VA Aid and Attendance can pay a Delaware veteran a pension of up to $29,093 a year, about $2,424 a month. Because it is paid as cash, that money can go straight toward in-home care from an aide who comes to the house. It is a veteran's or surviving spouse's VA pension paid at a higher maximum rate rather than a separate payment on top of it, and for a family trying to keep a parent at home rather than move them to a facility, that monthly check can be the deciding factor.

This guide explains exactly how Aid and Attendance works for in-home care, how much it pays in 2026, who qualifies, and how to get free help filing the claim.

In This Guide

How Much In-Home Care Costs in Delaware

Delaware's long-term care costs run above the national medians across the board. In the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (released March 2026, the most recent state-level data), homemaker and home health aide services are reported together as a single "non-medical caregiver" rate, which ran a median of about $35 an hour nationally in 2025. Delaware sits above that national line.

A non-medical caregiver helps with errands, meals, and housekeeping as well as hands-on help with bathing, dressing, and similar daily tasks. These are industry-survey medians, not government figures, so the real number for any one family depends on how many hours of care are needed each week and where in the state you live. At roughly $35 an hour, even part-time help adds up fast, which is why an extra monthly benefit matters.

How VA Aid and Attendance Helps Pay for In-Home Care in Delaware

Aid and Attendance is the VA pension paid at a higher maximum rate when a qualifying veteran or surviving spouse needs help with daily activities, so the rates below are the ceiling on the whole pension, not an amount paid on top of the basic rate. It is paid as cash, so unlike a benefit that only covers care at a specific facility, the money can go toward an in-home aide, a homemaker, or other care costs at home.

Here is the ceiling on the benefit in 2026. These are the maximum annual pension rates effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026, and a maximum is not a payment: VA pays the difference between the claimant's income for VA purposes and the limit.

Category Maximum Annual Amount Monthly Equivalent
Veteran alone $29,093 about $2,424
Veteran with one dependent $34,488 $2,874
Surviving spouse $18,697 about $1,558

VA publishes these rates as annual maximums, so a monthly amount is the yearly award divided by 12. The one-dependent rate divides evenly at $2,874 a month; the other two do not, so treat the monthly column as an approximation and the annual figure as the authority.

Against in-home care that runs above the national median of about $35 an hour in Delaware, the maximum veteran rate covers a meaningful share of part-time in-home care. It rarely covers full-time care on its own, but combined with other income it can keep a loved one safely at home.

How In-Home Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income

Many families assume the income test rules them out before they have even run the numbers; more often than not, it does not. VA Pension, including the Aid and Attendance increase, is a needs-based benefit: to be eligible, your yearly family income and net worth have to fall within limits set by Congress. Because the benefit is keyed to income, recurring out-of-pocket care costs can be subtracted from your countable income, which can make a family that looked "over income" eligible after all.

The rule has a floor. Only the portion of your unreimbursed medical expenses that exceeds 5% of the applicable Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) counts. For 2026, that floor is $872 per year for a veteran with no spouse or child, and it rises for a veteran with dependents. In-home attendant care counts as a deductible medical expense when the attendant is a health care provider, or when the veteran needs aid and attendance or is housebound, or when a physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist states in writing that the veteran requires that care.

For example, in-home care in Delaware runs above the national median of about $35 an hour, so a veteran who relies on an aide for daily tasks builds up sizable, recurring care costs over a year. Only the first $872 of those unreimbursed costs does not count; everything above that floor is subtracted from countable income, often lowering it enough to qualify for the pension or increase the amount paid.

Who Qualifies

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, a veteran generally must have no dishonorable discharge and meet all of the following:

  • Wartime service: at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period (such as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf War). Gulf War service has its own length-of-service rules.
  • Age, disability, or benefit status: at least one of these must be true: 65 or older, a permanent and total disability, a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. Any one branch is enough; a wartime veteran under 65 on SSI qualifies without a permanent-and-total rating.
  • A need for aid and attendance: need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or eating, or be bedridden, in a nursing home due to incapacity, or have severely limited eyesight.
  • Net worth under $163,699 for 2026. VA's net worth calculation includes the claimant's and their dependents' assets and annual income, and excludes the primary home, one personal vehicle, and basic home items like appliances you would not take with you if you moved.

The VA reviews asset transfers made for less than fair market value during the three years before you file, so it is worth planning ahead. A surviving spouse can qualify under the Survivors Pension version of the benefit.

Using Aid and Attendance to Pay a Family Caregiver for In-Home Care in Delaware

Because Aid and Attendance is paid to the beneficiary as part of the monthly pension, families commonly use it to help compensate a relative who provides care at home.

If you want a more structured way to pay a family caregiver, ask your VA medical center about Veteran-Directed Care (VDC). VDC gives a veteran a flexible, clinically set budget to hire their own caregivers, including family, friends and/or neighbors and even a spouse, with a financial management service handling payroll. Eligibility requires VA enrollment, a clinical need for personal care, and risk of needing institutional care. VDC is a separate program from the Aid and Attendance pension, but the two can both support care at home.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Delaware Medicaid

For Delaware seniors who later need long-term care Medicaid, how the VA money is treated matters. The rules sit in Delaware's Administrative Code, Title 16, chapter 20000 (Medicaid Long Term Care), published under the Department of Health and Social Services. That chapter counts a VA pension as unearned income, but handles 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."

In practice that means the allowance stays out of the Medicaid math at both steps. It is not counted as income when Delaware decides whether a person qualifies, and it is not added into the post-eligibility calculation that sets what a person owes toward their cost of care. The chapter adds that "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." Income rules and limits change, so confirm a veteran's specific situation with Delaware Medicaid and a veterans service officer.

How to Apply and Get Free Help

Every Aid and Attendance claim starts with Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance), whose examination information section a medical examiner must fill out to document the need for help. The VA describes that form as the way to apply for Aid and Attendance benefits "that will be added to your monthly compensation or pension benefits," so it serves two routes: an increase added to disability compensation, and the pension route the steps here describe. On the pension route, the VA's condition is "You may be eligible for this benefit if you get a VA pension," so a wartime veteran pursuing that route who is not already receiving a VA pension also files Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension), the means-tested wartime pension application. You can file online at VA.gov, by mail to the VA Pension Intake Center, or in person at a VA regional office, and an accredited attorney, accredited claims agent, or accredited Veterans Service Organization representative can help you file. 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.

Do not do this alone. Delaware veterans can get free help filing VA claims, including the Aid and Attendance allowance, from Veteran Service Officers at the Delaware Office of Veterans Services, who are State of Delaware employees trained and accredited by the VA. An accredited Veteran Service Officer never charges for claims services. Accreditation alone is not what makes the help free, though: VA adds that an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge you fees for their services. You can reach the office at (302) 739-2792 to schedule an appointment with your county service officer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Aid and Attendance be used to pay for in-home care in Delaware?

Yes. Aid and Attendance is paid as cash through a VA pension, so the money can go directly toward an in-home aide, a homemaker, or other care at home. It is not tied to a specific facility, which makes it well suited to families keeping a loved one at home.

How much does Aid and Attendance pay in 2026?

Up to $29,093 a year, about $2,424 a month, for a veteran alone; up to $34,488 a year, or $2,874 a month, for a veteran with one dependent; and up to $18,697 a year, about $1,558 a month, for a surviving spouse. VA publishes these rates as annual maximums, so a monthly amount is the yearly award divided by 12. These are ceilings, not payments; VA pays the difference between your countable income and the limit.

Does my parent's income disqualify them if it looks too high?

Not necessarily. The VA subtracts unreimbursed care costs above a yearly floor of $872 for a veteran with no spouse or child, and a higher floor for a veteran with dependents, from countable income, so families that look over the limit often still qualify once in-home care costs are counted.

Can a veteran get both Aid and Attendance and Delaware Medicaid?

Often yes. 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 keep them out of the post-eligibility calculation as well. So the allowance is disregarded both when eligibility is decided and when the state sets what the person owes toward their cost of care. Confirm your specific case with Delaware Medicaid and a veterans service officer.

Compare Care Settings in Delaware

Aid and Attendance can help pay for any care setting. See how it works for the others:

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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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