Veterans Aid and Benefits

October 19, 2018

Veterans of the United States armed forces may be eligible for a broad range of programs and services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In addition, their dependents and survivors may also be eligible for veterans benefits.

There are currently over 25 million veterans living today and about a quarter of the nation’s population — approximately 70 million people — are potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans. The Department of Veteran Affairs, State and local government agencies offer these veterans, and their families, services ranging from health care to education.

Who Is Eligible?

To receive care, most veterans must be enrolled in the VA health system. Eligibility for the health system depends on a number of factors, including the nature of your discharge from military service, your length of service, whether you have service-connected disabilities, your income level, and available VA resources, among others.
To be eligible, you must not have been dishonorably discharged from the military. Your length of service may also be important. Former enlisted persons who started active duty before September 8, 1980, and former officers who first entered active duty before October 17, 1981, do not have a length-of-service requirement. Otherwise, you must have 24 months of continuous active duty military service, though there are several exceptions for reservists, national guard members, service-connected disabilities, and hardship discharges, among others.
Certain veterans do not need to be enrolled in the VA health system to receive benefits if: you are 50 percent or more disabled from a service-connected disability, you are seeking care for a VA rated service-connected disability, or it has been less than one year since you were discharged for a disability that the military determined was caused or aggravated by your service, but the VA has not yet rated the disability.

Things You Will Need In Order To Obtain Veteran Benefits

Military service discharge papers (DD-214 or form WD)
Copies of marriage/death certificate (surviving spouses only)
Current Social Security Award letter
Physical exam detailing current medical issues or Assisted Living/Nursing Home Status Statement
Net worth information including bank accounts/investments
Out-of-pocket expense list for medications, insurance premiums, and other expenditures.

Preparing To File

Make sure you qualify. Wartime veterans must have served on active duty at least 90 days. One of those days must also be recorded during a time of war. Discharge received may not be dishonorable in nature. Those who went on active duty on or after September 8, 1980, (October 16, 1981, for officers) are required to have completed at least 24 continuous months of service or the period of time ordered to be served. Assistance of others in meeting daily needs is also a requirement for eligibility.
Gather necessary personal documents such as bank statements, Social Security Award letter (received at the start of the year stating how much you will receive in payments for the year) and proof of income with net worth statements. Surviving spouses will need copies of marriage and death certificates.
Provide a certified copy of the court order for appointed guardians of veterans or surviving spouses with the information package.
Obtain all necessary medical information, including past treatment history and a list of all doctors and hospitals used within the previous year. You’ll also need your physician’s statement detailing current diagnosis, prognosis and ability to care for self. Veterans and surviving spouses who are in nursing homes may use the Nursing Home Status Statement as certification of medical status. The form is available from the facility’s administrator.

Filing Process

Complete VA Form 21-526 and/or VA Form 21-534 for Special Pension benefits with Aid & Attendance. Both forms are available for download from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Make copies of all documents and forms that will be sent as part of your application package. The military often loses paperwork; don’t expect the VA to be much better considering the amount of correspondence such government agencies deal with on a daily basis.

Send the application package including all documents and forms to the VA regional office designated for your state.

Tips

The Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits are not reserved only for veterans or their spouses that are residing in an Assisted Living Facility or a Nursing Home but for the ones living at home with in house care as well.

Eligibility is determined according to the inability to care for one’s self and financial limitation. The veteran/spouse must have less than $80,000 in assets, not including home and vehicles.

Be prepared to wait four to six months or even longer to be approved for this benefit. It is not a fast process; however, payments will be retroactive to the date the application was received by the VA.

Do it yourself or use a Veteran Benefits Consultant

How To Obtain A Copy Of Your Military Records

A military veteran or next of kin( surviving spouse that has not remarried, father, mother, son, daughter, sister or brother) of a deceased military veteran can obtain a copy of military records by accessing The National Archives here

War Time Periods

World War II: Dec. 7, 1941 – Dec. 31, 1946. Extended to July 25, 1947 if the Veteran was in service on December 31, 1946. Continuous service before July 26, 1947 is considered World War II service
Korean War: June 27, 1950 – January 31, 1955
Vietnam War: August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975 and from February 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975 in the case of a veteran who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period
Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990 – yet to be determined
Serving in the National Guard does NOT count as Military Service unless under Title 32

Veterans Pension And Aid and Attendance Rates

Effective Dec.1, 2011 the Veterans maximum pension and pension with aid and attendance benefits, has increased:

Veteran: Pension $1021, Pension with Aid and Attendance Benefits $1703
Veteran with one Dependent: Pension $1337, Pension with Aid and Attendance Benefits $2019
Widow of a Veteran: Pension $684, Pension with Aid and Attendance Benefits $1094
Widow of a Veteran with one Dependent: Pension $896, Pension with Aid and Attendance Benefits $1306
Veteran Permanently Housebound: Pension $1248
Veteran Permanently Housebound with one Dependent: Pension $1564
Widow Permanently Housebound: Pension $837
Widow Permanently Housebound with one Dependent: Pension $1048
Benefits are retroactive to the first of the month the claim for benefits has been filed.

VA Regional Office By State

STATE	VA REGIONAL OFFICE
ALABAMA	Montgomery Regional Office 345 Perry Hill Rd. Montgomery, AL 36109 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: (334) 213-3461
ALASKA	Anchorage Regional Office 2925 DeBarr Road Anchorage, AK 99508-2989 Phone: 1 800 827 1000
ARIZONA	Phoenix Regional Office 3333 North Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85012 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter Western Area Office 3333 North Central Avenue, Suite 3026 Phoenix, AZ 85012-2402 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
ARKANSAS	North Little Rock Regional Office 2200 Fort Roots Drive, Building 65 North Little Rock, AR 72114-1756 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
CALIFORNIA	Los Angeles Regional Office Federal Building, 11000 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90024 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Oakland Regional Office 1301 Clay Street, Rm. 1300 North Oakland, CA 94612 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: (510) 637-6111 Website: Enter San Diego Regional Office 8810 Rio San Diego Drive San Diego, CA 92108 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
COLORADO	Denver Regional Office 155 Van Gordon St. Lakewood, CO 80228 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
CONNECTICUT	Hartford Regional Office 555 Willard Avenue Newington, CT 06111 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter
DELAWARE	Wilmington Regional Office 1601 Kirkwood Highway Wilmington, DE 19805 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	Washington D.C. Regional Office 1722 I Street N.W. Washington D.C., DC 20421 Phone: 1 800 827 1000
FLORIDA	St. Petersburg Regional Office 9500 Bay Pines Boulevard St. Petersburg, FL 33708 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1437 St. Petersburg , FL 33731 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter
GEORGIA	Atlanta Regional Office 1700 Clairmont Road Decatur, GA 30033 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 100026 Decatur , GA 30031-7021 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
GUAM	Department of Military Affairs Government of Guam P.O. Box 5178 Hagatna, GU 96932 (671) 642-4114 (671) 642-4111 fax
HAWAII	Honolulu Regional Office 459 Patterson Road, E-Wing Honolulu, HI 96819-1522 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: 808-433-0478 Website: Enter
IDAHO	Boise Regional Office 805 W. Franklin Street Boise, ID 83702
ILLINOIS	Chicago Regional Office 2122 W Taylor Street Chicago, IL 60612 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
INDIANA	Indianapolis Regional Office 575 N Pennsylvania St. Indianapolis, IN 46204 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
IOWA	Des Moines VA Regional Office 210 Walnut Street Des Moines, IA 50309 Phone: 1 (800) 827-1000 Fax: (515)323-7407
KANSAS	Wichita Regional Office 5500 E. Kellogg Wichita, KS 67211 Phone: 1 800 827 1000 Website: Enter
KENTUCKY	Louisville Regional Office 321 West Main Street, Suite 390 Louisville, KY 40202 Website: Enter
LOUSIANA	New Orleans Regional Office 701 Loyola Avenue New Orleans, LA 70113 Mailing Address: 671 A Whitney Avenue Gretna , LA 70056 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
MAINE	Togus VA Medical/Regional Office Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter
MARYLAND	Baltimore Regional Office 31 Hopkins Plaza Baltimore, MD 21201 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
MASSACHUSETTS	Boston VA Regional Office JFK Federal Building Boston, MA 02203 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
MICHIGAN	Detroit Regional Office Patrick V. McNamara Federal Bldg., 477 Michigan Ave. Detroit, MI 48226 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter Eastern Area Office 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 303 Ann Arbor , MI 48105 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
MINNESOTA	St. Paul Regional Office 1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling St. Paul, MN 55111-4050 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: (612) 970-5415
MISSISSIPPI	Jackson Regional Office 1600 E. Woodrow Wilson Avenue Jackson, MS 39216 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
MISSOURI	St. Louis Regional Office 400 South, 18th Street St. Louis, MO 63103 Phone: 1 (800) 827 1000
MONTANA	Fort Harrison Medical and Regional Office William Street off Highway Fort Harrison, MT 59636 Mailing Address: 3633 Veterans Drive, PO Box 188 Fort Harrison , MT 59636 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
NEBRASKA	Lincoln Regional Office 5631 South 48th Street Lincoln, NE 68516 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
NEVADA	Reno Regional Office 5460 Reno Corporate Drive, Reno, NV 89511
NEW HAMPSHIRE	Manchester Regional Office Norris Cotton Federal Bldg., 275 Chestnut St. Manchester, NH 03101 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter
NEW JERSEY	Newark Regional Office 20 Washington Place Newark, New Jersey 07102 Phone 1 800 827 1000
NEW MEXICO	Albuquerque Regional Office 500 Gold Avenue, S.W., Albuquerque, NM 87102 Phone: 1 800 827 1000 Website: Enter
NEW YORK	Buffalo Regional Office 130 S. Elmwood Avenue Buffalo, NY 14202-2478 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: 716-857-3396 Website: Enter New York Regional Office 245 W Houston St. New York, NY 10014 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: 1-(212)-807-4024 Website: Enter
NORTH CAROLINA	Winston-Salem Regional Office Federal Building, 251N. Main Street Winston-Salem, NC 27155 Phone: 1 800 827 1000
NORTH DAKOTA	Fargo Regional Office 2101 Elm Street Fargo, ND 58102-2417 Phone: 701-451-4600 Fax: 701-451-4690
OHIO	Cleveland Regional Office A.J. Celebrezze Federal Building, 1240 East 9th Street Cleveland, OH 44199 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter
OKLAHOMA	Muskogee Regional Office 125 South Main Street Muskogee, OK 74401 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: 918 781-7509 Website: Enter Central Area Office Federal Building, 125 South Main Street Muskogee, OK 74401-7025 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
OREGON	Portland Regional Office 1220 SW 3rd Avenue Portland, OR 97204 Phone: 800-827-1000
PENNSYLVANIA	Philadelphia Regional Office and Insurance Center 5000 Wissahickon Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19101 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Pittsburgh Regional Office 1000 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
PUERTO RICO	San Juan Regional Office 150 Carlos Chardon Avenue Hato Rey, PR 00918 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: (787) 772-7458
RHODE ISLAND	Providence Regional Office 380 Westminster Street Providence, RI 02903 Phone: 1 800 827 1000
SOUTH CAROLINA	Columbia Regional Office 1801 Assembly Street Columbia, SC 29201 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
SOUTH DAKOTA	Sioux Falls Regional Office 2501 W 22nd St. Sioux Falls, SD 57117 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: 605-333-5316
TENNESSEE	Nashville Regional Office 110 9th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter Southern Area Office 3322 West End, Suite 408 Nashville, TN 37203 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
TEXAS	Houston Regional Office 6900 Almeda Road Houston, TX 77030 Phone: 1 800 827 1000 Waco Regional Office 1 Veterans Plaza, 701 Clay Av. Waco, TX 76799
UTAH	Salt Lake City Regional Office 550 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84158 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
VERMONT	White River Junction Regional Office 215 North Main Street White River Junction, VT 05009 Phone: 1-800-827-1000
VIRGIN ISLANDS	Office of Veterans Affairs 1013 Estate Richmond Christiansted, St. Croix Virgin Islands 00820 Phone: 1-340-773-6663Fax: 1-340-692-9563
VIRGINIA	Roanoke Regional Office 210 Franklin Rd. SW Roanoke, VA 24011 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Website: Enter
WASHINGTON	Seattle Regional Office 915 2nd Avenue Seattle, WA 98174 Phone: 1 800 827 1000
WEST VIRGINIA	Huntington Regional Office 640 Forth Avenue Huntington, WV 25701 Phone: 1-800-827-1000 Fax: 1-304-399-9355
WISCONSIN	Milwaukee Regional Office 5400 West National Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53214 Phone: 1 800 827 1000
WYOMING	Cheyenne VA Medical / Regional Office Center 2360 E. Pershing Blvd. Cheyenne, WY 82001 Phone: 1-800-827-1000

By jordypantoja

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