In Delaware, a wartime veteran with a spouse who needs daily help with tasks like bathing or dressing can qualify for up to $34,488 a year in 2026 through VA Aid and Attendance. That ceiling is for a veteran with one dependent, such as a spouse; VA pays the benefit monthly, and what you receive is the ceiling minus your countable income. It's a federal pension benefit for wartime veterans and their surviving spouses.

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
  • 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 even with glasses or contacts, or a visual field narrowed to 5 degrees or less).

Delaware's Medicaid long-term care rules say Aid and Attendance payments may be used for whatever purpose the veteran wishes without penalty, so the money can go toward 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 meets this test 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. 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 has an annual ceiling of $18,697 in 2026 for a surviving spouse with no dependents.

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 you have no countable income, you receive the full amount. The VA publishes these rates as annual maximums. Pension is paid monthly: under VA's regulations, the monthly payment is the MAPR minus your countable income, divided by 12 and rounded down to the whole dollar. These rates are federal, so they're the same in Delaware as anywhere else.

Category Annual Rate (MAPR)
Veteran, no dependents $29,093
Veteran with one dependent (such as a spouse) $34,488
Two veterans married to each other (both A&A) $46,143
Surviving spouse, no dependents $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, paid in monthly installments. Medical expenses you aren't reimbursed for can reduce your countable income, which raises your benefit, but only the amount above 5% of your MAPR counts ($1,141 for a veteran with one dependent).

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 (a single-family unit, including the lot it sits on), 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 Delaware veterans who own their homes 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 36 months before 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.

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 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. Sending a complete application with strong medical documentation can help you avoid follow-up requests for more evidence.

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 don't have to pay for help with it. 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 the office states that an accredited Veteran Service Organization representative will never charge 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 help you apply for federal and state benefits, including pension. 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. On the home's own admissions page, an applicant must be honorably discharged from active service with at least 180 days of service (or qualify through one of its National Guard, Reserve, or Gold Star family routes), have lived in Delaware for at least one year before applying, and have a medically determined need for a long-term level of care. The home offers separate application forms for long-term care and for short-term and rehab care. The National Association of State Veterans Homes' directory lists a three-year Delaware residency requirement instead, and sets no minimum number of active-duty days for regular active service, so confirm the current rule with the DVH Admissions Coordinator at (302) 424-8572 before you apply. 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. The VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics projects its veteran population at 60,931 for fiscal year 2026 in its VetPop2023 release, a modelled estimate rather than a head count, while the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey estimate is lower, at 59,557. 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 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 you fees. You can file at no cost through a Delaware Veteran Service Officer or an accredited 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.

  • Under Delaware's own rule, the A&A allowance doesn't count 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 Delaware's chapter leaves the allowance out both when the state decides whether you qualify and when it works out your liability toward your cost of care. Income the veteran has from other sources that counts for post-eligibility still goes into that calculation.
  • 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."
  • For a veteran with no spouse or child in a Medicaid-paid nursing home, the pension can drop to $90 a month. Federal law (38 U.S.C. 5503(d)) caps the VA Improved Pension at $90 a month, for any month after the month of admission, for a veteran with no spouse or child (or a surviving spouse with no child) whose nursing facility care a Medicaid plan covers. Delaware's chapter says that $90 is not counted as income in the eligibility or post-eligibility process. The cap does not reach a State home for which VA pays a nursing home per diem, so whether it applies at the Delaware Veterans Home depends on that payment; ask a Veteran Service Officer. A separate federal rule, 42 U.S.C. 1396a(r)(1)(B), covers a State veterans home that does receive VA per diem: for a Medicaid-eligible veteran with no spouse or child (or a surviving spouse with no child) living there, any pension above $90 a month, including the part paid for aid and attendance, is counted as income only to apply that excess to the home's cost of nursing care. A resident of a State veterans home in Delaware should confirm with Delaware Medicaid how that federal rule and Delaware's own rule apply together. And if VA fails to make the reduction and later bills you for the overpayment, the veteran generally isn't liable unless they wilfully concealed the information VA needed.
  • Rules change. Income rules and limits change, so 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 ceiling depends on your situation. A veteran alone can get up to $29,093 a year, a veteran with one dependent, such as a spouse, up to $34,488 a year, and a surviving spouse with no dependents up to $18,697 a year. VA pays the benefit monthly, and your actual payment is the ceiling minus your countable income. These are federal rates, identical in Delaware. Medical expenses you aren't reimbursed for can lower your countable income and raise your benefit, but only the amount above 5% of your MAPR counts.

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 help with applying for federal and state benefits, and the office states that an accredited representative will never charge for claims services.

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, Delaware's own rule leaves the allowance out both when it decides whether you qualify and when it sets your liability toward your cost of care. Separately, a veteran with no spouse or child whose nursing home care Medicaid covers can see the pension capped at $90 a month after the month of admission. A State veterans home that receives VA per diem is outside that cap but follows a different federal rule, under which pension above $90 a month, including aid and attendance, is counted as income only to apply it to the home's cost of care, for a veteran with no spouse or child (or a surviving spouse with no child). Because income rules change, confirm your situation with Delaware Medicaid and a veterans service officer before applying.

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. To avoid follow-up requests for more evidence, ask the medical examiner to 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. Its assisted-living rules address dementia care, and a disclosure duty tells you what a facility provides. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in DelawareCost of senior care in Delaware (2026): assisted living about $90,600 to $91,200 a year, 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, only some assisted-living costs.
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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