In Delaware, 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 Delaware 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 free help filing in Delaware, including from the state's accredited Veteran Service Officers.

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. It's the same VA pension paid at a higher maximum rate when you need regular care, so the Aid and Attendance figures below are ceilings on the whole pension, not amounts stacked on top of the basic rate. This guide covers that pension route. Aid and attendance can also be added to a veteran's monthly VA compensation instead, and the same examination form, VA Form 21-2680, covers that case.

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 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 Delaware 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, you have to meet all four of these requirements.

1. Wartime service, and no dishonorable discharge. The veteran must not have been dishonorably discharged, and the length-of-service requirement depends on when they entered active duty. 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 (such as World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, or the Gulf War). Those who started active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980, and those who started as an officer after October 16, 1981 without having previously served at least 24 months on active duty, generally need at least 24 months of active duty, or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty, with at least one day during a wartime period.

2. Age, disability, nursing home, or SSDI/SSI. The VA lists four alternatives here, and meeting any single one satisfies the test: the veteran is at least 65 years old; or has a permanent and total disability; or 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 ever having been rated permanently and totally disabled.

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 VA's calculation combines your assets and your dependents' assets with your annual income, so comparing savings alone against the limit gives you the wrong answer. Your primary residence doesn't count, and VA recognizes one primary residence per claimant. 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, worth up to $1,558 a month in 2026.

2026 VA Aid and Attendance Rates in Delaware

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. The VA publishes these rates as annual maximums; the monthly figure is that yearly amount divided by 12. These rates are federal, so they're the same in Delaware as anywhere else.

Category Annual Rate Monthly Rate
Veteran, no dependents $29,093 $2,424
Veteran with spouse $34,488 $2,874
Two veterans married to each other (both A&A) $46,143 $3,845
Surviving spouse $18,697 $1,558
Veteran, no dependents (Housebound) $21,313 $1,776
Veteran, no dependents (basic pension) $17,441 $1,453
Each additional dependent +$2,984 +$248

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, or about $1,874 a month. Out-of-pocket medical expenses, including what you pay for care, reduce your countable income, which raises your benefit.

The Net Worth Limit and 3-Year Lookback

The 2026 net worth limit is $163,699. This combines your assets and your dependents' assets (savings, investments, and property other than your home) with your annual income.

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

What doesn't count: your primary residence, which VA counts as one per claimant, plus personal effects suitable to and consistent with a reasonable mode of life, which the regulation illustrates as appliances and family transportation vehicles. The house you live in doesn't push you over the limit, which matters for the many Delaware veterans who own their homes outright but live on a modest fixed income.

The 3-Year Lookback Rule

The VA reviews any assets you transferred for less than fair market value in the three years before you file 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.

This rule exists to stop people from simply giving away savings to qualify. If you're thinking about transferring assets, talk to a VA-accredited attorney or an elder law attorney first. The penalty can be steep, so it's worth getting advice before you move money.

How to Apply for VA Aid and Attendance in Delaware

The steps below are the pension route. The VA's own condition for this benefit is "You may be eligible for this benefit if you get a VA pension," so they assume a wartime veteran who is claiming or already receiving that means-tested pension. A veteran who receives VA disability compensation rather than pension is not shut out: VA Form 21-2680 also covers aid and attendance that will be added to monthly compensation, and that veteran does not file the pension application below.

1
Step 1

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

Submitting VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension) first can, in the VA's words, "secure the earliest possible effective date for any retroactive payments you may be eligible to receive."

2
Step 2

Get a medical examination

A medical examiner, usually your own doctor, 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

A wartime veteran pursuing the pension route who is not already receiving a VA pension submits VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension), the wartime, means-tested pension application, which covers service history, income, net worth, and medical conditions.

4
Step 4

Submit everything

You can file online at VA.gov, mail the forms to the VA Pension Intake Center, file in person at a VA regional office, or file through an accredited representative such as a Delaware Veteran Service Officer. 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." It processes claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. A complete application with strong medical documentation avoids the follow-up requests that add 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 Delaware: Veteran Service Officers and the Delaware Veterans Home

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 Delaware.

Delaware's Veteran Service Officers

Delaware veterans can get free help filing for VA pension and the Aid and Attendance allowance from Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) at the Delaware Office of Veterans Services, which helps veterans navigate the federal, state, and local benefits available to them. These VSOs are State of Delaware employees who are specially trained and accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and an accredited Veteran Service Officer never charges for claims services. They assist with a full range of benefits, including compensation and pension, health care, education and training, employment, housing, and burial and survivor benefits.

A VSO can prepare and submit your claim, develop the evidence the VA needs, and represent you through the process, all at no cost to you. To schedule an appointment with your county service officer, contact the Office of Veterans Services at (302) 739-2792; the office is at 802 Silver Lake Blvd, Robbins Building, Suite 100, in Dover.

The Delaware Veterans Home

Delaware operates one state veterans home, the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford. Established in 2007, it is a long-term care facility that offers skilled nursing care on four units, with a total of 144 beds. To be considered for residency, an applicant must have an honorable discharge (or qualifying National Guard or Reserve service), have lived in Delaware for at least one year before applying, and have a medically determined need for a long-term level of care. For a veteran weighing nursing care, an A&A award can help cover costs whether they stay at home or move into this home.

Delaware's Veteran Population

Delaware is one of the smaller states, and it is home to roughly 61,000 veterans (60,931 for FY2026), according to the VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. That's still tens of thousands of households that may have a veteran or surviving spouse eligible for Aid and Attendance, so it's worth reaching out to a Veteran Service Officer 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. VA-accredited attorneys may charge for appeals, but the initial claim filing should be free through a Delaware Veteran Service Officer or a Veterans Service Organization like the VFW, American Legion, or DAV.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Delaware Medicaid

Aid and Attendance and Delaware's long-term care Medicaid, whose rules are set out in Delaware's Administrative Code (Title 16, chapter 20000, Medicaid Long Term Care) under the Department of Health and Social Services, are run separately, 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. Managing two programs with different income rules is easier if you confirm the order of application before you file either one.

  • The A&A allowance doesn't count against you at either step. Delaware's Medicaid long-term care rules treat a VA pension as unearned income, but handle the Aid and Attendance and Housebound allowances differently: "These allowances do not meet the definition of income because they are assistance for medical and social services," and "The payments are not included in the post eligibility calculation." So in Delaware the allowance is left out both when the state decides whether you qualify and when it works out your liability toward your cost of care.
  • The two programs cover different things. A&A can pay for costs Delaware Medicaid 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 money stays yours to use. The same Delaware chapter says "Aid and Attendance payments may be used for whatever purpose the veteran wishes without penalty," and that "The veteran is free to make this income available to the community spouse."
  • Timing matters. Income rules and limits change, so the order in which you apply can affect eligibility for one or both programs. Confirm your specific situation with Delaware Medicaid and a veterans service officer before you file.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The maximum depends on your situation. A veteran alone gets up to $2,424 a month, a veteran with a spouse gets up to $2,874 a month, and a surviving spouse gets up to $1,558 a month. These are federal rates, identical in Delaware. Your actual payment is reduced by your countable income, and out-of-pocket medical expenses can lower that income and raise your benefit.

Where can I get free help applying in Delaware?

Contact a Veteran Service Officer at Delaware's Office of Veterans Services, reachable at (302) 739-2792. These VA-accredited state employees prepare and submit VA claims for free and never charge for claims services. You should never pay to file an initial claim.

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

Yes. A veteran can receive both. Delaware's Medicaid long-term care rules count a VA pension as unearned income, but treat the Aid and Attendance and Housebound allowances as assistance for medical and social services rather than income, and they are not included in the post-eligibility calculation either. In other words, the allowance is left out both when Delaware decides whether you qualify and when it sets your liability toward your cost of care. Because income rules change, confirm your situation with Delaware Medicaid and a veterans service officer before applying, since timing can affect eligibility.

How long does it take to get approved?

The VA's own answer is "It depends." It works 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.

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 DelawareAssisted living in Delaware sits above the national median of about $6,200 a month. How the state licenses care, what it costs, and what Medicaid covers. Care TypesNursing Homes in DelawareNursing homes in Delaware in 2026: a private room runs about $181,588/year, well above the national median. What it costs, who pays, and how to vet a facility. Care TypesMemory Care in DelawareDelaware has no separate memory care license. Dementia care lives in assisted living and nursing homes, and a disclosure law tells you what a facility can do. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in DelawareCost of senior care in Delaware (2026): above the national line in every setting, with a private nursing-home room about $181,588 a year, plus how to pay. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Nursing Home in DelawareAssisted living vs. a nursing home in Delaware: the care-level line, the cost gap, and who pays. Medicaid covers nursing homes, not assisted-living rent.
Your next step Find personalized help applying for VA Aid and Attendance in Delaware 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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