A wartime veteran in Massachusetts who needs daily help with bathing or dressing can add up to $2,874 a month to their pension, and a surviving spouse up to $1,558. VA Aid and Attendance in Massachusetts is one of the most underused VA benefits, and many 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, how it fits with the state's own Chapter 115 benefit, and where to get free help filing from the Veterans' Service Officer in your city or town.

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 an extra amount added on top of the base VA pension when you need regular care.

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).

A&A is tax-free, and 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 Massachusetts families piecing together long-term care, where assisted living and nursing care run among the highest in the country.

Not sure whether your parent qualifies for Aid and Attendance? Chat 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. The veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period. Qualifying periods include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War (which includes all post-9/11 service). Gulf War veterans need 24 months of continuous active duty, or the full period they were called up.

2. Age or disability. The veteran must be 65 or older, or 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. It counts your assets plus your annual income combined. Your primary home, one personal vehicle, and basic household items don't count.

Surviving spouses qualify too. If the veteran has passed away and the surviving spouse needs help with daily activities, they can apply for the VA Survivors Pension with Aid and Attendance.

2026 Aid and Attendance Rates

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 Massachusetts 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, no dependents $18,697 $1,558
Veteran, no dependents (Housebound) $21,313 $1,776
Veteran, no dependents (basic pension) $17,441 $1,454
Each additional child +$2,984 +$249

Here's how the math works. 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 $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 Look-Back

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, one personal vehicle, and basic household goods. In a high-cost-of-living state like Massachusetts, where home values run well above the national average, that home exclusion matters. The house you live in doesn't push you over the limit.

The 3-Year Look-Back Rule

The VA reviews any assets you transferred for less than fair market value in the three years before you file your claim, the 36-month look-back set under federal rule 38 CFR 3.276. 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. It's also worth knowing that the VA look-back is a different test from the five-year look-back MassHealth uses for long-term care, so a transfer can be fine for one program and a problem for the other.

How to Apply for VA Aid and Attendance in Massachusetts

The application takes two forms and a medical exam.

Step #1: Get a medical examination. Your doctor fills out 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.

Step #2: Complete the pension application. If you're not already receiving VA pension, submit VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension), which covers your service history, income, net worth, and medical conditions.

Step #3: Submit everything. You can file online at va.gov, mail the forms, or file through an accredited representative such as your local Veterans' Service Officer. Filing online lets you save your progress and track the claim.

Step #4: Wait for a decision. The VA processes claims in the order received. Expect 3 to 6 months, sometimes longer. A complete application with strong medical documentation moves faster. 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 Massachusetts: Your Town's Veterans' Service Officer

You don't have to file this claim alone, and you should never pay to file an initial VA claim. Free, accredited help is built into the way Massachusetts runs veterans' services.

Every City and Town Has a Veterans' Service Officer

Unlike most states, Massachusetts puts a Veterans' Service Officer (VSO) in every single city and town. These municipal officers take applications for state veterans' benefits and help veterans and their families obtain and file federal VA benefits, including an Aid and Attendance claim, at no cost to you. A VSO can prepare your forms, gather the medical and financial evidence the VA needs, and follow the claim through to a decision. Because the office is local, you can usually meet in person in your own community.

The Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS)

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services (EOVS) is the state agency that oversees benefits and advocacy for Massachusetts veterans, working alongside the federal VA and local offices. The Healey-Driscoll administration created EOVS in 2023, elevating the former Department of Veterans' Services to a cabinet-level secretariat. EOVS administers the state's Chapter 115 program, oversees the state Veterans' Homes, and can point you to the VSO for your town. You can reach EOVS at (617) 210-5480.

The Massachusetts Veterans' Homes

Massachusetts runs two state Veterans' Homes, in Chelsea and Holyoke, that provide long-term care to eligible Massachusetts veterans. The Holyoke home runs a long-term nursing facility with 24-hour licensed nursing, and the rebuilt Chelsea home is licensed as a skilled nursing facility with a memory care unit and an adult day health program. To be admitted, you generally need to be a Massachusetts resident, be medically suitable for long-term nursing care, meet the veteran service definition, and provide a DD-214. For a veteran weighing nursing care, an A&A award can help cover costs whether they stay at home, move to assisted living, or enter one of these homes.

A Note on Massachusetts' Veteran Population

Massachusetts is home to roughly 264,000 veterans, based on the VA's 2024 estimate used by the state's Office of the Veteran Advocate, and that population skews older, with a large share over age 60. An older veteran population is exactly the group Aid and Attendance is built for, yet many eligible families never file. Contacting your VSO early, rather than waiting until a care crisis, gives the claim time to be approved before the bills pile up.

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 your town's VSO or a Veterans Service Organization like the VFW, American Legion, or DAV.

Need help finding the Veterans' Service Officer for your town? Connect with Brevy's care navigator at brevy.com.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Chapter 115 and MassHealth

Two other programs sit alongside Aid and Attendance for Massachusetts veterans: the state's own Chapter 115 benefit and MassHealth, the state Medicaid program. They count money differently from the VA and from each other, so a few points are worth understanding before you file.

Chapter 115: The Massachusetts Difference

Chapter 115 (Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 115) is a state-funded, needs-based benefit that pays eligible low-income Massachusetts veterans and their dependents monthly assistance for food, shelter, fuel, and medical and dental care. It's administered by the same municipal Veterans' Service Officers who file your VA claim. Most states have nothing like it.

The two benefits interact through income. Chapter 115 sets eligibility and the benefit amount with a formula that counts income from all sources, so your VA pension and Aid and Attendance income are counted when the state looks at whether you qualify for Chapter 115 and for how much. In practice, an A&A award can reduce or end a Chapter 115 payment, while a low-income veteran who doesn't qualify for A&A may lean on Chapter 115 instead. One protection is built in: if a federal or state cost-of-living increase pushes you over the Chapter 115 income line, you don't lose your Chapter 115 benefit for that same year.

Because the exact offset depends on your full financial picture, this is the strongest reason to work with your VSO. The same officer can run both the federal A&A claim and the Chapter 115 determination and tell you how one affects the other.

MassHealth

A veteran can receive Aid and Attendance and MassHealth at the same time, but the programs are run separately and count money differently.

  • A&A income doesn't automatically disqualify you from MassHealth. VA pension income is counted when MassHealth looks at your finances, but unreimbursed medical and care expenses can reduce your countable income for both programs.
  • The two cover different things. A&A can pay for costs MassHealth often doesn't, such as room and board in assisted living, while MassHealth may cover the care services themselves and long-term nursing care.
  • Timing matters. Because VA pension income factors into MassHealth, the order in which you apply can affect eligibility. Talk to a benefits counselor who understands both programs before you file.

For the bigger picture of paying for long-term care in the state, see our guide to how to pay for senior care in Massachusetts.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Chapter 115 counts income from all sources, including VA pension and Aid and Attendance, so your A&A award is factored into whether you qualify for Chapter 115 and for how much. The two can overlap, but A&A income may reduce or end a Chapter 115 payment. Your local Veterans' Service Officer can run both and explain how one affects the other.

Contact the Veterans' Service Officer for your city or town. Every Massachusetts community has one, and their accredited staff prepare and file VA claims for free. You can also reach the Executive Office of Veterans Services at (617) 210-5480. You should never pay to file an initial claim.

Usually 3 to 6 months, though complex claims can take longer. The most common cause of delay is an incomplete application, so have your doctor be detailed on VA Form 21-2680 and submit all supporting documents at once.

Learn More

Find personalized help applying for VA Aid and Attendance in Massachusetts 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.

BC

Brevy Care Team

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