Menu
Ohio Veterans’ Benefits: Qualifications for Aid & Attendance
June 15th, 2012
Ohio veterans’ benefits from the Aid & Attendance pension can help pay for in-home care, assisted living or a nursing home. Get the assistance of an Ohio elder law attorney to qualify for these little-used VA benefits.
Depending on their long-term care needs, assets and income, some veterans can qualify for up to $2,019 a month to pay for long-term care services through the Aid & Attendance pension program for wartime veterans. The federal government recently increased benefit rates for the veterans’ pension program and the Aid & Attendance benefit, even though it can increase a vet’s pension by almost $700 per month, is not taken advantage of by many veterans who qualify for it. This substantial income source can be of huge benefit to many veterans who need to assisted living or nursing home facilities to meet their long-term care needs.
How to Qualify for Aid & Attendance Ohio Veterans Benefits
An Ohio veteran must meet the following criteria to be eligible for Aid & Attendance VA benefits:
- The veteran cannot have a dishonorable discharge
- The veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty and at least one of those days must have been during a period of war
- The veteran must be permanently or totally disabled, blind, and/or age 65 or older
- The veteran cannot have assets totaling more than $50,000 (or $80,000 if married), not including the veteran’s primary home, car and personal belongings — this is a general figure, actual limits may vary depending on circumstances
- The veteran’s monthly medical and long-term care expenses must exceed or come close to exceeding his or her monthly income
A veteran who initially thinks he or she doesn’t qualify for Aid & Attendance payments because they appear to have too much income or too many assets should not abandon this opportunity without first talking to an Ohio elder law attorney. An experienced attorney can often help veterans identify additional medical expenses that can significantly reduce or even “zero out” their income.
Likewise, an attorney may be able to help a veteran manage their assets so that they can qualify for Ohio veterans’ benefits. Several estate planning strategies can transfer assets out of the veteran’s ownership while still keeping them within the estate that will be passed on to the veteran’s heirs. This will enable them to qualify for Aid & Attendance VA benefits without actually giving away all their hard-earned assets.
In Ohio, our elder law attorney’s office can help veterans qualify for Aid & Attendance VA benefits and develop an estate plan that preserves their assets. For a free consultation regarding Ohio Veterans’ Benefits for Aid & Attendance, call my Ohio elder law attorney’s office at 937-898-5583.
We also have a full-length article on Ohio veterans’ benefits in the Free Resources section of our website.
Tags: Aid & Attendance