In Connecticut, a wartime veteran with a spouse who needs daily help with tasks like bathing or dressing can receive up to $2,874 a month ($34,488 a year) in 2026 through VA Aid and Attendance. It's a federal pension benefit for wartime veterans and their surviving spouses, and one of the most underused: many Connecticut families who qualify never apply because they don't know it exists.

This guide walks through who qualifies, how much you can receive, how to apply, and where to get help filing in Connecticut, including from the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs and your municipal veterans representative.

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.

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

  • Bathing or showering
  • Dressing and undressing
  • Eating or preparing meals
  • Using the toilet
  • Adjusting prosthetic devices
  • 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 due to mental or physical incapacity, or have severely limited eyesight (5/200 or less in both eyes).

The money is paid to you in cash and can go toward any purpose, including in-home care, assisted living, or nursing home costs. That flexibility is part of what makes it so useful for Connecticut families piecing together long-term care.

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

Do You Qualify?

To receive Aid and Attendance, the veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge, and has to meet all four of these requirements.

1. Wartime service. The VA lists three service paths, and you need to meet one of them. Those who started active duty before September 8, 1980 need at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period. Those who started active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980 generally need at least 24 months of active duty, 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. The third path covers a veteran who started active duty as an officer after October 16, 1981 and hadn't previously served on active duty for at least 24 months. Recognized wartime periods include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War (which the VA treats as ongoing, covering all post-9/11 service).

2. Age or disability. At least one of these has to be true: 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 meets this test 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. It counts your assets plus your annual income combined. Your primary residence doesn't count. Neither do personal effects suitable to and consistent with a reasonable mode of life, which the regulation illustrates as appliances and family transportation vehicles, so the test is what fits a reasonable mode of life rather than a count of vehicles.

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 VA caps at $18,697 a year in 2026 for a surviving spouse with no dependents.

2026 VA Aid and Attendance Rates in Connecticut

The VA calculates your payment as the difference between your countable income and the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) for your category. If your income is low enough, you receive the full amount. These rates are federal, so they're the same in Connecticut as anywhere else. The VA publishes them as annual amounts. Pension is paid monthly, and under 38 CFR 3.273 the VA works out the monthly payment by subtracting your countable income from the annual rate and dividing what's left by 12, rounding down to the whole dollar.

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

Here's how the math works, using a hypothetical example. 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, which the VA pays in monthly installments by dividing that yearly amount by 12. Unreimbursed medical expenses, including what you pay for care, reduce your countable income and so raise your benefit, but only the part above 5% of your MAPR counts: the VA puts that threshold at $1,141 a year for a veteran with one dependent and $872 for a veteran with no spouse or child.

The Net Worth Limit and 3-Year Lookback

The 2026 net worth limit is $163,699. This combines your assets (savings, investments, and property other than your home) with your annual income, and for a married veteran it includes your spouse's assets and income too. The income half is counted after deductible expenses, such as unreimbursed medical costs, are subtracted, not as your gross income.

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

What doesn't count: your primary residence, plus personal effects suitable to and consistent with a reasonable mode of life, which the regulation illustrates as appliances and family transportation vehicles.

The 3-Year Lookback Rule

The VA reviews any assets you transferred for less than fair market value in the three years (36 months) before the VA receives your claim. If you gave away or sold assets below market value to get under the net worth limit, the VA may impose 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 Connecticut

VA Form 21-2680 is the form you use to apply for Aid and Attendance benefits that will be added to your monthly compensation or pension benefits, so there are two routes into it. The steps below are the pension route, the one this guide covers: the VA says you may be eligible for this benefit if you get a VA pension. A veteran seeking Aid and Attendance added to VA disability compensation instead uses the same examination form but does not file the pension application in step 3.

1
Step 1

Protect your effective date with an intent to file

If you're still gathering information, submit VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) first; you then have 1 year to complete and file the claim. The VA says submitting an intent to file can secure the earliest possible effective date for any retroactive payments you may be eligible to receive, and the form covers disability, Veterans pension, survivors pension, or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation claims.

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. Be thorough. The more detail about specific limitations, the stronger the claim.

3
Step 3

Complete the pension application

On the pension route, a wartime veteran who isn't already receiving a VA pension also files VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension), which covers service history, income, net worth, and medical conditions. This is the wartime, means-tested pension application, so it isn't the form for a veteran whose Aid and Attendance would be added to disability compensation.

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 a Connecticut DVA Veteran Service Officer, can also help you file. Filing online lets you save your progress and track the claim.

5
Step 5

Wait for a decision

Asked how long a decision takes, the VA answers "It depends," and adds that it processes claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. A complete application with strong medical documentation avoids avoidable delay. Incomplete submissions are the most common reason for delays.

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 Connecticut: The CT DVA and VetReps

You don't have to file this claim alone. Accredited help is available across Connecticut, and the VA says the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your VA benefit claims are always free, while an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge fees.

The Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs (CT DVA)

The Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, known as the CT DVA, is the state agency that connects veterans and their families to the federal, state, and local benefits they earned. Its Office of Advocacy and Assistance staffs accredited Veteran Service Officers who represent veterans on U.S. VA claims and compensation and help Connecticut veterans apply for federal VA services, including Veterans Pension and VA Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance, which are paid as part of a monthly VA pension for qualified veterans and survivors. The CT DVA runs district offices plus a Veteran Services Support Center at 196 West Street, Rocky Hill, Connecticut 06067. The state agency doesn't decide your VA claim itself (the federal VA does that), but its accredited officers help you get the claim prepared and filed.

The CT DVA also runs Connecticut's single state veterans home, its main campus at 287 West Street in Rocky Hill. There it operates the Sgt. John L. Levitow Healthcare Center, a skilled nursing facility licensed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at its highest 5-star rating, and certified annually as a State Veterans Home by the federal VA. It cares for veterans with acute and chronic conditions that need daily medical management. The same campus runs two residential programs: the Veterans Affairs Residential Facility, temporary supportive living with rehabilitation services, and Patriots Landing, temporary housing for veterans and their families who are homeless or at risk of it. To qualify for CT DVA residential services, a person must have been honorably discharged from, or released under honorable conditions from, active service in the Armed Forces, and must be a current Connecticut resident or have been a Connecticut resident at the time of enlistment or induction. Getting into the Levitow Healthcare Center is a separate, stricter test: the National Association of State Veterans Homes' Connecticut listing says the veteran must apply in advance, submit a medical history and physical examination, pass an eligibility check, and have a chronic condition that needs skilled nursing care or 24-hour help with daily activities. 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 the state home.

Municipal Veterans Representatives (VetReps)

Closer to home, Connecticut's Municipal Veterans Representative Program, directed by Connecticut General Statutes section 27-135, provides an initial point of contact in each municipality for veterans seeking assistance. Your town's VetRep can point you toward an accredited representative for the actual claim. Because VetReps work at the town level, they're often the easiest first call for a Connecticut family that doesn't know where to start.

Connecticut's Veteran Population

The VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics puts Connecticut's veteran population at 141,336 for fiscal year 2025, down from 146,580 in fiscal year 2024. Those are modelled estimates from the VA's population projection model rather than a head count. Even in a smaller state, demand on these offices is real, so it's worth contacting the CT DVA or your town's VetRep early rather than waiting until a care crisis forces the issue.

A word of caution: be wary of companies that charge fees to help with VA claims. The VA says the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your VA benefit claims are always free, while an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge fees, so working through the Connecticut DVA, your municipal VetRep, or a Veterans Service Organization like the VFW, American Legion, or DAV is the route that costs you nothing.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Connecticut Medicaid

Aid and Attendance and Connecticut Medicaid, known as HUSKY Health and administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS), are run separately, under different rules. Long-term-care Medicaid for aged, blind, and disabled residents is HUSKY C. A veteran can receive both A&A and Medicaid at the same time, but the two count money differently, so a few points are worth understanding.

  • A&A income doesn't automatically disqualify you from Connecticut Medicaid. Under general federal VA rules, a veteran's basic VA pension is counted as income, but the portion attributable to unreimbursed medical expenses, including the Aid and Attendance increment paid to cover the cost of care, is generally treated as reimbursement for medical care rather than countable income for Medicaid purposes when those expenses are being paid out. That exclusion is a Medicaid rule rather than a VA one: federal Medicaid rules use the SSI program's methods as the benchmark, and SSI does not count VA aid and attendance as income. Connecticut is one of only 8 states that elected the more restrictive 209(b) option, so its own eligibility rule governs at that step and may differ; confirm how it treats the Aid and Attendance amount with the Department of Social Services before relying on it.
  • But the exclusion applies at the eligibility step only. What an eligible nursing-home resident pays toward care is decided at a separate, post-eligibility step, and because Connecticut is a 209(b) state the federal rule there is 42 CFR 435.733, which says income disregarded in determining eligibility must be considered in that process. That federal rule doesn't settle how Connecticut treats a full-rate Aid and Attendance amount at that step, so ask DSS how your own share of cost is worked out. Connecticut's Uniform Policy Manual does cover one case: for a long-term-care resident without a spouse at home whose VA pension has been reduced to $90, UPM 5035.20 deducts that pension, on top of the ordinary personal needs allowance, from the income applied to the cost of care.
  • Once Medicaid pays the nursing home, the pension itself can drop to $90. If a veteran with no spouse or dependent child, or a surviving spouse with no dependent child, is covered by Medicaid for nursing-facility services, the VA can pay no more than $90 a month for any month after the month of admission, and that $90 is an aid and attendance allowance, not income. So don't budget the full Aid and Attendance rate against nursing-home bills. The cap doesn't reach someone cared for at home or a veteran with a spouse or child, and federal law carves out a State home for which the VA pays a nursing-care per diem, so ask an accredited Veteran Service Officer whether a stay at Rocky Hill falls in that carve-out.
  • The two programs cover different things. A&A can pay for costs HUSKY C often doesn't, such as room and board in assisted living, while Medicaid may cover the care services themselves and long-term nursing care.
  • The exact treatment depends on your circumstances. Because the precise outcome depends on HUSKY C income limits, the medically-needy spend-down, and how DSS counts each component of your VA pension, you can't assume a specific result.
  • Check before you apply. Because VA pension income factors into Connecticut Medicaid, ask Connecticut DSS or an accredited representative how the two will interact in your case before relying on any specific outcome.

For families weighing how to pay for long-term care, our guide to Medicaid planning strategies covers the moves worth understanding before you apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The maximum depends on your situation. For 2026 the VA caps Aid and Attendance at $29,093 a year for a veteran alone, $34,488 a year for a veteran with a spouse (up to $2,874 a month), and $18,697 a year for a surviving spouse with no dependents. These are federal rates, identical in Connecticut. Your actual payment is reduced by your countable income, and unreimbursed medical expenses above 5% of your MAPR can lower that income and raise your benefit.

Where can I get free help applying in Connecticut?

Contact the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Advocacy and Assistance, whose accredited Veteran Service Officers represent veterans on U.S. VA claims and help Connecticut veterans apply for federal VA services, or your town's Municipal Veterans Representative (VetRep), the initial point of contact in each municipality. The VA says an accredited VSO representative's services on your claim are always free, while an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge fees.

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

Yes. Under general federal rules, basic VA pension counts as income for Connecticut Medicaid (HUSKY C), but the Aid and Attendance portion that reimburses care costs is generally not counted as income when DSS decides eligibility. Connecticut is a 209(b) state, so confirm that treatment with DSS. That exclusion applies at the eligibility step only: once you're eligible and in a nursing facility, the federal post-eligibility rule for Connecticut, 42 CFR 435.733, says income disregarded at eligibility must be considered when working out what you pay toward care. And if you're a veteran with no spouse or child, or a surviving spouse with no child, the VA pension itself is capped at $90 a month after the month Medicaid starts paying the nursing facility. The exact treatment depends on your circumstances, so confirm with Connecticut DSS or an accredited representative before applying.

How long does it take to get approved?

Asked how long a decision takes, the VA answers "It depends," and adds that it processes claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. The most common cause of delay is an incomplete application, so have the medical examiner be detailed on VA Form 21-2680 and submit all supporting documents at once.

That house may be worth something on the tax side, too. Connecticut exempts a disabled veteran's property at the town assessor, on a track entirely separate from the VA pension you are applying for here, and our guide to the Connecticut disabled veteran property tax exemption covers the two tracks and the filing dates each one carries.

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 ConnecticutAssisted living in Connecticut runs about $9,118 a month, among the nation's highest. How the ALSA and MRC model works and where Medicaid fits. Care TypesNursing Homes in ConnecticutConnecticut nursing homes run about $182,500 a year for a semi-private room, among the highest in the nation. How to check quality and how Medicaid pays. Care TypesMemory Care in ConnecticutConnecticut has no separate memory care license, but a written disclosure lays dementia care bare. See what it must tell you, the cost, and how to use it. Care TypesThe Cost of Senior Care in ConnecticutWhat senior care costs in Connecticut in 2026: assisted living about $9,118 a month, a nursing home about $182,500 a year. See every setting and how to pay. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Nursing Home in ConnecticutAssisted living vs. a nursing home in Connecticut: level of care and who pays. About $9,118/month vs. $182,500/year, and where Medicaid steps in.
Your next step Find personalized help applying for VA Aid and Attendance in Connecticut 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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