VA Aid and Attendance in Utah is a federal pension benefit that adds money to a wartime veteran's 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 Utah 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 Utah, including from the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs and its accredited veteran service officers.

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. It isn't a separate program. It's an extra amount added on top of the base VA pension when you need regular care.

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 Utah 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. The veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period. Qualifying periods include World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War (which includes all post-9/11 service). Gulf War veterans need 24 months of continuous active duty, or the full period they were called up.

2. Age or disability. The veteran must be 65 or older, or 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, one personal vehicle, and basic household items don't count.

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 $1,558 a month in 2026.

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 Utah as anywhere else.

Category Annual Rate Monthly Rate
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 $1,454
Each additional child +$2,984 +$249

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, one personal vehicle, and basic household goods. The house you live in doesn't push you over the limit, which matters for the many Utah 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 Utah

The application takes two forms and a medical exam.

Step #1: Get a medical examination. Your doctor fills out 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.

Step #2: Complete the pension application. If you're not already receiving VA pension, submit VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension), which covers your service history, income, net worth, and medical conditions.

Step #3: Submit everything. You can file online at va.gov, mail the forms, or file through an accredited representative such as a Utah veteran service officer. Filing online lets you save your progress and track the claim.

Step #4: Wait for a decision. The VA processes claims in the order received. Expect 3 to 6 months, sometimes longer. A complete application with strong medical documentation moves faster. 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 Utah: UDVMA and 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 Utah.

The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA)

The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, known as UDVMA, is the state agency that connects veterans, retired service members, and their families to the benefits they earned, including federal VA pension benefits like Aid and Attendance. UDVMA doesn't decide your VA claim itself (the federal VA does that), but it employs trained, VA-accredited veteran service officers who prepare and submit claims at no cost. UDVMA divides the state into four outreach regions, Northern Utah, Salt Lake Metro, Central Utah, and Southern Utah, each with its own veteran service officers.

Utah's State Veterans Homes

UDVMA also oversees four state veterans homes, operated through contracts with private nursing-home operators: the William E. Christoffersen Salt Lake Veterans Home in Salt Lake City, the George E. Wahlen Ogden Veterans Home in Ogden, the Central Utah Veterans Home in Payson, and the Southern Utah Veterans Home in Ivins. All four provide skilled nursing care, rehabilitation, long-term care, and memory care for aging and disabled veterans, and they may also serve spouses of veterans and Gold Star parents. 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.

Veteran Service Officers

A Utah veteran service officer can prepare and submit your claim, develop the evidence the VA needs, and represent you on an appeal, all at no cost to you. Accredited officers are also available free of charge through veterans service organizations such as the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and the American Legion. Contact a service officer early rather than waiting until a care crisis forces the issue.

Utah's Veteran Population

Utah has a veteran population of roughly 110,000 to 113,000, making it a smaller-than-average state for total veteran count, though veterans still make up a meaningful share of its adult population, according to the VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. For the exact count in a given year, consult the NCVAS Utah state summary, which publishes the authoritative state-level figure and projections.

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 a Utah veteran service officer, UDVMA, or a Veterans Service Organization like the VFW, American Legion, or DAV.

Need help finding a veteran service officer near you? Ask Brevy's care navigator at brevy.com.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Utah Medicaid

Aid and Attendance and Utah Medicaid are run separately, by different agencies and under different rules. A veteran can receive both at the same time, and Utah's approach here is more favorable than the general rule in many states.

  • Utah Medicaid excludes the A&A allowance from countable income. The Utah Department of Health and Human Services eligibility policy manual (section 415-2) explicitly excludes the VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound allowance from countable income, and also excludes VA payments for unusual (unreimbursed) medical expenses.
  • The nursing-home pension is treated as non-countable. For a veteran on the common "improved" VA pension who enters a nursing home, the VA generally reduces the pension to about $90 per month, and Utah treats that reduced payment as a non-countable Aid and Attendance amount. (An older "protected" pension, for veterans whose first pension check predated December 31, 1978, is instead counted as income.)
  • Receiving A&A doesn't by itself disqualify you. Because the A&A portion is not counted, receiving it does not on its own disqualify a veteran or surviving spouse from Utah Medicaid long-term-care coverage, though the basic pension and other income are still subject to Medicaid's income and asset rules.
  • The two programs cover different things. A&A can pay for costs Utah Medicaid often doesn't, such as room and board in assisted living, while Medicaid may cover the care services themselves and long-term nursing care.

Even with Utah's favorable treatment, the order in which you apply and how income is documented can still matter, so it's worth talking to a benefits counselor who understands both programs before you file.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Contact the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA), which employs VA-accredited veteran service officers across four regions of the state. Their staff prepare and submit VA claims for free, as do accredited officers at the VFW, American Legion, and DAV. You should never pay to file an initial claim.

Yes. Utah's treatment is unusually favorable: its Department of Health and Human Services eligibility policy manual explicitly excludes the A&A or Housebound allowance from countable income, so receiving it does not by itself disqualify a veteran or surviving spouse from Utah Medicaid long-term-care coverage. The basic pension and other income are still subject to Medicaid's rules, so talk to a benefits counselor before applying.

Usually 3 to 6 months, though complex claims can take longer. The most common cause of delay is an incomplete application, so have your doctor be detailed on VA Form 21-2680 and submit all supporting documents at once.

Learn More

Find personalized help applying for VA Aid and Attendance in Utah 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.