The VA Aid and Attendance benefit helps senior veterans and surviving spouses pay for the care they need. Here is how it works in 2026.
What the Aid and Attendance benefit covers
The Aid and Attendance benefit is paid as cash on top of the VA's basic pension, so recipients decide how to use it. It commonly helps cover in-home caregivers, assisted living fees, memory care, medical supplies, and other out-of-pocket health costs. Because it is tax-free pension money rather than a reimbursement, there are no receipts to submit for how it is spent. The goal is simple: give veterans and survivors who need daily help the financial support to receive that care with dignity. To see how the benefit fits your situation, call 1-800-MEDIGAP.
Who can receive the benefit
Aid and Attendance is available to wartime veterans and their surviving spouses who first qualify for the VA pension. You must show a care need, such as requiring help with bathing, dressing, eating, or medication management, being housebound, or living in a care facility. You must also meet the VA's income and net-worth limits. Many seniors who assume they earn too much actually qualify once high medical and care costs are subtracted from their income. A licensed advisor at 1-800-MEDIGAP can help you find out.
How to claim the benefit
To claim Aid and Attendance, file VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance) along with your pension application and supporting service, financial, and medical records. Accuracy matters, because errors and missing documents are the most common reasons claims stall. A VA-accredited representative can file on your behalf. For a no-pressure walkthrough of the paperwork and your options, call 1-800-MEDIGAP, the trusted toll-free for all things senior in America.