VA Aid and Attendance pays up to $2,424 a month for a wartime veteran, and most families don't realize it can even pay a relative to provide the care. It's a monthly cash benefit paid directly to the veteran, who decides how to spend it: a home health aide, a homemaker, or a family member providing the care. For a wartime veteran or surviving spouse in Illinois who needs help with daily activities, it can be what keeps them at home.

This guide explains what in-home care costs in Illinois, how much Aid and Attendance pays, who qualifies, and how the benefit works alongside Illinois Medicaid.

In This Guide

How Much In-Home Care Costs in Illinois

According to the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey (released March 2026), in-home care in Illinois costs about $82,368 per year. The 2025 survey merged the former homemaker and home-health-aide categories into a single "non-medical caregiver" line, so that figure covers non-medical help at home. For comparison, Illinois nursing-home costs run somewhat below the national medians, while Illinois assisted living sits close to the national figure.

These are industry-survey medians, not government figures, and costs are higher in the Chicago metro than downstate, climbing as care needs grow. This is exactly the kind of expense Aid and Attendance is designed to offset.

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

Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly VA pension for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities. It is paid as cash directly to the veteran, who decides how to use it. There is no requirement to spend it at a particular agency, so it can pay for a home health aide, a homemaker, or a family caregiver.

Category Monthly Amount
Veteran alone Up to $2,424
Veteran with spouse Up to $2,874
Surviving spouse Up to $1,558

At up to $2,424 a month for a veteran, the benefit covers a meaningful share of Illinois's roughly $82,368-a-year in-home care cost, and at up to $2,874 a month for a veteran with a spouse it covers even more., Keep in mind the VA pays the veteran; the veteran arranges and pays for the care.

How In-Home Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income

VA pension, including the Aid and Attendance increase, is a needs-based benefit: the VA pays the difference between your countable income and a set annual limit. Continuing, out-of-pocket care costs, such as paying a home health aide, count as unreimbursed medical expenses (UMEs) that reduce the income the VA counts, which is why many veterans who look "too rich" on paper still qualify once their care bills are subtracted.

Only the portion of those expenses above 5% of the applicable annual pension limit is deductible. For 2026 that floor is about $872 per year for a veteran with no dependents and $1,141 per year for a veteran with one dependent. So if a veteran pays $82,368 a year for in-home care, nearly all of it counts against income once the first roughly $872 is set aside. In-home and attendant care qualify as deductible expenses when the veteran has a documented need for that care.

Do You Qualify for Aid and Attendance?

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, a veteran generally must:

  • Have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period
  • Be 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled
  • Need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or feeding, or be housebound
  • Have a net worth below $163,699 (this limit includes assets and annual income but excludes the primary home and vehicle)

The VA enforces a 3-year look-back on assets transferred for less than fair market value before filing. A surviving spouse can qualify under the Survivors Pension using the same net worth limit.

If your net worth is above $163,699, you are not automatically shut out. Recurring care costs paid out of savings lower your net worth over time, and an accredited Veteran Service Officer or an elder law attorney can help with net worth planning before you file.

Using Aid and Attendance to Pay a Family Caregiver

Many families want to keep care in the family, and there are two ways VA benefits make that possible. First, because Aid and Attendance is cash paid to the veteran, the veteran can simply use it to pay a relative who provides care.

Second, the Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) program gives the veteran a flexible monthly budget to hire their own caregivers, including family members. The veteran (or their representative) decides who provides care and how to spend the budget, and a financial management service handles payroll and taxes. Unlike many Medicaid programs, VDC has no blanket ban on hiring a spouse. To ask about VDC, contact your local VA medical center's social work or geriatrics department.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Illinois Medicaid

For an Illinois senior who needs Medicaid to pay for long-term care, Aid and Attendance and Medicaid interact, and for a veteran who qualifies for both, the math can get confusing fast because the treatment of Aid and Attendance income isn't always applied consistently. Illinois Medicaid is administered by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), and for nursing-home residents it uses a patient-liability model in which essentially all monthly income goes toward the cost of care, except for a personal needs allowance, Medicare premiums, and any protected allowance for a community spouse. As a general federal rule, VA pension income is generally counted as income for Medicaid, but the portion that consists of Aid and Attendance paid for unreimbursed medical expenses may be treated differently and is often excluded from the income applied to the cost of care.

Because this treatment depends on your situation and how the benefit is characterized, confirm with HFS, the Illinois Department of Human Services (which determines Medicaid eligibility), or an accredited Veteran Service Officer before relying on it.

How to Apply for VA Aid and Attendance Home Care in Illinois

You don't have to do this alone, and the steps below are straightforward once you know the order.

1
Step 1

Get a medical exam

Have your doctor complete VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance), documenting the need for help with daily activities.

2
Step 2

File the pension application

If you are not already receiving a VA pension, also file VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension).

3
Step 3

Get free help from a Veteran Service Officer

The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs provides free, VA-accredited Veteran Service Officers who file compensation and pension claims (including Aid and Attendance) at no charge. Find the nearest office at veterans.illinois.gov/serviceoffices.html, or use a county Veterans Assistance Commission, which many Illinois counties operate for free claims help.

4
Step 4

Wait for a decision, and appeal if needed

Claims commonly take 3 to 6 months. If your claim is denied, a Veteran Service Officer can help you file a supplemental claim or an appeal at no cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Aid and Attendance to pay for a home health aide in Illinois?

Yes. Aid and Attendance is paid as cash to the veteran, who can use it for a home health aide, a homemaker, or other in-home care. With in-home care in Illinois running about $82,368 a year, the benefit of up to $2,424 (or up to $2,874 with a spouse) covers a meaningful share of the cost.

Does the VA provide the in-home care directly?

No. The VA pays the veteran a monthly cash benefit; the veteran arranges and pays for the care. That's what makes the benefit flexible enough to cover an agency aide or a family caregiver.

Can my income be too high to qualify if I'm paying for care?

Often not. Out-of-pocket in-home care counts as an unreimbursed medical expense that lowers the income the VA counts, but only the portion above about $872 a year (or $1,141 with one dependent) is deductible. Large care bills can reduce countable income enough to qualify.

Can I get both Aid and Attendance and Illinois Medicaid?

Yes, the two are separate programs and can be received together. Because the income treatment depends on your situation, confirm with HFS, the Illinois Department of Human Services, or an accredited Veteran Service Officer.

Compare Care Settings in Illinois

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

Learn More

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Your next step Find personalized help using VA benefits to pay for in-home care in Illinois 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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