Great News- A&A Pension Approved AND First Check Sent AND Retroactive Money Sent

[nikiatl]

My sweet dad, who is in a nursing home suffering from Parkinson's Stage V, last week not only received notification of his pension being approved but within three days received 24 months of retroactive payments and within a week the first monthly check was in the mailbox!
 
My mom and I have been working on my dad's A&A for two years. Since I had not yet discovered this wonderful forum, I mistakenly applied too early for A&A in anticipation of inevitable care that would be required for him; first in-home aides and then a nursing home. After the initial application, he was accepted into the program based on his disability but denied the pension since he wasn't spending enough on healthcare yet. A year later, and many in-home caregivers later, he went to a nursing home and after he was there for one month we re-applied for the benefit. Plenty of paperwork, questions, and phone calls were made along the way but exactly one year after the second try, his claim was approved. I'd like to also mention that once my dad's congressman made a call to the VA, the approval letter was in the mail less than a week later.

This monthly money takes so much pressure off my mom and allows my dad to stay in the environment he is familiar with, surrounded by wonderful caregivers. Thanks for this awesome forum and website. So many of my questions were researched and answered here. My recommendation for anyone going through this process is to have lots of patience and know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I just wish I could say that about Parkinsons Disease and pray one day in the near future there will be a cure.

[swainlaw]

Congratulations on working your way through the system.

What the VA will not tell you is family members other than the spouse could have been paid to provide care for him in his home.  These payments would have increased his medical expenses.  The payments could have covered, transportation to doctors, overseeing his healthcare, hiring additional care providers, sitters and others to assist with his needs, cooking, cleaning, and assistance for your mother.

This could have qualified him for these benefits many months earlier.

[temtbv]

Sorry!  But I do not know how to post a new message? Did not see anything to click to do this?  Not that good with computers.  PLEASE help with my question or refer.  After going through HELL with the VA ( MOst humilitiating effort in my 67 years) my 89 years old dying mother got one check for $1,054.  What is the thing about reteoactive?  VA never even ACKNOWLEDGED they were EVEN  sending a check? Are these people sick and sadistic that work for the VA.  Please Respond. Just found this site.  Sure wish I had known about it a year ago.  Thanks. Tom V.  her SON and only child.

[vetadmin]

Can you explain further if your mom is still living (your reference to dying) and if the VA ruled that she was mentally incompetent, then the accrued amount will be held until you go through the Fiduciary process, which can take several months.

We also wish you had found us sooner, but at least you are here now.