VA Aid and Attendance in Georgia is the federal VA pension paid at a higher maximum rate when a wartime veteran needs regular help with everyday tasks like bathing, dressing, or eating. A veteran living alone can receive up to $29,093 a year in 2026, and a veteran with a spouse up to $34,488 a year, paid in monthly installments.

This guide walks through who qualifies, how much you can receive, how to apply, and where to get free help filing in Georgia, including from the Georgia Department of Veterans Service.

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. On this route 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 figure is the outer limit of the pension itself, not an amount paid in addition to the basic rate. This guide covers that pension route, which is what most Georgia families are asking about. VA Form 21-2680 is also used to apply for Aid and Attendance added to monthly compensation benefits, so a veteran drawing VA disability compensation rather than a pension is on a different track and should ask an accredited representative which one applies.

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

  • Bathing or showering
  • Dressing and undressing
  • Feeding yourself
  • 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 because of the 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 a visual field narrowed to 5 degrees or less). Care from a relative or someone else in your household doesn't stop VA from granting the benefit.

A&A is tax-free: federal law exempts VA benefit payments, including pension paid at the Aid and Attendance rate, from taxation. VA pays it monthly, as part of your pension.

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

Do You Qualify for VA Aid and Attendance in Georgia?

To receive Aid and Attendance, you have to meet all four of these requirements. They're set by the VA and are the same in Georgia as anywhere else.

1. Wartime service. You need to meet at least one of three service branches. Veterans who entered 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. 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. Officers who started active duty after October 16, 1981 and had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months meet the service test through that third branch. Qualifying periods include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War.

2. Discharge, age, or disability. You must not have received a dishonorable discharge, and at least one of these four must be true: you're at least 65 years old; you have a permanent and total disability; you're a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability; or you're getting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). These four are independent alternatives, 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, and for a married veteran it includes the spouse's assets and income too. 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.

2026 VA Aid and Attendance Rates in Georgia

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 Georgia as anywhere else. The rate tables state annual amounts. Pension is paid monthly, and federal regulation sets the conversion: VA subtracts your countable income from your MAPR, divides what's left by 12, and rounds the result down to the whole dollar.

Category Maximum 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 with Aid and Attendance $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, 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 VA divides by 12 to set the monthly payment. Unreimbursed medical expenses, including what you pay for care, can lower your countable income and raise your benefit, but only the part above 5% of your MAPR counts: VA puts that threshold at $872 for a veteran with no spouse or child and $1,141 for a veteran with one dependent. One caution if you check VA's rates page yourself: its worked example uses a $33,548 MAPR, which doesn't match the $34,488 its own table lists for a veteran with one dependent and Aid and Attendance, so go by the table.

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.

What counts: bank accounts, stocks, bonds, investment property, IRAs, and other financial assets, 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, and it stays excluded if you move into a nursing home. The exclusion takes in the residential lot only up to 2 acres, though, unless the extra land isn't marketable, so marketable acreage beyond that counts as an asset. That home is worth a second look on the tax side too, because Georgia offers a homestead property-tax exemption to qualifying disabled veterans under a separate set of state rules; see our guide to Georgia's disabled veteran property tax exemption.

The 3-Year Lookback Rule

The VA reviews any assets you transferred for less than fair market value in the 36 months before it 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 can'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 severe.

How to Apply for VA Aid and Attendance in Georgia

These are the steps for the pension route, the one this guide covers: the VA's condition is that you may be eligible for this benefit if you get a VA pension. It takes two forms and a medical exam, plus an optional form that protects your filing date and, for a veteran in a nursing home, a form the nursing home completes.

1
Step 1

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

Submit VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) before the rest is ready. Submitting an intent to file can secure the earliest possible effective date for any retroactive payments you may be eligible to receive, which helps if the medical examination in the next step takes a while to arrange.

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. If the veteran lives in a nursing home, a nursing home official also completes VA Form 21-0779 to verify that the veteran is a patient there.

3
Step 3

Complete the pension application

A wartime veteran pursuing the pension route who is not already receiving VA pension also submits VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension). Unreimbursed medical expenses, including care costs, go on VA Form 21P-8416 (Medical Expense Report).

4
Step 4

Submit everything

You can file online at va.gov, mail the forms to the VA Pension Intake Center, or file in person at a VA regional office; an accredited Veterans Service Organization representative, attorney, or claims agent can also help you file the claim, and in Georgia that includes a Georgia Department of Veterans Service officer (more below).

5
Step 5

Wait for a decision

Asked how long a decision takes, the 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 avoids back-and-forth with VA.

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 Georgia: The Department of Veterans Service

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 the state.,

The Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS)

The Georgia Department of Veterans Service, or GDVS, is the state agency that counsels and assists Georgia veterans and their families in claiming the federal and state benefits they've earned. Its Field Service Officers are fully accredited with the VA and are ready to assist at every step of the claims and appeals process, including pension claims like Aid and Attendance. You can reach the main GDVS office at 404-656-2300.

GDVS runs its own network of Veterans Field Service Offices spread across the state, staffed by VA-accredited Veterans Service Officers, and its online directory lists each office with the counties it serves. Appointments are preferred, though walk-ins are accepted as time permits. VA states that the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your claim are always free.

One practical note on cost: the initial claim filing should always be free. Under federal rules, accredited attorneys and claims agents may charge for representation only after VA has issued notice of an initial decision on your claim, and VA-recognized organizations aren't permitted to charge fees at all, so you should not pay anyone to file the first claim.

Georgia War Veterans Homes

Georgia runs two state homes that provide skilled nursing care to aged and infirm Georgia war veterans.

  • The Georgia War Veterans Home in Milledgeville is a 248-bed skilled nursing facility on roughly 17 acres, licensed and certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
  • The Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home in Augusta is a 130-bed skilled nursing facility adjacent to the Augusta University campus and the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, run under an interagency agreement between GDVS and Augusta University.

For a veteran weighing nursing care, A&A matters here too. Both homes charge a nominal daily fee. Eligible residents can apply for Aid and Attendance to help offset it, and a veteran with a service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or higher, or whose admission is due to a service-connected condition, has the daily fee paid in full by the VA.

Georgia is also one of the largest veteran-population states in the country: VA's VetPop2023 top-10 states release ranks it 7th for fiscal year 2024, and a veteran-cohort table on VA's open data portal puts the state at 650,739 veterans in 2025, out of 17,587,676 nationally. Those are modelled estimates rather than a head count. It's worth contacting GDVS early rather than waiting until a care crisis forces the issue.

How VA Aid and Attendance Works with Georgia Medicaid

Aid and Attendance and Georgia 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. Coordinating two programs at once can feel like a lot, but you don't have to sort it out on your own: a benefits counselor who knows both can map out the order that works for your family, and that's exactly what they're there for.

  • The A&A amount isn't counted as income by Georgia Medicaid. Medicaid looks at VA pension income in two separate steps. At the initial eligibility stage, a state applies SSI income rules to aged, blind and disabled applicants (42 CFR 435.601), and under SSI rules a VA aid and attendance or housebound allowance is not income (SSA POMS SI 00830.308), so only the basic VA pension counts toward the income limit. Georgia's own rule says the same: section 2418 of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services Medicaid Policy Manual states that A&A is never considered as income in determining Medicaid eligibility. The second step is the patient liability, or cost share, for someone already eligible and living in a nursing home or other medical institution. The federal rule says income disregarded at eligibility must be considered there (42 CFR 435.725), but the same section 2418 states that A&A is not considered in determining patient liability and cost share, so under Georgia's manual the A&A amount isn't counted in what a Georgia Medicaid nursing-home resident pays. The income that does count doesn't all go to the facility either: the agency must first deduct five amounts, in the order the regulation lists them, namely a personal needs allowance, maintenance for a spouse at home, maintenance for a family at home, your incurred medical expenses, and any SSI or state supplementary payment you still receive. For VA purposes, meanwhile, unreimbursed medical expenses can reduce your countable income, but only the amount above 5% of your MAPR.
  • Medicaid nursing home coverage can cut the pension to $90 a month. Federal law caps the VA pension at $90 a month, starting the month after admission, for a veteran with no spouse or child, or a surviving spouse with no child, whose nursing facility care is covered by Medicaid. The nursing home can't take that $90. The cap doesn't reach a veteran who has a spouse or child, and the statute excludes a State home for which VA makes per diem payments for nursing home care, so ask an accredited Veterans Service Officer whether it applies to a stay in a Georgia War Veterans Home before you plan around it.
  • The two programs cover different things. Georgia Medicaid does not pay room and board in an assisted living community or personal care home. Its CCSP and SOURCE waivers cover the care services there, and the resident pays for the room and meals out of their own income, which can include a VA pension. When Georgia Medicaid pays for a nursing home, it covers room, board, and care together.
  • Timing matters. Because VA pension income can affect Georgia Medicaid eligibility or a patient's cost of care, the order in which you apply can affect eligibility for one or both. Talk to a benefits counselor who understands both programs before you file.

For the bigger picture of how Georgia Medicaid pays for care, see our guide to Georgia Medicaid long-term care.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The maximum depends on your situation. A veteran alone gets up to $29,093 a year, a veteran with a spouse up to $34,488, and a surviving spouse up to $18,697. VA pays monthly, dividing the yearly amount you're owed by 12 and rounding down to the whole dollar. These are federal rates, identical in Georgia. 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 Georgia?

Contact the Georgia Department of Veterans Service (GDVS) at 404-656-2300, or visit a GDVS Veterans Field Service Office near you. Their VA-accredited Veterans Service Officers help you file, and VA states that an accredited VSO's services on your claim are always free. You should never pay to file an initial claim.

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

Yes. Under SSI income rules, which states apply to aged, blind and disabled applicants, the Aid and Attendance allowance itself is not income at the eligibility stage, so only the basic VA pension counts toward the income limit, and Georgia's Medicaid Policy Manual states that A&A is never considered as income for Medicaid eligibility. The same manual section leaves A&A out of patient liability and cost share, so it isn't counted in what a Georgia Medicaid nursing-home resident pays toward care. One limit matters for nursing home stays: if Medicaid covers nursing facility care for a veteran with no spouse or child, federal law caps the VA pension at $90 a month after the month of admission, with an exclusion for certain State homes. In assisted living, Georgia Medicaid doesn't pay room and board, so the resident covers it from their own income, which can include a VA pension. Talk to a benefits counselor before applying, because timing can affect eligibility for either program.

How long does it take to get approved?

Asked how long a decision takes, the VA's answer is "It depends." It processes claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. To avoid back-and-forth with VA, have the medical examiner be detailed on VA Form 21-2680 and submit all supporting documents at once.

Learn More

VA BenefitsHow to Get VA Aid and Attendance in TexasLearn about VA Aid and Attendance in Texas for 2026: eligibility, the $34,488 yearly ceiling for a veteran with a spouse, how to apply, and free help. MedicareMedicare Plans and Coverage in GeorgiaMedicare in Georgia for 2026: Part A, Part B, Medicare Advantage, Part D, Medigap rules, and the programs that help pay your Medicare costs. MedicaidGeorgia Medicaid Long-Term CareGeorgia Medicaid long-term care in 2026: nursing facility coverage, HCBS waivers (EDWP with CCSP and SOURCE, ICWP, NOW, COMP), PACE, and how to apply. FinancialHow to Pay for Senior Care in GeorgiaHow to pay for senior care in Georgia: 2026 costs, Medicaid CCSP and SOURCE waivers, what Medicare covers, VA Aid and Attendance, and where to get free help. CaregiverGetting Paid as a Family Caregiver in GeorgiaGeorgia pays family caregivers via Structured Family Caregiving (at least 60% of a $110.39 daily rate), CCSP, SOURCE, NOW/COMP, and VA programs. Care TypesAssisted Living in GeorgiaGeorgia has two assisted living licenses that decide what care your parent can get. See what each costs, what Medicaid covers, and how to vet a facility.
Your next step Find personalized help applying for VA Aid and Attendance in Georgia 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.

Still have questions?

Brevy answers from this guide and every other guide here, and can check what you qualify for.

BC

Brevy Care Team

Expert eldercare guidance from Brevy's team of healthcare professionals and researchers.