Ohio Veterans — Benefits from Little-known Pension can Help Pay for Long-term Care Needs

May 24th, 2011
Ohio veterans, benefits from the Aid & Attendance pension for war veterans can help pay for in-home care, assisted living or a nursing home. As a lawyer focusing on estate planning, I find that few veterans are aware of these VA benefits and don’t understand how to qualify for them. Depending on your assets and income, veterans can qualify for up to $1,949 a month to pay for long-term care services. This huge potential for income can greatly benefit veterans who have long-term care needs. Lawyers in estate planning, such as myself, can help veterans qualify for these VA benefits so they can take advantage of this income they are entitled to.

Qualifying Ohio Veterans for Benefits from Aid & Attendance Pension

In order to qualify for Aid & Attendance VA benefits, an Ohio veteran must meet several criteria:
  • Not discharged from service under a dishonorable discharge
  • Served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a period of war
  • Permanently or totally disabled, or age 65 or older
  • Countable family income is below a yearly limit set by law
  • Meets certain net worth requirements
All these criteria must be met to qualify Ohio veterans for benefits under this pension. Many veterans mistakenly believe they don’t qualify for aid and attendance payments because of the income and net worth requirements. What they often fail to realize is that medical expenses can be used to significantly reduce or even “zero out” their income to meet the income requirements. This includes medication costs and even the in-home care or assisted living costs you intend to pay for with the aid and attendance payments. For many veterans it’s also possible to qualify under the net worth requirements through the use of several estate planning strategies. So, if you’re a veteran needing long-term care, including assisted living or a nursing home, a lawyer in estate planning can help you put your assets in order to avoid denial of your application. For many veterans it’s also possible to qualify under the net worth requirements through the use of several estate planning strategies. So, if you’re a veteran needing assisted living or other long-term care, an estate planning lawyer can help you put your assets in order to avoid denial of your application. For more information or to schedule an appointment to see whether you qualify, call my office and mention “Ohio Veterans’ Benefits for Aid & Attendance”: 937-898-5583. We also have a full-length article on these benefits in the Free Resources section of our website.