Aid and Attendance

[gayle]

Could some one tell me if the aid and attendance is a seperate check form the pension check.
My husband is a veteran of the vietnam war. He is 61 years old and is drawing  disability social security due to a back injury. Two years ago this month he had a stroke that has left him 100% disabled. He had never applied for a pension or anything with the veterans. I found this web site and decided it was time to apply. Two years ago I had to quite my job so that I can be his caregiver. Now can you tell me if the disability pension that the VA rep. told us that he qualifies for minus his social security and medical expenses is all that he will receive. She said he difinatly qualified for A&A the way that she saw it, but that would be the amount that we would receive. She said the way she saw it he would receive around 700.00 and she called it pension plus A&A. I thought A&A was a seperate check to pay for his care. Thank you for this web site.
Gayle

[swainlaw]

VA Pension is sepate from military service connected disability.  However, the claimant cannot receive both, they can only receive the greater benefit.  It will have no impact on social security disability payments.

The problem will be establishing enough medical expenses to offset any countable income.  They will count all of both of your incomes, including SS disability, reduce the income by unreimbursed medical that are recurring each month.  The result will be income for VA purposes (IVAP).  The pension is reduced by the amount of IVAP.  If IVAP is negative it is counted as zero.

Example:  Maximum pension for married couple is $1,949 if IVAP is $1,249 the claimant would qualify for $700 of Pension with A&A. 

If you had more medical expenses you could increase the pension amount.  For example, if your children are helping to care for your husband, they could be paid to provide this care.  This would allow you to increase the Pension payments up to the maximum amount.