 months before filing. A well-meaning transfer to a child can trigger a penalty period.
Do not "spend down" alone
Gifting money to qualify can backfire into years with no benefits. Ask before you move a single dollar.
A clear path forward
Your step-by-step action plan
No rush and no pressure - but a little order helps. Applying is always free.
FIG. 01 - Gather your paperwork
First
Confirm the base pension
Make sure you meet the pension rules - qualifying wartime service, plus age 65+ or a permanent disability, and the income and net-worth test.
FIG. 02 - Fill out the form
The key step
Get VA Form 21-2680 completed
Have your doctor fill out the Examination for Housebound Status or Aid & Attendance in detail - this form is the heart of the claim.
FIG. 03 - File the claim
Before you file
Gather proof of care costs
Collect nursing-home, assisted-living, or in-home aide statements. They prove your need and lower your countable income.
FIG. 04 - After you file
File it
Submit everything together
File Form 21-2680 with the pension application (21P-527EZ) online at va.gov, by mail, or with free accredited help.
Who to call & where to go
These are free, official VA lines. Have your Social Security number handy when you call.
VA Benefits Hotline
Compensation, pension, and general claim questions.
MyVA411 - Main VA Line
Not sure who to call? Start here. One number for anything VA - they route you to the right office.
Rather have us handle it?
No phone tag, no hold music. Call our office and a real, VA-accredited person walks you through it - start to finish.
702-992-4883Download the forms
Not sure where to start?
Add Aid & Attendance to a pension claim with a physician's statement (VA Form 21-2680) describing the care you need.
More benefits for veterans
These often go hand in hand - tap any card to learn more.
Free information — get a free benefit review
Tell us how to reach you and an accredited team member will help you understand this benefit and claim everything you have earned. No cost, no obligation.
Ready to hire us? Register with us
For veterans who’ve decided they want us on their claim — registering is free too, and it does not make you our client or obligate you to anything. Here is exactly how it works:
- You register. This simply starts the conversation — you are not our client yet, and you owe us nothing.
- You sign and return VA Form 21-22a. It appoints us as your accredited representative and gives us access to your VA file.
- Once we have your signed 21-22a and access to your case, we verify everything is in order.
It involves the registration form and signing VA Form 21-22a — by law we can’t accept your claim, work on it, or contact the VA for you until that power of attorney is signed. You decide whether to move forward.
Answers, in plain language
Common questions about Aid & Attendance / Housebound
What is Aid & Attendance / Housebound?
An increased monthly pension for those who need help with daily activities, live in a care facility, or are largely confined to home. If getting through the day is harder than it used to be - and you are paying for help, or a loved one is giving it for free - this benefit was built for exactly that. It adds money on top of a VA pension to help cover the care you need.
Who qualifies for Aid & Attendance / Housebound?
You must first qualify for a VA pension. Then a doctor must confirm that you need the help of another person, are bedridden, live in a nursing home, or have very limited eyesight. Housebound is a smaller add-on for veterans who are largely confined to their home. You cannot receive Housebound and Aid and Attendance at the same time.
How much does Aid & Attendance / Housebound pay?
These are the most the VA will pay per year - the Maximum Annual Pension Rate, or MAPR. Your actual check is this figure minus your countable income, so what you receive depends on your situation. $29,093/yr (Veteran with Aid & Attendance); $34,488/yr (Veteran + one dependent); $21,313/yr (Housebound, single veteran) A surviving spouse's pension can also be increased with Aid & Attendance.
How do I apply for Aid & Attendance / Housebound?
Add Aid & Attendance to a pension claim with a physician's statement (VA Form 21-2680) describing the care you need.
Why do Aid & Attendance / Housebound claims get denied, and how do I avoid it?
Most Aid & Attendance denials are not because the veteran did not deserve it - they are because of a fixable paperwork or eligibility problem. Here are the ones we see most, and how to stay out of the ditch: The doctor's exam form (21-2680) is vague. The VA needs specifics: which daily activities you cannot do alone, how well you walk and balance, whether you can manage your own money, and how often you can leave home. Ask your provider to spell out the details, not just the diagnosis. Net worth is over the limit. Add up assets and income before you file.
What does it cost to get help with Aid & Attendance / Housebound, and are you VA-accredited?
It is free to talk with us, and no one may charge you to file a first-time VA claim. The Aging Veteran is led by Albert L. Thombs Jr., a VA-accredited claims agent (accreditation #45147) and disabled veteran; any appeal work is handled on a no-fee-unless-you-win basis. We are an independent accredited practice and are not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
