VA Aid and Attendance in Minnesota is a federal pension benefit that pays a wartime veteran a larger monthly check when they need regular help with everyday tasks like bathing, dressing, or eating. For a veteran with a spouse, it can reach $2,874 a month ($34,488 a year) in 2026. It's one of the most underused VA benefits, and many Minnesota veterans and surviving spouses 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, and where to get free help filing in Minnesota, including from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and your county veterans service officer.

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 that 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 maximum for the entire pension, not the basic rate with an extra amount added on. Aid and Attendance is not paid only through a pension, though. The VA also adds it to a veteran's monthly disability compensation, which is a different route with its own rules; this guide covers the pension side.

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 Minnesota families piecing together long-term care.

Not sure whether your parent qualifies for Aid and Attendance? Check 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. How much active duty the VA requires turns on when the veteran started serving, not on which war. A veteran who started 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. A veteran who started active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980 generally must have served at least 24 months, or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty, again with at least one day during wartime. A third branch covers officers: a veteran who started active duty as an officer after October 16, 1981 qualifies under that branch if they had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months. Qualifying periods include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War (which includes all post-9/11 service).

2. No dishonorable discharge, plus age or disability. The veteran must not have received a dishonorable discharge. On top of that, at least one of these four must be true: they are at least 65 years old; they have a permanent and total disability; they are a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability; or they are getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. Any single one of the four satisfies this test on its own, so a wartime veteran under 65 who receives SSI qualifies here without ever having been rated 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 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.

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, worth up to $18,697 a year in 2026, or about $1,558 a month.

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 Minnesota as anywhere else. The VA publishes them as annual amounts; a monthly payment is the yearly award divided by 12.

Category Annual Rate (MAPR) Monthly Equivalent
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 $18,697 $1,558
Veteran, no dependents (Housebound) $21,313 $1,776
Veteran, no dependents (basic pension) $17,441 $1,453
Each additional dependent +$2,984 +$248

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 about $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 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 recognizes 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. That is a qualitative test rather than a count, so the rule sets no limit on the number of vehicles. The house you live in doesn't push you over the limit, which matters for the many Minnesota veterans who own their homes outright but live on a modest fixed income.

The 3-Year Lookback Rule

The VA reviews any assets you transferred for less than fair market value in the three years before you file your claim. 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. The penalty can be steep, so it's worth getting advice before you move money.

How to Apply for VA Aid and Attendance in Minnesota

The steps below are the pension route, the one this guide is about: the VA says you may be eligible for Aid and Attendance if you get a VA pension. VA Form 21-2680 covers a second route as well, because the VA describes it as the form used to apply for Aid and Attendance "that will be added to your monthly compensation or pension benefits." A veteran who receives VA disability compensation rather than a pension follows that compensation route and should not file the wartime pension application below.

1
Step 1

Consider filing an intent to file first

If you're still gathering information, you can submit VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) before the rest of the paperwork is ready. The VA says submitting an intent to file "can secure the earliest possible effective date for any retroactive payments you may be eligible to receive," and the form covers disability, Veterans pension, survivors pension, and DIC claims. That matters because the medical examination in the next step can take weeks to schedule.

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.

3
Step 3

Complete the pension application

On the pension route, a wartime veteran who is not already receiving a VA pension also files a pension claim on VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension). It covers your service history, income, net worth, and medical conditions. A veteran already receiving a VA pension does not need it, and neither does a veteran pursuing Aid and Attendance on top of disability compensation.

4
Step 4

Submit everything

You can apply 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, such as your county veterans service officer, can help you file. Filing online lets you save your progress and track the claim.

5
Step 5

Wait for a decision

Asked how long a decision takes, the VA answers "It depends." It adds that it processes claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. A complete application with strong medical documentation avoids the back-and-forth that adds time. 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 Minnesota: MDVA and County Veterans Service Officers

You don't have to file this claim alone, and under Minnesota law you cannot be charged for a county veterans service officer's help.

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA)

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, known as MDVA, is the state's front door for veterans and their families. Its St. Paul and Fargo Claims Divisions represent veterans and their dependents who are seeking federal veterans benefits with regards to compensation, non-service connected pension, vocational rehabilitation, or educational benefits, and MDVA tells veterans with questions about which benefits they may be eligible to receive to contact their County Veterans Service Officer. MDVA's LinkVet is a one-stop service center staffed by support specialists trained through MDVA; reach it at 1-888-LinkVet (1-888-546-5838).

MDVA also operates eight Minnesota Veterans Homes, in Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, Minneapolis, Montevideo, Preston, and Silver Bay. These are 24/7 facilities offering a mix of skilled nursing, special care units for dementia and Alzheimer's, domiciliary (residential) care, rehabilitation, and recreational therapy; every resident must require skilled nursing care. For a veteran weighing assisted living or nursing care, an A&A award can help cover costs whether they stay at home or move into one of these homes.

County Veterans Service Officers

This is where Minnesota's system stands out. State law requires the county board of any county, or the boards of two or more counties acting jointly, to appoint a county veterans service officer (CVSO), and it is that officer's duty to aid all residents of the subdivision that employs them in securing the benefits provided by law on account of military service, so long as the discharge was other than dishonorable.

Their help is not just free as a courtesy. Minnesota Statutes section 197.604, titled "Unlawful to Pay Fee," makes it unlawful for any person to pay a county veterans service officer, or for a CVSO to receive any fee directly or indirectly, for any service rendered in securing those benefits; a violation is a gross misdemeanor. You can find your local CVSO through MDVA.

Minnesota's Veteran Population

Minnesota had 286,597 veterans as of FY2024, according to the VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. They skew older than the country's veterans as a whole: 52.8% are 65 or over, against 45.6% nationally, which is exactly the age band Aid and Attendance is written for. With that many veterans, demand on county offices is real, so it's worth contacting yours early rather than waiting until a care crisis forces the issue.

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 county veterans service officer, MDVA, or a Veterans Service Organization like the VFW, American Legion, or DAV.

How VA Aid and Attendance Works with Minnesota Medical Assistance

Aid and Attendance and Minnesota's Medicaid program, called Medical Assistance (MA) and run by the Department of Human Services, are run separately, under different rules. A veteran can receive both at the same time, but the two count money differently, and one point here is unusually important.

  • In Minnesota, A&A counts as income for Medical Assistance. This is the most important state-specific point. Unlike many states, Minnesota's DHS Eligibility Policy Manual provides that VA Aid and Attendance benefits are not excluded for Medical Assistance, even for a person receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI). They are counted as income. Because states treat A&A differently, don't assume the rule you read for another state applies here.
  • The two programs cover different things. A&A can pay for costs MA often doesn't, such as room and board in assisted living, while MA may cover the care services themselves and long-term nursing care.
  • A&A affects what you contribute toward care. Once on MA in a nursing facility, recipients generally contribute most of their income toward the cost of care after allowable deductions. Federal post-eligibility rules require that income disregarded when eligibility was determined still be counted in that share-of-cost calculation (42 CFR 435.725), so the A&A amount counts toward what you owe the facility.
  • Incurred medical expenses are only one of five deductions. Before the agency reduces its payment to the nursing facility, 42 CFR 435.725(c) requires it to deduct five amounts from the resident's total income, in this order: (1) a personal needs allowance for clothing and other personal needs while in the institution; (2) for a resident with only a spouse at home, an additional amount for that spouse's maintenance needs; (3) for a resident with a family at home, an additional amount for the family's maintenance needs; (4) incurred expenses for medical or remedial care that are not subject to payment by a third party; and (5) the full amount of any SSI and state supplementary payments the resident continues to receive. All five are amounts the agency must deduct, not benefits a family applies for, and the amount for a spouse at home comes off before anything reaches the facility. The dollar figures are set at the state level, so ask your county MA eligibility worker what each will be in your case.
  • Timing and advice matter. Because VA pension income factors into Minnesota MA, the order in which you apply can affect eligibility, and the rules are nuanced. Confirm how your specific VA pension and A&A payments are treated with your county veterans service officer and your county MA eligibility worker before you file.

For the bigger picture of protecting assets while planning for long-term care, start with our guide to Medicaid planning strategies.

Common Misconceptions

A few misunderstandings keep Minnesota veterans and surviving spouses from applying when they would actually qualify. Here are the ones worth clearing up.

"My husband served in peacetime, so A&A doesn't apply." Wartime periods are specific calendar ranges. World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War (which includes all post-9/11 service) each cover fixed dates, and a veteran only needs one day of active duty during one of those periods. Many veterans who describe themselves as "peacetime veterans" actually served during a recognized wartime window.

"A&A is only for service-connected injuries." It isn't. Under the pension program, the disability does not have to be service-connected at all, and the test is not just age: a wartime veteran meets it by being 65 or older, by having a permanent and total disability, by being a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or by receiving SSDI or SSI. Service-connected disability compensation is a separate benefit with its own rules, and Aid and Attendance can be added to that monthly compensation instead.

"Her savings are too high, so she won't qualify." The 2026 net worth limit of $163,699 combines assets and annual income, but your primary home and family vehicles suitable to a reasonable mode of life don't count, and out-of-pocket care costs reduce the income you have to report. A Minnesota widow who owns her home and pays several thousand dollars a month for care often qualifies even when her account balance looks too high at first glance.

"I have to pay someone to file the claim." No. Minnesota law makes it unlawful to pay a county veterans service officer, or for one to receive any fee directly or indirectly, for any service rendered in securing your benefits, and a violation is a gross misdemeanor.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The maximum depends on your situation. A veteran alone gets up to $29,093 a year (about $2,424 a month), a veteran with a spouse up to $34,488 a year (about $2,874 a month), and a surviving spouse up to $18,697 a year (about $1,558 a month). These are federal rates, identical in Minnesota. Your actual payment is reduced by your countable income, and out-of-pocket medical expenses can lower that income and raise your benefit.

Where can I get free help applying in Minnesota?

Contact your county veterans service officer, or the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-888-LinkVet (1-888-546-5838). A CVSO's duty is to aid residents in securing the benefits their service earned, and Minnesota law makes it unlawful for a CVSO to receive any fee for that work.

Can I receive Aid and Attendance and Minnesota Medical Assistance at the same time?

Yes, but the interaction matters. In Minnesota, VA Aid and Attendance is counted as income for Medical Assistance and is not excluded, which is different from how some other states treat it. The programs can still complement each other, with A&A covering costs MA doesn't, like assisted living room and board. Confirm the details with your county veterans service officer and county MA eligibility worker before applying.

How long does it take to get approved?

The VA's own answer is "It depends." It works claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. The most common cause of delay is an incomplete application, so have the medical examiner be detailed on VA Form 21-2680 and submit all supporting documents at once. If you're still gathering paperwork, filing VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) first can secure the earliest possible effective date for any retroactive payments.

Learn More

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Find personalized help applying for VA Aid and Attendance in Minnesota 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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Brevy Care Team

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