VA Survivors Pension and Aid and Attendance: 2026 Guide

If your late spouse served during a wartime period and your income is limited, the VA Survivors Pension can pay a surviving spouse up to $975 a month, tax-free.1 Add the Aid and Attendance (A&A) allowance on top, and that maximum rises to $1,558 a month for survivors who need help with everyday activities. Yet it remains one of the most overlooked benefits available to a veteran's widow or widower.

In 2026, the basic Survivors Pension pays an eligible surviving spouse with no dependents up to $11,699 a year ($975 a month), and adding Aid and Attendance raises that maximum to $18,697 a year ($1,558 a month).1 This guide explains who qualifies, the 2026 income and net worth limits, how much the pension pays, and exactly how to apply.

In This Guide

• Key Takeaways
• What Is the VA Survivors Pension
• Who Qualifies
• VA Survivors Pension Rates for 2026
• Net Worth Limit and Look-Back
• How Aid and Attendance Increases the Benefit
• Survivors Pension vs DIC
• How to Apply
• If Your Claim Is Denied
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Learn More

What Is the VA Survivors Pension

The VA Survivors Pension, once called the Death Pension, is a needs-based, tax-free monthly benefit for a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse or unmarried dependent child of a deceased wartime veteran.1 It is meant for survivors with modest income and assets, and the payment is calculated to bring that income up toward a set maximum.

The VA does not pay a flat amount. Instead, it pays the difference between the applicable Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) and the survivor's countable income, in equal monthly installments.1 So a survivor with very little income receives close to the full maximum, while a survivor with income approaching the limit receives less.

Because it is needs-based, Survivors Pension is different from compensation paid for a service-connected death. It does not require that the veteran's death was related to military service. It does require wartime service, low income, and limited net worth.

Who Qualifies

To receive Survivors Pension, both the deceased veteran's service and the survivor's own situation must meet the VA's criteria.1

Wartime service of the deceased veteran. The veteran must have met wartime-service requirements and must not have received a dishonorable discharge:1

• For service beginning before September 7, 1980: at least 90 days of active duty with at least 1 day during a recognized wartime period.
• For service beginning on or after September 7, 1980: generally at least 24 months (or the full period ordered to active duty) with at least 1 day during a wartime period.

Un-remarried surviving spouse. The surviving spouse must not have remarried after the veteran's death.1 An unmarried dependent child of the deceased veteran may also qualify.

Income and net worth limits. The survivor's countable income must fall below the applicable MAPR, and net worth must stay under the limit described below.1

VA Survivors Pension Rates for 2026

The figures below are the Maximum Annual Pension Rates for a surviving spouse with no dependents, effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026.1 The actual benefit is the difference between the applicable maximum and your countable income.

The Housebound and Aid and Attendance figures are higher because they account for the added cost of care a survivor needs when they are largely confined to the home or need help with everyday activities. You qualify for one of these higher rates, not both at once.

Net Worth Limit and Look-Back

For the period December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026, the net worth limit for Survivors Pension is $163,699.1 Net worth combines your assets and your annual income. It excludes your primary residence, your vehicles, and basic household items. This is the same limit the VA uses for the Veterans Pension.3

The VA applies a 3-year (36-month) look-back.1 When you file, the VA reviews assets you transferred for less than fair market value during the 3 years before the filing date. A disqualifying transfer can trigger a penalty period of up to 5 years, during which you are not eligible for the pension.1

Because of the look-back, moving money or property to qualify is rarely as simple as it sounds. If you are considering it, speak with a VA-accredited representative or an elder law attorney first.

How Aid and Attendance Increases the Benefit

Aid and Attendance is an added allowance, not a separate program. It raises the maximum a surviving spouse can receive from the basic $11,699/year ($975/month) to $18,697/year ($1,558/month).1

You may qualify for the Aid and Attendance increase if you need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or feeding yourself; if you are bedridden or spend a large part of the day in bed because of illness; if you are a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity; or if you have very limited eyesight.3 A doctor's examination documents that need.

Because the pension pays the gap between the maximum and your countable income, qualifying for Aid and Attendance raises the ceiling and therefore raises your monthly payment. Out-of-pocket medical and care expenses you pay can also reduce your countable income, which can further increase the benefit.

Survivors Pension vs DIC

Surviving spouses often confuse Survivors Pension with Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), but they serve different situations. DIC is paid when a veteran's death was service-connected, meaning it resulted from a service-related injury or illness. Unlike Survivors Pension, DIC is not income-limited, so a survivor's income and assets do not reduce or disqualify the benefit.4

In short: Survivors Pension is needs-based and tied to wartime service, while DIC is tied to a service-connected death and pays regardless of income. A survivor cannot receive both at the same time and is paid the greater of the two when eligible for either.4 If you think the death may have been service-connected, read our guide to VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) to compare, or see our VA survivors benefits overview for every survivor benefit side by side.

How to Apply

Applying for Survivors Pension follows a clear sequence. If you are also claiming the Aid and Attendance increase, you complete one extra form along the way.

If Your Claim Is Denied

If the VA denies your Survivors Pension claim, or grants less than you expected, you have three decision-review options, and you generally choose just one.6

• Supplemental Claim. File this when you have new and relevant evidence the VA did not have when it reviewed your case. You can file a Supplemental Claim at any time, but filing within one year of the date on your decision letter preserves your earliest possible effective date.
• Higher-Level Review. Ask a more senior reviewer to re-examine the same evidence. You cannot submit new evidence, and you must request it within one year of the date on your decision letter.
• Board Appeal. Appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals, where a Veterans Law Judge reviews your case. This option must also generally be requested within one year of your decision letter.

A VA-accredited representative can help you choose the right option and prepare the appeal at no cost. Use the VA's accredited-representative search tool to find a VSO, claims agent, or attorney, or call the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-1000 (TTY: 711).6

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