VA Aid and Attendance can help a Michigan veteran or surviving spouse pay for in-home care in Michigan, turning a benefit many families overlook into real money toward an aide at home. If your loved one needs help with daily activities and would rather stay in their own house than move to a facility, this tax-free monthly payment can cover a meaningful share of the cost.

This guide explains what in-home care costs in Michigan, how much Aid and Attendance pays, how your care bills can actually lower the income the VA counts against you, who qualifies, and how to get free help applying.

In This Guide

How Much In-Home Care Costs in Michigan

In-home care is what lets many Michigan seniors stay in the home they know. But it adds up.

According to the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey, released in March 2026, the median cost of a non-medical caregiver in Michigan was about $6,626 per month, roughly $79,512 a year and about $35 per hour. Beginning with the 2025 survey, CareScout merged the former "homemaker" and "home health aide" categories into a single "non-medical caregiver" rate, since most home-care agencies now charge the same for both. That Michigan figure sits essentially on par with the national non-medical caregiver median of about $80,080 a year.

Those figures assume 44 hours of care a week. Many families need less, and many need more, so your actual bill depends on how many hours of help your loved one needs. Skilled (medical) home health care is billed separately and is often covered by Medicare or Medicaid when it is medically necessary, so the cost families usually pay out of pocket is for non-medical home care. That is exactly the kind of cost Aid and Attendance is built to offset.

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

Aid and Attendance is an increase to the VA pension for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities. It is paid as tax-free cash each month, and there are no rules requiring you to spend it on a particular type of care. You can put it straight toward an in-home aide.

Here is what it pays in 2026, based on the VA's Aid and Attendance pension rates.

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

Set that against the roughly $6,626 a month a Michigan non-medical caregiver costs, and the benefit covers a substantial part of the bill, often more if your loved one needs fewer than full-time hours. For a surviving spouse paying for part-time help, $1,558 a month can cover a large share of the care.

How In-Home Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income

The VA pension is needs-based: the VA pays the difference between your countable income and a yearly limit called the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR). The lower your countable income, the more the VA pays.

This is where in-home care helps in a second way. When a veteran or surviving spouse has a care need, continuing, unreimbursed care costs, including in-home attendant care, can be deducted from countable income. But only the portion of those costs above 5% of the applicable MAPR counts.

For 2026, that floor is $872 per year for a veteran with no dependents and $1,141 per year for a veteran with one dependent. Everything you pay above that floor over the year reduces the income the VA counts.

Picture a veteran paying $20,000 a year for an in-home aide. Subtract the $872 floor, and about $19,128 of those care costs come off countable income for the year. For a family whose income looked too high to qualify, that single deduction can be what brings them under the limit, because large recurring care bills can reduce or even zero out countable income. The care your loved one already needs does double duty: it is the reason for the benefit and the thing that helps them qualify.

Who Qualifies

Aid and Attendance does not require a service-connected disability. To qualify, a veteran must have:

  • Served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period (World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf War era). Gulf War service requires 24 months of continuous active duty or the full period called up.
  • Be 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled.
  • Have a net worth under $163,699 for 2026, which counts assets and annual income but excludes the primary home and a vehicle.
  • Need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or feeding, or be largely confined to bed, in a nursing home due to incapacity, or have severely limited eyesight.

The VA applies a 3-year look-back on assets transferred for less than fair market value, with a penalty period that can reach 5 years. Surviving spouses can qualify under the Survivors Pension with the same net worth limit.

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

Many Michigan families want the person giving care to be a son, daughter, or spouse rather than a stranger. Aid and Attendance is paid directly to the veteran or surviving spouse, so they can choose to use it to pay a family member who provides their care.

There is also a separate VA program built for this. Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) gives a veteran a flexible, clinically determined budget to hire their own caregivers, including family members, friends, and neighbors, and unlike some Medicaid programs it does not bar hiring a spouse. A financial management provider handles payroll and the employer paperwork, and an Area Agency on Aging or Center for Independent Living helps manage the budget.

VDC is available at VA Medical Centers around the country, and eligibility requires VA enrollment, a clinical need for personal care, and a risk of needing facility care. Ask your local VA medical center's social work team whether VDC is offered in your area. It can run alongside an Aid and Attendance pension.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Michigan Medicaid

VA Aid and Attendance and Michigan Medicaid, run by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), are separate programs with different agencies, applications, and rules, and a veteran or surviving spouse can often receive both at the same time.

They count money differently. For the VA pension, unreimbursed care costs can be deducted to lower countable income. Michigan Medicaid applies its own income and asset tests for long-term-care eligibility, and it generally treats VA pension income, including the Aid and Attendance amount, as income, which can affect long-term-care eligibility or raise the share of income a person owes toward care.

Because the two programs interact, the order and timing of applying for each can matter. Talk to a VA-accredited representative or an elder law attorney before you file, so a benefit in one program does not unintentionally cost you in the other.

How to Apply and Get Free Help

You apply for Aid and Attendance with two VA forms:

  • VA Form 21-2680, Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance, completed with a doctor's exam documenting the need for help.
  • VA Form 21P-527EZ, the Application for Veterans Pension, if the veteran is not already receiving a VA pension.

You can file online at va.gov, by mail, or through an accredited representative. Processing often takes 3 to 6 months or longer, so apply as soon as the care need is clear; you can apply while your loved one is already receiving care.

Do not do this alone, and never pay to file an initial claim. The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) connects veterans and families to the benefits they earned, and all of its services are free and confidential. Its VA-accredited Veteran Service Officers, along with county and coalition VSOs, help determine eligibility and prepare and file pension and Aid and Attendance claims at no cost. Start by calling MVAA at 1-800-642-4838.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Yes. Aid and Attendance is paid as tax-free cash to the veteran or surviving spouse, and there is no rule limiting how it is spent. Families commonly use it to pay for an in-home aide, which in Michigan runs about $79,512 a year, or roughly $6,626 a month, for a non-medical caregiver.

How much does Aid and Attendance pay a Michigan veteran for home care?

In 2026 it pays up to $2,424 a month for a veteran alone, up to $2,874 for a veteran with a spouse, and up to $1,558 for a surviving spouse. The exact amount depends on the veteran's countable income, since the VA pays the difference between that income and the yearly pension limit.

Does paying for home care help a veteran qualify?

It can. When there is a care need, continuing in-home care costs above 5% of the applicable pension limit are deducted from countable income; that floor is $872 per year for a veteran with no dependents and $1,141 per year for a veteran with one dependent in 2026. Large care bills can reduce or even zero out countable income, which can bring a family that looked over the limit under it.

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

Often, yes. They are separate programs run by different agencies, so a veteran or surviving spouse can frequently receive both at once. Because VA pension income generally counts for Michigan Medicaid and the timing of applications can matter, have a VA-accredited representative or elder law attorney review your case first.

What if the Aid and Attendance claim is denied?

You have three decision review options after a denial: a Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence, a Higher-Level Review by a more senior reviewer of the same evidence, or an appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals for review by a Veterans Law Judge. The deadline to request any of them is generally one year from the date on the decision letter, and MVAA's accredited VSOs can prepare and file the review for free.

Compare Care Settings in Michigan

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