An Arkansas wartime veteran with a spouse who needs daily help with bathing or dressing can receive a VA pension of up to $34,488 a year through VA Aid and Attendance. That ceiling covers the whole pension from December 2025 through November 2026, and VA pays it minus your countable income.

In This Guide

What Is Aid and Attendance?

Aid and Attendance (A&A) is an enhanced VA pension benefit for wartime veterans and their surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities. It isn't a separate program. Qualifying for it raises the Maximum Annual Pension Rate the VA uses to calculate your pension, so the rates below are ceilings on the whole pension, not a separate check on top of a basic one.,

This guide covers the pension route, which is the one most Arkansas families ask about. VA describes Aid and Attendance as a benefit "that will be added to your monthly compensation or pension benefits," so a veteran who receives VA disability compensation rather than a pension can also pursue it.

You may qualify if you need help with daily activities such as:

  • Bathing or showering
  • Dressing and undressing
  • Feeding yourself
  • Using the toilet
  • Adjusting a special prosthetic or orthopedic appliance you can't adjust without help because of your disability
  • Protecting yourself from everyday hazards

You can also qualify if you're bedridden, spend a large part of the day in bed because of illness, live in a nursing home because of a loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability, or have severely limited eyesight (5/200 or less in both eyes even with glasses or contact lenses, or a visual field narrowed to 5 degrees or less).

VA pays it as part of your monthly pension, to help cover the cost of care at home, in assisted living, or in a nursing home.,

Not sure whether your parent qualifies for Aid and Attendance? Check with Brevy's care navigator at brevy.com.

Do You Qualify?

The veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge. Beyond that baseline, you have to meet all four of these requirements.

1. Wartime service. How much service is required depends on when the veteran started active duty, not on which war they served in. VA lists three paths. A veteran who started active duty before September 8, 1980 must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period. A veteran who started active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980 generally needs at least 24 months, or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), again with at least one day during wartime. A veteran who started active duty as an officer after October 16, 1981 and had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months follows a third path. Qualifying periods include World War II, the Korean conflict, the Vietnam War era, and the Gulf War, which began August 2, 1990, and is still open.

2. Age or disability, or a nursing home stay, or SSDI/SSI. VA lists four alternatives here, and meeting any one of them satisfies the test: the veteran is at least 65 years old; has a permanent and total disability; is a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability; or is getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. The nursing-home and SSDI/SSI branches stand on their own, so a wartime veteran under 65 who receives SSI qualifies without any adjudicated permanent-and-total rating.

3. Need for assistance. The veteran or surviving spouse must need regular help with daily activities, be bedridden, be in a nursing home, or have severely limited eyesight as described above.

4. Net worth under $163,699. This is the 2026 limit. The calculation combines the claimant's and dependents' assets and income for VA purposes. Your primary residence, your car, and basic home items don't count as assets.

Surviving spouses qualify too. If the veteran has passed away and the surviving spouse needs help with daily activities, they can apply for the Survivors Pension with Aid and Attendance, which has a maximum annual rate of $18,697 for a surviving spouse with no dependents (December 2025 through November 2026).

2026 Aid and Attendance Rates

The VA calculates your payment as the difference between your countable income and the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) for your category. The less countable income you have, the closer your payment comes to the full rate. VA publishes the MAPRs as annual amounts. The monthly payment is the annual rate minus your countable income, divided by 12 and rounded down to the whole dollar. These rates are federal, so they're the same in Arkansas as anywhere else.

Category Maximum Annual Rate
Veteran, no dependents, with A&A $29,093
Veteran with one dependent (such as a spouse), with A&A $34,488
Two veterans married to each other, both with A&A $46,143
Surviving spouse, no dependents, with A&A $18,697
Veteran, no dependents, Housebound $21,313
Veteran, no dependents, basic pension $17,441
Each additional dependent +$2,984 a year

Here's how the math works. If a veteran with a spouse has $12,000 in annual countable income and qualifies for A&A, the VA pays the difference: $34,488 minus $12,000 leaves $22,488 a year. VA pays that in monthly installments. Unreimbursed medical expenses, including what you pay for care, can reduce your countable income and so raise your benefit, but only the part above 5% of your maximum rate counts: VA sets that threshold at $1,141 a year for a veteran with one dependent and $872 for a veteran with no dependents.

The Net Worth Limit and 3-Year Lookback

The 2026 net worth limit is $163,699. VA's calculation combines the claimant's and their dependents' assets (savings, investments, and property other than the home you live in) with their annual income, so comparing savings alone against the limit gives you the wrong answer.

What counts: bank accounts, stocks, bonds, investment property, IRAs, and other financial assets, plus your annual income.

What doesn't count as an asset: your primary residence, your car, and basic home items.

That house may be worth something on the tax side, too. Arkansas exempts a qualifying disabled veteran from payment of all state taxes on the homestead, on a track entirely separate from the VA pension you are applying for here. Our guide to the Arkansas disabled veteran property tax exemption covers who can claim it and how to file with your county collector.

The 3-Year Lookback Rule

The VA reviews any assets you transferred for less than fair market value in the 36 months before VA receives your claim. If you gave away or sold an asset below market value during that window, and keeping it would have put your net worth over the limit, the VA will assess a penalty period of up to five years during which you won't receive pension benefits., Putting money into an annuity, a trust, or another investment that lowers your net worth also counts as a transfer for less than fair market value, unless you can cash out the whole balance for your own use, in which case VA counts it as net worth.

If you're thinking about moving assets, talk to a VA-accredited attorney or an elder law attorney first; the penalty can be steep.

How to Apply for VA Aid and Attendance in Arkansas

These steps are the pension route, the one VA describes for a veteran who gets (or is applying for) a VA pension. It takes a medical exam and a benefit application, and you can protect your filing date before either is ready.

1
Step 1

File an intent to file, if you're still gathering paperwork

Submit VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) first. VA says submitting an intent to file "can secure the earliest possible effective date for any retroactive payments you may be eligible to receive," so it buys you time to collect records without losing months of back pay.

2
Step 2

Get a medical examination

A medical examiner fills out the examination information section of VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance), documenting which daily activities you need help with and why. VA uses this form for Aid and Attendance "that will be added to your monthly compensation or pension benefits," so it applies on the compensation route as well as the pension route. Be thorough. The more detail about specific limitations, the stronger the claim.

3
Step 3

Complete the pension application

A wartime veteran going the pension route who is not already receiving VA pension submits VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension), the wartime, means-tested pension application. It covers your service history, income, net worth, and medical conditions. A veteran who receives VA disability compensation rather than a pension does not use this form; for them, Aid and Attendance is added to the monthly compensation instead.

4
Step 4

Submit everything

You can apply online at VA.gov, by mail to the VA Pension Intake Center, or in person at a VA regional office. An accredited attorney, accredited claims agent, or accredited Veterans Service Organization representative, such as your county veterans service officer, can also help you file.

5
Step 5

Wait for a decision

Asked how long a decision takes, VA's answer is "It depends." It processes claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. A complete application with strong medical documentation gives the VA less to follow up on.

Documents to Gather First

  • DD-214 (discharge papers) showing wartime service dates
  • Medical records documenting the need for daily help
  • Income documentation (Social Security and pension statements)
  • Asset information (bank and investment statements)
  • Marriage certificate, if claiming as a veteran with a spouse
  • Death certificate, if applying as a surviving spouse

Free Help in Arkansas: ADVA and County Veterans Service Officers

You don't have to file this claim alone, and you should never pay to file an initial VA claim. Free, accredited help is available across Arkansas.

The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA)

The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, known as ADVA, was formed in 1923 with a mission to connect Arkansas veterans and their eligible dependents to the state and federal benefits they earned, and it carries that mission on through a statewide network of district and county veterans service officers. Those officers are ADVA employees who must meet state employment qualifications and federal accreditation standards, including accreditation through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by way of a recognized veterans service organization. Their responsibilities include helping veterans and their families apply for federal and state benefits, managing claims for compensation and pensions, and representing veterans in appeals and hearings. VA says the services an accredited veterans service organization representative provides on a VA benefit claim are always free, while an accredited attorney or claims agent may charge fees.

ADVA also operates two state veterans homes: the Arkansas State Veterans Home at North Little Rock and the Arkansas State Veterans Home at Fayetteville. The services ADVA lists for the homes include RN, LPN, and CNA skilled care around the clock, an on-site medical director, hospice care, physical and occupational and speech therapy, daily activities coordinated by a certified activities director, and a licensed clinical social worker. Veterans, veterans' spouses, and Gold Star parents may apply; ADVA's criteria for admission are an honorable discharge and a medical need for nursing home placement. For a veteran weighing assisted living or nursing care, an A&A award can help cover costs whether they stay at home or move into one of these homes.

County Veterans Service Officers

A county veterans service officer can help you apply, manage the claim, and represent you in an appeal or a hearing, and VA says an accredited representative's services on a benefit claim are always free. These officers are accredited representatives, which is what lets them work directly with the VA on your behalf. District veterans service officers sit behind them; their primary job is to provide direct support to the county officers. Because they handle pension and Aid and Attendance claims regularly, they know what evidence the VA looks for and how to document a strong case.

Each Arkansas county maintains its own veterans service officer, and the county office's main job is advising you and helping you prepare the forms and gather the supporting evidence they need. Reaching out early, before a care crisis forces the issue, gives the officer time to gather records and file a complete claim the first time.

Arkansas's Veteran Population

A veteran-cohort table on VA's open data portal puts Arkansas at 199,871 veterans in 2024, down from 201,272 in 2023 and 207,308 in 2022, with 92,949 of them (46.5 percent) age 65 and over, slightly above the national share of 45.6 percent. These are VA's modelled population estimates, not head counts, and other publishers give different totals: the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey estimate is 173,377. Different publishers use different methods, so don't average them. With nearly half of Arkansas veterans 65 or older, many families have a reason to look at Aid and Attendance, which is why it's worth checking eligibility even if you assume your income or savings might be too high.

A word of caution: be wary of companies that charge fees to help with VA claims. VA says an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge fees, but an accredited veterans service organization representative's help on a claim is always free, and ADVA and county veterans service offices provide their services without charge and without requiring membership in any group.

How VA Aid and Attendance Works with Arkansas Medicaid

Aid and Attendance and Arkansas Medicaid are run separately, by different agencies and under different rules. A veteran can receive both at the same time, but the two count money differently, so a few points are worth understanding.

  • Arkansas Medicaid long-term care is administered by DHS. The Arkansas Department of Human Services, through its Division of Medical Services, runs Arkansas Medicaid and its long-term services and supports for seniors who need nursing home or home- and community-based care.
  • Arkansas is an income-cap state. For long-term-care Medicaid, applicants whose income is over the limit may still qualify by using a qualified income trust, also called a Miller trust. Confirm the current income limit with Arkansas DHS.
  • The two programs do different jobs. A&A comes to you as part of your monthly VA pension, while Medicaid pays for covered care itself, such as nursing-facility services.,
  • How VA pension is counted for eligibility. Under the general federal rule for Supplemental Security Income (SSI)-related Medicaid, the basic VA pension counts as income, while the Aid and Attendance and housebound portions paid to cover care are generally treated as unreimbursed medical expenses and excluded from countable income.
  • Arkansas keeps full-rate A&A out of the nursing-home bill. Federal post-eligibility rules say income disregarded at eligibility must be considered afterward, but Arkansas's Medical Services Policy Manual (sections E-451 and H-410) excludes VA Aid and Attendance paid in the full amount, not reduced to $90, at initial eligibility and from the income a resident applies to the nursing-facility vendor payment. So Aid and Attendance paid at the full rate, for example to a veteran with a spouse or a child, is not applied to the nursing-facility cost of care.
  • The rest of a resident's income goes to the facility, after deductions. Arkansas nursing-facility recipients contribute all of their monthly income minus approved deductions. Under 42 CFR 435.725(c), the agency must first deduct a personal needs allowance, maintenance amounts for a spouse or family at home, incurred medical expenses no third party will pay, and any SSI and state supplementary payments the resident still receives; only what remains reduces the state's payment to the facility. Arkansas's personal needs allowance is $40 for most residents, while a single veteran, or a veteran's spouse, with no dependents whose VA pension has been reduced to $90 keeps that full $90 instead, with no added $40. The spouse and family amounts rest on a reasonable assessment of need, capped by ceilings tied to Arkansas's own standards, so a spouse still living at home should have Arkansas DHS compute that allowance rather than assume the pension goes entirely to the nursing home.
  • Medicaid coverage can shrink the pension itself. Under federal law, a veteran with no spouse or child, or a surviving spouse with no child, whose nursing-facility care is covered by Medicaid can be paid no more than $90 a month in VA pension for any month after the month of admission, and the facility's Medicaid payment can't be reduced by that $90. A veteran with a spouse or a child is outside that cap.
  • State veterans homes follow their own rules. The $90 cap leaves out a State home for which VA pays a nursing-care per diem, so ask an accredited veterans service officer whether a stay in an Arkansas State Veterans Home falls under it. In a State veterans home receiving that per diem, a separate federal rule treats VA pension above $90 a month, including Aid and Attendance, for a veteran with no spouse or child (or a surviving spouse with no child) as income only to be applied to the home's cost of nursing care. How that rule fits with Arkansas's own exclusion isn't settled by our sources, so confirm your stay with Arkansas DHS.
  • Waiver services are worked out separately. 42 CFR 435.725 applies by its own terms to people in medical institutions, so it does not state the share of cost for home and community-based waiver services; a waiver family should have DHS work it out. Because the exact treatment varies by case, confirm how your benefit is counted with Arkansas DHS or an accredited veterans service officer before applying.

For the bigger picture of how to protect assets and qualify for long-term-care Medicaid, start with our guide to Medicaid planning strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does VA Aid and Attendance pay in Arkansas in 2026?

The maximum depends on your situation. For December 2025 through November 2026, the yearly maximum with Aid and Attendance is $29,093 for a veteran alone, $34,488 for a veteran with a spouse, and $18,697 for a surviving spouse with no dependents. VA subtracts your countable income from that maximum and pays the rest monthly, dividing by 12 and rounding down to the whole dollar. These are federal rates, identical in Arkansas. Unreimbursed medical expenses above 5% of your maximum rate can lower your countable income and raise your benefit.

Where can I get free help applying in Arkansas?

Contact your county veterans service officer or the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA). Their accredited staff prepare and submit VA claims for free. You should never pay to file an initial claim.

Can I receive Aid and Attendance and Arkansas Medicaid at the same time?

Yes, they are separate programs. The basic VA pension generally counts as income for Medicaid, while the Aid and Attendance portion paid for care is generally excluded when eligibility is decided, and Arkansas's Medicaid manual also leaves full-rate Aid and Attendance out of what a nursing-facility resident pays toward care. Other income goes to the facility after deductions such as a $40 personal needs allowance for most residents and a maintenance allowance for a spouse at home. For a veteran with no spouse or child, or a surviving spouse with no child, Medicaid coverage of nursing-facility care also caps the VA pension at $90 a month after the month of admission, though a State home for which VA pays a nursing-care per diem is outside that rule. Waiver families, and anyone over Arkansas's income limit who may need a Miller trust, should confirm the details with Arkansas DHS or a veterans service officer before applying.

How long does it take to get approved?

VA's own answer is "It depends." It processes claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. A complete application gives VA less to follow up on, so have the medical examiner be detailed on VA Form 21-2680 and submit all supporting documents at once.

Learn More

MedicaidMedicaid Planning StrategiesSee which assets you keep, how the 5-year look-back works, and the legal moves that qualify you for Medicaid long-term care without losing the house. Care TypesAssisted Living in ArkansasAssisted living in Arkansas runs about $4,637/month, among the most affordable nationally. Level I vs Level II licensing, costs, and where Medicaid helps. Care TypesNursing Homes in ArkansasNursing homes in Arkansas in 2026: a semi-private room runs about $89,425 a year. How to check a facility's record, what it costs, and how Medicaid pays. Care TypesMemory Care in ArkansasArkansas has no separate memory care license. It regulates dementia care through staff training and an Alzheimer's Special Care Unit disclosure statement. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in ArkansasWhat senior care costs in Arkansas in 2026: assisted living runs about $4,637 a month, a nursing home about $89,425 a year. See every setting and how to pay. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Nursing Homes in ArkansasAssisted living vs. a nursing home in Arkansas turns on level of care and who pays: about $4,637/month vs. roughly $89,425/year for a nursing home.
Your next step Find personalized help applying for VA Aid and Attendance in Arkansas at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.

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