New Jersey VA Aid and Attendance can add up to $2,424 a month to a wartime veteran's income in 2026, and the help to apply for it is free. It's money many veteran families paying for daily care never claim.
Aid and Attendance is an enhancement to the VA pension, not a separate program. It pays more each month to a veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with everyday activities like bathing, dressing, or eating, or who is housebound. This guide covers the 2026 rates, who qualifies, the net-worth limit, how to apply, and where to get free, accredited help in New Jersey, because no one should ever charge you to file.
In This Guide
- What Aid and Attendance is
- Whether you qualify
- The 2026 rates
- The net-worth limit and lookback
- How to apply
- Free help in New Jersey
- How it works with New Jersey Medicaid
What Is Aid and Attendance?
Aid and Attendance isn't a standalone benefit you apply for on its own. It's an increase added to the VA pension for veterans, or to the Survivors Pension for surviving spouses, when the person needs another person's help with everyday activities or is largely confined to home. Because it raises the monthly pension, it can meaningfully offset the cost of in-home care, assisted living, or a nursing home.
Do You Qualify?
There are three pieces, and you need all of them.
- Service: the veteran served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period (an honorable or general discharge).
- Clinical need: you need help from another person with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, eating, or managing medications, or you're housebound. A physician documents this.
- Financial: your countable income, after subtracting unreimbursed medical and care expenses, is within the pension limits, and your net worth is under the limit below.
For many families paying privately for care, those care costs are deductible against income, which is what brings a seemingly over-income applicant within reach.
The 2026 Aid and Attendance Rates
These are the maximum annual pension amounts with Aid and Attendance for the period December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026, shown as monthly figures.
| Who | 2026 maximum per month |
|---|---|
| Veteran, no dependents | $2,424 |
| Veteran with one dependent | $2,874 |
| Two married veterans, both needing A&A | $3,845 |
| Surviving spouse | $1,558 |
The pension pays the difference between your countable income and the maximum, so a veteran with little countable income receives close to the full amount.
The Net Worth Limit and 3-Year Lookback
For 2026, the VA net-worth limit is $163,699, which combines countable assets and annual income. Your primary home, vehicles, and basic household items don't count. The VA also applies a 3-year lookback: assets you gave away for less than fair value in the three years before applying can create a penalty period. This is a different rule from Medicaid's five-year lookback, so don't assume they work the same way.
How to Apply for VA Aid and Attendance
You apply for the pension with Aid and Attendance through the VA, with a physician's statement documenting the care need and records of your income, assets, and medical expenses. You can file online, by mail, or with help. The single best move for most New Jersey families is the next section: let a county Veterans Service Officer do it with you, for free.
Free Help in New Jersey: DMAVA and County Veterans Service Officers
This is the part to take to heart. The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs operates a County Veterans Service Office in every one of the state's 21 counties, staffed by trained, VA-accredited Veterans Service Officers. They will help you gather documents, prepare the claim, file it, and track it, all at no charge. The statewide line is 1-844-671-1019.
Be careful of anyone who offers to file your Aid and Attendance claim for a fee or who ties the benefit to buying a financial product. Accredited representatives and county Veterans Service Officers cannot charge to prepare a claim, and the free help is as good as or better than the paid kind.
How Aid and Attendance Works with New Jersey Medicaid
Aid and Attendance and Medicaid are separate programs with separate rules, and many families use them at different stages. A&A can help cover assisted living or in-home care while a veteran's assets are above the Medicaid limit; later, if care needs and costs grow, New Jersey Medicaid and its MLTSS long-term-care program may take over. The income counted by each program is figured differently, so it's worth talking through the timing with a county Veterans Service Officer or an elder-law attorney before you make moves with assets.
Frequently Asked Questions
The maximum is the same as everywhere, since it's a federal benefit: up to $2,424 a month for a veteran with no dependents, $2,874 with one dependent, and $1,558 for a surviving spouse, for December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026. The pension pays the gap between your countable income and the maximum.
A veteran with at least 90 days of active duty including one day during a wartime period (and an honorable or general discharge), or their surviving spouse, who needs help with daily activities or is housebound, and whose income (after care costs) and net worth are within the limits.
For 2026 it's $163,699, combining assets and annual income. Your home, vehicles, and basic belongings don't count. The VA applies a 3-year lookback on gifts or transfers.
No. New Jersey's county Veterans Service Officers prepare and file Aid and Attendance claims for free. Never pay someone to file a VA pension claim.
They're separate programs and interact in complex ways. Many families use Aid and Attendance first and move to New Jersey Medicaid (MLTSS) as care needs grow. Talk to a county Veterans Service Officer or an elder-law attorney about timing.
Learn More
- Your Guide to New Jersey Medicaid (NJ FamilyCare)
- New Jersey Medicaid Eligibility and Income Limits
- How to Get Paid to Care for a Family Member in New Jersey
Find personalized help understanding New Jersey VA Aid and Attendance and how it fits your family's care plan 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.