VA benefits for senior care reach further than most families realize. An older veteran or a surviving spouse may be able to draw on long-term care programs, monthly cash benefits, home modification grants, and burial coverage, sometimes several at once. The hard part is rarely eligibility. It's knowing which programs exist and where to start.

This guide is the map. It walks through each major VA benefit a senior or surviving spouse can use, explains in plain terms what it does, and points you to a detailed guide for each one.

In This Guide

VA Health Care and Long-Term Care

VA health care is the foundation. Enrolling in it is what unlocks access to the VA's long-term care programs and most of its other medical benefits. When a veteran enrolls, the VA assigns them to one of 8 priority groups based on service history, service-connected disability rating, income, and other factors. The VA gives veterans with service-connected disabilities the highest priority and gives the lowest priority to veterans who earn a higher income and have no service-connected disability, and a veteran who qualifies for more than one group is assigned to the highest one.

For a senior, the most important door this opens is long-term care. The VA offers six types:

  • Home Based Primary Care sends a VA physician-supervised team to the veteran's home for ongoing, complex care.
  • Adult Day Health Care is a daytime program offering social activities, companionship, recreation, care, and support.
  • Community Living Centers are VA nursing centers designed to feel like home, providing nursing-home-level care.
  • Community Nursing Homes are non-VA nursing homes the VA contracts with so veterans can get care near home.
  • Respite care gives family caregivers a break, in the home or in a facility.
  • Veteran-Directed Care gives the veteran a flexible budget to hire their own caregivers, including family, friends and/or neighbors.

Eligibility for each program depends on the veteran's priority group, service-connected disabilities, and clinical need. Cost is the part families most often get caught out by, so if adult day care is the program you are weighing, our guide to whether the VA pays for adult day care covers who qualifies and how the copay is decided.

For the full walkthrough of enrollment and how the priority groups work, see VA Health Care Enrollment and Priority Groups.

Not sure which VA program fits your family's situation? Chat with Brevy to get a personalized recommendation.

Aid and Attendance

Aid and Attendance is one of the most useful VA benefits for senior care, and one of the most overlooked. It's a higher pension rate for a veteran or surviving spouse who needs another person's help with everyday activities like bathing, feeding, and dressing, or who is a patient in a nursing home because of the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability. Being largely confined to home is the separate Housebound test, and a veteran cannot receive Aid and Attendance and Housebound at the same time.

The VA publishes the 2026 limits as Maximum Annual Pension Rates: up to $29,093 for a veteran with no dependents, up to $34,488 for a veteran with one dependent, and up to $18,697 for a surviving spouse. VA publishes these rates as annual amounts only, so any monthly figure is the yearly maximum divided by 12: about $2,424, $2,874, and $1,558 a month. Each is a ceiling on the whole pension, basic rate included, not an extra payment on top of it, and VA pays the difference between income for VA purposes and that limit. The money can be put toward in-home care, assisted living, or a nursing home.

Because eligibility rules and the application process touch on state programs, Brevy documents Aid and Attendance state by state. Find your state's guide in the Find Your State's Guide section below for the rules, rates, and local help that apply where your loved one lives.

VA Veterans Pension

The Veterans Pension provides monthly payments to wartime veterans who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, whose income and net worth fall within the limits Congress sets, and who are at least 65 years old, or permanently and totally disabled, or a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. The basic 2026 rate (the Maximum Annual Pension Rate, or MAPR) for a veteran with no dependents is $17,441/year, published as an annual ceiling rather than a monthly payment.

It's a needs-based benefit: the VA pays the difference between the veteran's countable income and the applicable MAPR. Unreimbursed medical expenses, such as in-home care or assisted living, can reduce countable income and bring an otherwise over-income veteran within reach, though only the portion above 5% of the applicable MAPR is deductible. Aid and Attendance and Housebound each raise the MAPR ceiling above the basic rate rather than paying a separate amount on top of the basic pension, and a veteran cannot receive both at once.

Net worth carries its own limit, $163,699 for 2026, and it is a household test rather than an individual one: it counts the veteran's and their dependents' assets together with their annual income for VA purposes, and it includes the net worth of a spouse. It also leaves a great deal out. The home the veteran lives in is not among the assets counted, and neither is the car or basic home items, and the assets that do count are counted net of the mortgages against them. The house you live in doesn't push you over the limit, and a family assuming otherwise is the most common reason a veteran who would qualify never files.

Wartime service is keyed to when the veteran entered active duty, and the VA lists three paths, at least one of which has to be true. Service that began before September 8, 1980 requires at least 90 days of active duty with at least 1 day during wartime. Enlisted service that began after September 7, 1980 requires at least 24 months (with some exceptions), or the full period for which the veteran was called or ordered to active duty, with at least 1 day during wartime. And a veteran who started on active duty as an officer after October 16, 1981 qualifies if they had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months.

For the full eligibility rules and how the income math works, see VA Pension for Wartime Veterans.

VA Survivors Pension

The Survivors Pension (once called the Death Pension) is a needs-based, tax-free benefit for a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse of a deceased wartime veteran., For 2026, the basic maximum rate for a surviving spouse with no dependents is $11,699/year (about $974 a month), rising to $18,697/year (about $1,558 a month) when the survivor also qualifies for Aid and Attendance.

As with the Veterans Pension, the VA pays the difference between the survivor's countable income and the applicable rate, generally in 12 equal monthly payments. The same $163,699 net worth limit and 3-year asset look-back apply, and so do the same exclusions: the home the survivor lives in, her car, and basic home items are not counted against it.

For who qualifies and how to apply, see VA Survivors Pension.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

DIC is a separate, tax-free monthly benefit for survivors when the veteran's death was connected to their service, or when the veteran had a totally disabling VA rating for a qualifying period before death., The Survivors Pension is the needs-based one, where eligibility rests on income and net worth; DIC instead turns on the service connection of the death.

For 2026, the base monthly rate for an eligible surviving spouse is $1,699.36/month. Add-ons can stack on top, including an Aid and Attendance allowance and a Housebound allowance for survivors who need extra care. A survivor eligible for both DIC and the Survivors Pension is paid whichever is greater, not both.

For the full rate table and eligibility, see VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).

Housebound Benefits

Housebound benefits are a higher pension rate for a veteran or surviving spouse who spends most of their time in their home because of a permanent disability, one that doesn't go away. For a veteran with no dependents, the Housebound MAPR is $21,313/year, higher than the $17,441 basic rate but below the $29,093 Aid and Attendance rate. Like the others, it is a ceiling on the whole pension rather than an add-on amount.

A person can receive either Housebound or Aid and Attendance, not both at the same time. Which one fits depends on the level of help the person needs.

For a side-by-side look at Housebound and how it compares to Aid and Attendance, see VA Housebound Benefits.

Home Modification Grants

For veterans who want to age in place, the VA offers grants to adapt a home for a qualifying disability. The main programs are the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant, the Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grant, and the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant. These can fund wheelchair access, bathroom modifications, and other changes that make a home safer and more livable.

Each grant has its own eligibility rules and dollar limits tied to the veteran's disability. In fiscal year 2026, the SAH grant is worth up to $126,526.

For who qualifies and how much each grant covers, see VA Adaptive Housing Grants.

Burial and Memorial Benefits

The VA provides burial and memorial benefits for eligible veterans and, in some cases, their spouses and dependents. These can include burial in a VA national cemetery, a headstone or marker, a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, and partial reimbursement of burial and funeral costs.

Planning ahead can spare a family difficult decisions during an already hard time.

For what's covered and how to arrange it, see VA Burial and Memorial Benefits.

How VA Works with Medicare and Medicaid

VA benefits don't replace Medicare or Medicaid, a veteran isn't required to enroll in Medicare to keep VA health care, and a veteran or surviving spouse can often receive VA pension and Medicaid at the same time., But the programs don't coordinate or pay each other. You choose which coverage to use each time you get care, and VA health care isn't creditable coverage for Medicare Part B, so delaying Part B while you rely on the VA carries a lifetime Part B late-enrollment penalty that the VA does not shield you from.

  • VA and Medicare: Many veterans keep both, but the two generally cannot pay for the same items or services. Each time you get care you choose which benefit to use: Medicare pays for Medicare-covered items and services, and the VA pays for VA-authorized services.
  • VA and Medicaid: Medicaid looks at VA pension in two steps. Deciding financial eligibility for an aged, blind, or disabled applicant, a state applies SSI income methodologies, under which the aid and attendance and housebound allowances are not income, so only the basic pension counts toward the income limit; only the 8 states that use eligibility criteria more restrictive than SSI, the 209(b) states, may count it there. Once a person is eligible, the federal post-eligibility rule (42 CFR 435.725) reaches only institutionalized individuals in SSI states, and where it governs the allowance can raise what the resident owes; in a 209(b) state or on a waiver it does not settle the answer. Our state Aid and Attendance guides cover the rule where you live.

Each pairing has its own rules, and getting them right can change what a family pays out of pocket.

For how these fit together, see How VA Health Benefits Work with Medicare and How VA Benefits Work with Medicaid for Long-Term Care.

How to Get Started With VA Benefits for Senior Care

1
Step 1

Confirm VA health care enrollment

If the veteran isn't already enrolled in VA health care, that's the first step, because enrollment is what determines access to VA long-term care and other medical programs. A veteran can apply online at va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply, and an accredited representative can help.

2
Step 2

Get accredited help

You don't have to file alone. A veteran can apply for VA health care with help from an accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative. Which kind you choose affects what it costs: the services an accredited VSO representative provides on a VA benefit claim are always free, and only an accredited attorney or claims agent may charge you a fee at all, and then only for representation provided after the VA has issued notice of its initial decision on the claim, so no one should charge you to prepare and file the initial application. Your state's veterans agency and county Veterans Service Officers are good places to start, and the VA's own search at va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative lists who is accredited near you.

3
Step 3

Gather the DD-214

You'll need the veteran's DD-214 (discharge papers), along with medical records documenting the need for care and financial information. If the DD-214 can't be found, the National Personnel Records Center can provide copies, requested through va.gov.

Find Your State's Guide

Many VA senior care benefits, especially Aid and Attendance, run alongside state programs like Medicaid and state veterans homes, and the local help available varies by where you live. That's why Brevy maintains state-specific VA Aid and Attendance and senior-care guides for all 50 states.

Look up your state's guide for the rates, rules, state veterans homes, and free local help that apply where your loved one lives, then come back here to connect it to the national benefits above.

Pick your state for its VA senior-care and Aid and Attendance guide, with the local rates, state veterans homes, and free help near you.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does a veteran have to be service-connected disabled to get VA senior care benefits?

Not for all of them. The Veterans Pension and Aid and Attendance are based on wartime service, a discharge that wasn't dishonorable, age or disability, and financial need, not a service-connected disability. Some long-term care and home grant programs, however, do depend on a service-connected disability or priority group.

How much does Aid and Attendance pay in 2026?

For 2026, the VA's Maximum Annual Pension Rate with Aid and Attendance is $29,093 for a veteran with no dependents, $34,488 for a veteran with one dependent, and $18,697 for a surviving spouse. Divided by 12, that works out to about $2,424, $2,874, and $1,558 a month. Each of those is a ceiling on the whole pension, which already includes the basic rate, rather than an extra amount added to it, and VA pays the difference between income for VA purposes and that limit.

Can a surviving spouse get VA benefits for senior care?

Yes. A surviving spouse of a wartime veteran may qualify for the Survivors Pension, whose basic maximum is $11,699/year and rises to $18,697/year with Aid and Attendance. A survivor whose spouse died from a service-connected cause may instead qualify for DIC.

What is the difference between DIC and the Survivors Pension?

The Survivors Pension is needs-based with income and net worth limits, while DIC is paid when the veteran's death was service-connected, with a 2026 base of $1,699.36/month. A survivor eligible for both is paid whichever is greater, not both.

More VA Benefits

How to Qualify for VA Pension and Aid and Attendance

Learn More

VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance: Eligibility and How to ApplyVA Aid and Attendance explained: the 2026 monthly amounts, who qualifies, the medical-expense rule that unlocks it, what it pays for, and how to apply. VA BenefitsVA Health Care Enrollment and Priority GroupsHow VA health care enrollment and priority groups work for older veterans: who can enroll, the 8 priority groups, copays, how to apply, and long-term care. VA BenefitsVA Pension for Wartime VeteransVA pension for wartime veterans: 2026 eligibility, MAPR rates, net worth limit, and how to apply for this needs-based monthly benefit for low-income seniors. VA BenefitsVA Survivors PensionHow the VA Survivors Pension works in 2026: who qualifies, the income and net worth limits, monthly rates, and how Aid and Attendance raises the benefit. VA BenefitsVA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)A survivor's guide to VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): 2026 rates, who qualifies, how remarriage affects it, appeals, and how to apply. VA BenefitsVA Housebound BenefitsVA Housebound benefits raise a veteran's or survivor's pension ceiling when a disability confines them to home. See 2026 rates, eligibility, and how to apply. VA BenefitsDisabled Veteran Property Tax Exemptions by StateMost states fully or partially exempt a service-connected disabled veteran's home from property tax. See how the three models work and find your state. VA BenefitsVA Adaptive Housing GrantsHow VA adaptive housing grants help veterans age in place: SAH, SHA, and HISA explained, 2026 grant maximums, who qualifies, and which VA form to file. VA BenefitsVA Burial and Memorial BenefitsVA burial benefits for veterans and spouses in 2026: who can be buried in a national cemetery at no cost, the allowance amounts, and survivor support. VA BenefitsHow VA Health Benefits Work with MedicareHow VA health benefits and Medicare work together for veterans: why they don't coordinate, the Part B penalty trap, Part D drug coverage, and what to enroll in. VA BenefitsHow VA Benefits Work with Medicaid for Long-Term CareHow VA benefits and Medicaid work together for long-term care in 2026: the $90 nursing-home pension cap, how each counts income, and why state rules matter. VA BenefitsVA Benefits for Veterans With Dementia and Alzheimer'sThe VA benefits that help veterans with dementia: Aid and Attendance, VA health care and home-based care, caregiver support, respite, and how to start. VA BenefitsVA Survivors Benefits: A Guide for Surviving SpousesVA benefits for a surviving spouse: DIC vs Survivors Pension, Aid and Attendance, CHAMPVA health coverage, burial benefits, and how to apply in 2026.
Your next step Find personalized help navigating VA senior care benefits 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.