A married wartime veteran in Nevada who needs daily help with bathing, dressing, or eating can receive up to $34,488 a year in VA pension in 2026 through Aid and Attendance. VA pays it monthly, and at that ceiling the payment is $2,874 a month, a figure VA publishes itself.

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

In This Guide

What Is Aid and Attendance?

Aid and Attendance (A&A) is an enhanced benefit for veterans and their surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities. There are two routes into it: the VA describes Form 21-2680 as the way to apply for Aid and Attendance benefits "that will be added to your monthly compensation or pension benefits." This guide covers the VA pension route, the one open to a veteran who gets a VA pension. On that route A&A 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 sets the top of the whole pension, not an extra payment layered on the basic rate. A veteran who receives VA disability compensation rather than pension is on the compensation route, and the pension steps below are not their path.

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

  • Bathing or showering
  • Dressing and undressing
  • Eating
  • Using the toilet
  • Adjusting special prosthetic or orthopedic appliances
  • Protecting yourself from everyday hazards

You can also qualify if you're bedridden, 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, or a visual field contracted to 5 degrees or less).

A&A is paid as cash, 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 Nevada 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, and no dishonorable discharge. How much service the VA requires depends on when the veteran started active duty, and any one of three branches satisfies the test. A veteran who started before September 8, 1980 needs at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period. A veteran who started as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980 generally needs at least 24 months of active duty, or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty, again with at least one day during wartime. An officer who started on active duty after October 16, 1981 qualifies on this branch only if they had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months. Recognized wartime periods include World War II (December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946), the Korean conflict (June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955), the Vietnam War era, and the Gulf War (August 2, 1990 through a future date to be set by law or presidential proclamation).

2. Age, disability, nursing-home status, or SSDI/SSI. The veteran must meet at least one of four alternatives: be at least 65 years old; have a permanent and total disability; be a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability; or be getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. These branches are independent of one another, so a wartime veteran under 65 who receives SSI meets this test with no adjudicated disability rating at all.

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 limit from December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026. The VA's net worth calculation counts your and your dependents' assets plus your income for VA purposes, so comparing assets alone against $163,699 gives the wrong answer. Your primary home, your car, and basic home items like appliances you wouldn't take with you if you moved are excluded from the asset side.

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.

2026 VA Aid and Attendance Rates in Nevada

The MAPR (Maximum Annual Pension Rate) is a ceiling, not a payment. The VA calculates your payment as the difference between your income for VA purposes and the MAPR for your category, so the figures below are what a category can reach, not what a claimant receives. These rates are federal, so they're the same in Nevada as anywhere else.

Category Maximum Annual Rate (MAPR)
Veteran, no dependents $29,093
Veteran with spouse $34,488
Two veterans married to each other (both A&A) $46,143
Surviving spouse $18,697
Veteran, no dependents (Housebound) $21,313
Veteran, no dependents (basic pension) $17,441
Each additional dependent +$2,984 a year

The VA publishes these rates as annual amounts, but it pays pension monthly. Under 38 CFR 3.273, your monthly payment is your MAPR less your countable income, divided by 12 and rounded down to the whole dollar. The one monthly figure the VA prints itself is $2,874, which is $34,488 divided by 12.

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, paid in monthly installments. Unreimbursed medical expenses you pay can reduce your income for VA purposes, which raises your benefit, though only the part above 5% of your MAPR counts. For a veteran with one dependent, the VA puts that threshold at $1,141.

The Net Worth Limit and 3-Year Lookback

The 2026 net worth limit is $163,699. The VA's calculation combines your and your dependents' assets (savings, investments, and property other than your home) with your income for VA purposes, so income counts toward the limit, not assets alone.

What counts: bank accounts, stocks, bonds, investment property, IRAs, and other financial assets, plus your annual income.

What doesn't count: your primary residence, your car, and basic home items. The house you live in doesn't push you over the limit, which matters for the many Nevada 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, or put money into an annuity, trust, or other financial product that you can't fully cash out for your own use, and keeping those assets would have put you over 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 Nevada

These are the steps for the pension route, the one the VA opens to a veteran who gets a VA pension. They take two forms and a medical exam, plus VA Form 21-0779 from the nursing home if the veteran is a nursing-home patient, and you can protect your filing date before either form is ready.

1
Step 1

Start the clock if you're still gathering paperwork

A claimant still collecting information can submit VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) first. 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. Covering four benefit types is not the same as protecting all four: an intent to file is bound to the benefit type it names, so a compensation one does not protect a pension date and a pension claim needs its own. The VA's one-at-a-time limit runs per benefit, so file the pension one even while a compensation claim is pending.

2
Step 2

Get a medical examination

A medical examiner fills out the examination 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

A wartime veteran pursuing the pension route who isn't already receiving VA pension submits VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension), which covers service history, income, net worth, and medical conditions. This is the wartime, means-tested pension application, so a veteran seeking Aid and Attendance added to VA disability compensation instead should not file it.

4
Step 4

Submit everything

You can file online at VA.gov, mail the forms to the VA Pension Intake Center, bring them in person to a VA regional office, or file through an accredited representative such as a Nevada Department of Veterans Services Veteran Service Officer. 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 processes claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. A complete application with strong medical documentation avoids avoidable delay, so send every supporting document at once rather than following up with them later.

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 Nevada: NDVS Veteran Service Officers

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 Nevada.

The Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS)

The Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS) helps eligible veterans and their families connect to the VA benefits they earned, including VA pension with Aid and Attendance. Its VA-accredited Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) help you write and submit benefit claims to the VA, track a filed claim through the system, and file an appeal if a claim is denied, all at no cost. NDVS lists nine VSO locations statewide rather than a single office: North Las Vegas (at the VA hospital), Reno, Fallon, Elko, Pahrump, Winnemucca, Mesquite, and one at each state veterans home. Check the local phone number on the NDVS page itself, since a few listings share one displayed number.

Nevada's State Veterans Homes

NDVS also runs Nevada's two state veterans homes. The Southern Nevada State Veterans Home in Boulder City, just outside Las Vegas, is a state-owned and operated 180-bed skilled nursing facility with programs that include Alzheimer's and dementia care. The Northern Nevada State Veterans Home in Sparks, in the Reno area, is a 102,000-square-foot, 96-bed facility offering short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and memory care in a secure community for veterans with dementia. Both homes' pages say they serve veterans, their spouses, and Gold Star parents, but neither page spells out the admission criteria, so get those from the home's own admission application. 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.

Nevada's Veteran Population

The VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics puts Nevada's veteran population at 215,627 for fiscal year 2023 in its Nevada state summary, a modelled estimate rather than a head count, with 45.3% of those veterans 65 or older. With that many veterans across a large, spread-out state, it's worth contacting an NDVS Veteran Service Officer early rather than waiting until a care crisis forces the issue.

A word of caution about paid help: under Nevada law (NRS 417.135), anyone who charges to help you get veterans' benefits must give you a written disclosure that you sign and both of you keep, and that disclosure must say the same services are offered at no cost by federally chartered service organizations and veterans service officers. The rule does not cover a VA-accredited attorney or agent, so a missing form from one of them is not by itself a red flag.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Nevada Medicaid

Aid and Attendance and Nevada Medicaid are separate programs, run by different agencies under different rules, and they can interact. Nevada Medicaid is published by the Nevada Health Authority, and the Nevada Division of Social Services (DSS) determines eligibility, so DSS is where your Medicaid case is decided. A veteran can receive both at the same time, but the two count money differently.

  • At the Medicaid eligibility step, the A&A allowance generally isn't counted. Federal rules have the state apply SSI's income methods to aged, blind, and disabled applicants (42 CFR 435.601), and under SSI rules VA aid and attendance and housebound allowances are not income (SSA POMS SI 00830.308), so the A&A allowance is left out of the income test. The basic pension isn't covered by that exclusion, and a state using stricter rules than SSI can apply other methods, so confirm with DSS how your pension will be treated.
  • The two programs work differently. A&A is cash paid to the veteran or surviving spouse, who decides what care it pays for; Nevada Medicaid pays providers for the services it covers. Ask a Nevada Medicaid worker what Medicaid will and won't pay for in your care setting.
  • In a nursing facility, Nevada leaves A&A out of what you owe. Once you qualify and live in a nursing facility, part of your income goes to the facility as your patient liability, often called share of cost. Nevada's Medical Assistance Manual tells caseworkers to exclude VA Aid and Attendance from both financial eligibility and patient liability. The basic VA pension is treated differently: after any unusual-medical-expense portion is taken out, it does count toward patient liability. A State veterans home is the exception, where the manual says the pension, including any Aid and Attendance portion, is used for patient liability. The manual pages date from 2014 and 2016, so confirm the current treatment with DSS. Counted income reaches the facility only after the deductions the agency is required to make first, in this fixed order: (1) a personal needs allowance, (2) a maintenance allowance for a spouse still at home, (3) a maintenance allowance for other family members at home, (4) incurred expenses for medical or remedial care that no third party will pay, including Medicare and other health-insurance premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance, and (5) any SSI or state supplement you keep receiving (42 CFR 435.725(c)). Those are deductions the agency owes you, not benefits you apply for. Federal law sets only a floor for the personal needs allowance, and a state can protect more, so ask DSS for Nevada's figures before you build a budget around them. That calculation covers a resident of a medical institution. It doesn't set the math for someone getting home and community-based waiver services at home, so ask DSS or an accredited Veteran Service Officer which rule applies to you.
  • A single veteran's pension can drop to $90 a month. If Medicaid covers your nursing-facility care and you're a veteran with no spouse or dependent child, or a surviving spouse with no dependent child, VA can pay no more than $90 a month for any month after the month you're admitted, and that reduced pension counts as Aid and Attendance, not income. A State home that VA pays per diem for its nursing home care is outside that cap, so check your stay with an accredited Veteran Service Officer.
  • Get the interaction checked before you rely on it. Because the exact treatment of VA pension income for Medicaid can vary, talk to a Nevada Medicaid worker or an accredited Veteran Service Officer who understands both programs before you file.

For families thinking ahead about how to protect assets and qualify for long-term-care coverage, our guide to Medicaid planning strategies is a good place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The maximum depends on your situation. A veteran alone can reach up to $29,093 a year, a veteran with a spouse up to $34,488 a year ($2,874 a month), and a surviving spouse up to $18,697 a year. These are federal maximums, identical in Nevada, and the VA publishes them as annual amounts and pays them monthly. Your actual payment is that ceiling less your income for VA purposes, and out-of-pocket medical expenses can lower that income and raise your benefit.

Where can I get free help applying in Nevada?

Contact a Veteran Service Officer at the Nevada Department of Veterans Services (NDVS), which lists nine VSO locations statewide, including North Las Vegas, Reno, and both state veterans homes. Their accredited staff prepare, file, and track VA claims for free. You should never pay to file an initial claim.

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

Yes. A veteran can receive both, and the two programs count VA pension income differently. At the Medicaid eligibility step, the Aid and Attendance allowance is generally not counted, though the basic pension may count. Once you're eligible and living in a nursing facility, Nevada's Medical Assistance Manual also leaves Aid and Attendance out of your patient liability, the amount you pay the facility, while the basic pension does count after any unusual-medical-expense portion is taken out. In a State veterans home, the pension, Aid and Attendance portion included, is used for patient liability. Counted income reaches the facility only after the deductions the agency must make first, in this order: a personal needs allowance, a maintenance allowance for a spouse at home, a maintenance allowance for other family members at home, incurred medical or remedial care expenses no third party will pay, and any SSI or state supplement you keep receiving (42 CFR 435.725(c)). That calculation doesn't cover waiver services at home, so ask the Division of Social Services which rule applies to you. The manual pages date from 2014 and 2016 and the treatment of VA pension income for Medicaid can vary, so talk to the Division of Social Services or a Veteran Service Officer before applying.

How long does it take to get approved?

Asked how long a decision takes, the VA answers "It depends." It works claims in the order it receives them, unless a claim requires priority processing. To avoid needless delay, have the medical examiner be detailed on VA Form 21-2680, submit all supporting documents at once, and consider filing VA Form 21-0966 (Intent to File) while you gather them, which can secure the earliest possible effective date for retroactive payments.

Learn More

MedicaidMedicaid Planning StrategiesSee which assets you keep, how the 5-year look-back works, and the legal moves that qualify you for Medicaid long-term care without losing the house. Care TypesAssisted Living in NevadaAssisted living in Nevada runs about $73,845 to $74,895 a year, near the national median. What the Assisted Living endorsement means and where Medicaid helps. Care TypesNursing Homes in NevadaNursing homes in Nevada in 2026: a semi-private room runs about $141,438 a year, well above the national median. How to check quality and how Medicaid pays. Care TypesMemory Care in NevadaNevada has no standalone memory care license. A facility earns a dementia-care endorsement under NRS 449. See the standards, the cost, and how to vet a place. Care TypesCost of Senior Care in NevadaWhat senior care costs in Nevada in 2026: assisted living runs about $73,845 to $74,895 a year, a nursing home about $141,438 a year. See how to pay. Care TypesAssisted Living vs. Nursing Home in NevadaAssisted living vs. a nursing home in Nevada turns on level of care and who pays: about $73,845-$74,895/year private-pay vs. about $141,438/year a nursing home.
Your next step Find personalized help applying for VA Aid and Attendance in Nevada 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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