VA Aid and Attendance adds monthly payments to a VA pension for a Utah veteran who needs another person's help with daily activities like bathing, feeding and dressing. A surviving spouse can receive it through Survivors Pension.

For a family keeping a parent at home, the care bill matters twice: payments to an in-home attendant can count as a medical expense that lowers the income VA counts, which can raise the pension or help a family qualify.

In This Guide

How Much In-Home Care Costs in Utah

According to the CareScout Cost of Care Survey 2025 (the most recent release, published March 2026), Utah's median for a non-medical caregiver at home is $39 an hour, or $89,804 a year at 44 hours of care per week. That is above the national median of $35 an hour, or $80,080 a year. Beginning with the 2025 survey, CareScout merged the former "homemaker" and "home health aide" categories into this single "non-medical caregiver" rate, so older home-care figures aren't a like-for-like comparison. Utah's cost growth has been uneven: CareScout ranks Utah No. 7 among the states where senior care costs grew fastest between 2022 and 2025, but the increases differ sharply from one type of care to the next.

These are industry-survey medians, not government rates: costs vary within the state and rise as care needs grow. A fixed household bill can come down too. If the veteran staying at home was disabled in military service with a disability of at least 10 percent, Utah's Veterans with a Disability Exemption can lower the property tax on the home, scaled to the percentage of disability; no exemption is allowed for a disability below 10 percent. See our guide to Utah's disabled veteran property tax exemption for who qualifies and how to file with the county.

How Aid and Attendance Helps Pay for In-Home Care in Utah

Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly pension the VA pays a qualifying veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities, at a higher maximum rate than the basic VA pension. On the pension route it is not a second payment on top of the pension: the higher Maximum Annual Pension Rate replaces the basic rate.

Here are the 2026 maximums (rates effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026). VA publishes these as annual rates but pays the pension monthly: under 38 CFR 3.273, it subtracts your countable income from the annual rate that applies to you and divides what's left by 12.

Category Maximum Annual Rate
Veteran alone $29,093
Veteran with one dependent $34,488
Surviving spouse, no dependent child $18,697

These are ceilings, not payment amounts: the Maximum Annual Pension Rate is the maximum amount of pension payable, and VA pays the difference between your income for VA purposes and that limit.

Even the $34,488 rate for a veteran with one dependent is well under Utah's median of $89,804 a year for a non-medical caregiver at 44 hours a week, and the actual award is lower still once countable income is subtracted.,

How In-Home Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income for Aid and Attendance in Utah

VA Pension, including the Aid and Attendance increase, is a needs-based benefit: to be eligible, your yearly family income and net worth have to meet limits set by Congress. Because the benefit is keyed to income for VA purposes, unreimbursed medical expenses, including qualifying in-home care, can be deducted from that income, which can make a family that looked over the income limit eligible after all.

The rule has a floor. Only the portion of your unreimbursed medical expenses above 5% of the applicable Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) counts, and that MAPR excludes any aid-and-attendance or housebound increase. The VA states the deduction this way: "If you have medical expenses, you may deduct only the amount that's above 5% of your MAPR amount ($872 for a Veteran with no spouse or child)." The floor rises with dependents. Payments to an in-home attendant who provides health care or custodial care count as a medical expense, as long as the payments are commensurate with the number of hours the attendant provides care. If the attendant isn't a health care provider, the payments still count when the veteran needs aid and attendance or is housebound, or when a physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist states in writing that, due to a physical, mental, developmental, or cognitive disorder, the veteran requires the care the attendant provides.

As a hypothetical example, a veteran with no spouse or child paying for an in-home aide might spend $25,000 over a year on that care. The first $872 does not count, but the remaining roughly $24,000 can be subtracted from countable income, which can lower it enough to qualify for the pension or increase the amount paid.

Who Qualifies

To qualify for Aid and Attendance, a veteran generally must meet all of the following:

  • Wartime service: at least one of these. Started active duty before September 8, 1980 and served at least 90 days on active duty with at least 1 day during wartime; started active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980 and served at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), with at least 1 day during wartime; or was an officer who started active duty after October 16, 1981 and had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months, with at least 1 day during wartime. Wartime periods include World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Gulf War.
  • No dishonorable discharge, plus age, disability, or benefit status: any one of these four is enough. 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. A wartime veteran under 65 who gets SSI meets this test on that basis alone.
  • A need for aid and attendance: at least one of these. Need another person's help with daily activities such as bathing, feeding and dressing; have to stay in bed (or spend a large part of the day in bed) because of illness; be a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability; or have limited eyesight (even with glasses or contact lenses, only 5/200 or less in both eyes, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less).
  • Net worth under $163,699 for 2026. VA's net worth calculation counts the claimant's and their dependents' assets and annual income together, so assets alone are not the test; the primary home, a vehicle, and basic household goods are excluded.

The VA looks back 36 months (3 years) from the date it receives the pension claim, and a covered transfer of assets for less than fair market value in that window can draw a penalty period of up to 5 years, so it is worth planning ahead. A surviving spouse can receive Aid and Attendance under the Survivors Pension, which has its own rates.

When a Family Member Provides the Care

VA's rules say that care given by a relative or another member of the household will not prevent VA from granting the Aid and Attendance allowance.

If you want a way to pay a family caregiver, ask your VA medical center about Veteran-Directed Care (VDC). VDC gives an enrolled veteran a flexible budget, managed by the veteran or their representative, to hire and supervise their own workers, and those workers can include family, friends, or neighbors. An enrolled veteran is eligible if they are eligible for community care, meet the clinical criteria for the service, and the program is available to them. VA medical centers deliver VDC through local aging and disability network agencies, such as area agencies on aging, which help plan the care and arrange fiscal management services.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Utah Medicaid

For Utah seniors who need long-term care, the Aid and Attendance allowance and Utah Medicaid can work together. Utah Medicaid's eligibility policy explicitly excludes the VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound allowance from countable income, and also excludes VA payments for unusual medical expenses.

Because the Aid and Attendance portion is not counted, receiving it does not by itself 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. That exclusion settles eligibility only, not the bill. If your parent later moves into a nursing facility on Medicaid, a separate federal post-eligibility rule (42 CFR 435.725) sets what the resident owes the facility each month, and under it, income that was disregarded in determining eligibility must be considered. For a veteran with no spouse or child, or a surviving spouse with no child, whose nursing-facility care Medicaid covers, federal law cuts the improved pension to $90 a month after the month of admission, and Utah's manual says that $90 is not counted as income (some state veterans homes follow a different rule). Utah's policy does not settle how a full-rate Aid and Attendance amount, such as one paid to a veteran with a spouse or child, counts toward the bill, so confirm that with Utah DWS or Utah Medicaid. Before any income goes to the facility, the agency must deduct a personal needs allowance (Utah's is $45), allowances for a spouse or family at home, incurred medical or remedial care expenses that no third party pays, and any SSI and state supplementary payments the resident continues to receive. That facility rule does not set the share of cost for someone receiving home- and community-based waiver services at home, so if your parent stays home on a Medicaid waiver, ask Utah Medicaid which rule applies to them. Confirm your specific situation with Utah Medicaid and an accredited Veteran Service Officer before relying on any single rule.

How to Apply and Get Free Help

Every claim starts with VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance), whose examination information section a medical examiner completes to document the need for help. That form covers Aid and Attendance "that will be added to your monthly compensation or pension benefits," so it serves two routes.

The steps below are the pension route, the one this guide is about: as the VA puts it, "You may be eligible for this benefit if you get a VA pension." On that route, a wartime veteran who is not already receiving VA pension also files VA Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension) alongside the 21-2680. Form 21-2680 also covers a veteran who gets VA disability compensation, where VA describes the increase as added to the compensation; the 21P-527EZ is specifically the pension application. In-home care costs go on VA Form 21P-8416 (Medical Expense Report), which VA says is for medical or dental expenses you paid and weren't reimbursed for and don't expect to be reimbursed for. You can file online at VA.gov, by mail to the VA Pension Intake Center, in person at a VA regional office, or through an accredited representative. 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.

Do not do this alone. The Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA) offers free assistance to veterans and their family members with claims, applications, and appeals to the VA, and its Veteran Service Officers are trained and accredited to represent Utah veterans in filing claims and during the appeals process. Reach UDVMA's main office at 801-326-2372 to schedule a meeting with a VSO in person, over the phone, or by video conference. UDVMA also lists accredited representatives at the DAV, the American Legion, and the VFW, and per the VA, the services an accredited VSO representative provides on your claim are always free, while an accredited attorney or claims agent can charge you fees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Aid and Attendance be used to pay for in-home care in Utah?

It can help in two ways. Aid and Attendance adds monthly payments to a VA pension. And payments to an in-home attendant who provides health care or custodial care are a medical expense that can lower the income VA counts, as long as the payments match the hours of care and, for an attendant who isn't a health care provider, the veteran needs aid and attendance or is housebound, or a listed clinician states the need in writing.

How much does Aid and Attendance pay in 2026?

Up to $29,093 a year for a veteran alone, up to $34,488 a year for a veteran with one dependent, and up to $18,697 a year for a surviving spouse with no dependent child. VA publishes annual rates and pays the pension monthly, and these are ceilings rather than payments: the actual award is the difference between your income for VA purposes and the limit that applies to you.

Does my parent's income disqualify them if it looks too high?

Not necessarily. The VA subtracts unreimbursed care costs above a yearly floor of $872 for a veteran with no spouse or child, and the floor rises with dependents, so a family that looks over the limit can still qualify once in-home care costs are counted.

Can a veteran get both Aid and Attendance and Utah Medicaid?

Yes, it is possible. Utah Medicaid explicitly excludes the Aid and Attendance allowance from countable income, so receiving it does not by itself disqualify a veteran, though the basic pension and other income still count. That exclusion applies to the eligibility test, not the bill: if the veteran later lives in a nursing facility on Medicaid, a separate post-eligibility rule (42 CFR 435.725) sets what they owe the facility, and Utah's policy does not settle how a full-rate Aid and Attendance amount counts there, so confirm with Utah DWS or Utah Medicaid. That facility rule does not cover a veteran receiving waiver services at home, so ask Utah Medicaid which rule applies.

Compare Care Settings in Utah

See how Aid and Attendance applies in other Utah care settings:

Learn More

VA BenefitsVA Aid and Attendance in UtahVA Aid and Attendance in Utah for 2026: who qualifies, rates up to $34,488 a year, how to apply, and free help from UDVMA accredited veteran service officers. VA BenefitsVA Benefits for Senior Care in UtahA complete guide to VA senior care benefits in Utah: home care, nursing homes, Aid and Attendance, state veterans homes, and how to access them in 2026. Care TypesHome Care vs Home Health in UtahHome care vs. home health in Utah: home health is skilled care Medicare covers at $0, home care is non-medical help it won't, and the state licenses each apart. FinancialHow to Pay for In-Home CareHow to pay for in-home care in 2026: what it costs and how Medicare, Medicaid HCBS waivers, VA benefits, and long-term care insurance each help cover it. VA BenefitsHow VA Aid and Attendance Pays for Assisted LivingHow VA Aid and Attendance helps pay for assisted living: the 2026 annual pension limits, the medical-expense rule, who qualifies, and how to apply. VA BenefitsVA Benefits for Senior Care: A Complete GuideA complete guide to VA benefits for senior care: long-term care, Aid and Attendance, pensions, DIC, and home grants for older veterans and surviving spouses.
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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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