VA Aid and Attendance is one of the most useful and most overlooked ways to help pay for in-home care in Virginia. It is a monthly cash benefit added to a veteran's or surviving spouse's VA pension, and because it is paid as cash, the money can go straight toward an aide who comes to the house. For a family trying to keep a parent at home rather than move them to a facility, that monthly check can be the deciding factor.

This guide explains exactly how Aid and Attendance works for in-home care, how much it pays in 2026, who qualifies, and how to get free help filing the claim.

In This Guide

How Much In-Home Care Costs in Virginia

In-home care in Virginia runs close to the national line. According to the Genworth/CareScout 2024 Cost of Care Survey, the most recent state-level data, a home health aide runs about $75,504 per year in Virginia and homemaker services about $73,216 per year (each on a 44-hour-per-week basis).

A homemaker helps with errands, meals, and housekeeping. A home health aide adds hands-on help with bathing, dressing, and similar daily tasks. These are industry-survey medians, not government figures, and Northern Virginia runs higher than rural parts of the state. Either way, paying for in-home care out of pocket adds up fast, which is why an extra monthly benefit matters.

How Aid and Attendance Helps Pay for In-Home Care

Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly pension the VA pays on top of a qualifying veteran's or surviving spouse's basic VA pension when they need help with daily activities. It is paid as cash, so unlike a benefit that only covers care at a specific facility, the money can go toward an in-home aide, a homemaker, or other care costs at home.

Here is what the benefit pays in 2026 (rates effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026):

Category Maximum Monthly Amount
Veteran alone $2,424
Veteran with one dependent $2,874
Surviving spouse $1,558

Against Virginia's roughly $75,504-a-year cost for a home health aide, the maximum veteran rate covers a meaningful share of part-time in-home care. It rarely covers full-time care on its own, but combined with other income it can keep a loved one safely at home.

How In-Home Care Costs Lower Your Countable Income

VA Pension, including the Aid and Attendance increase, is a needs-based benefit: the VA pays the difference between your countable income and a set income ceiling called the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR). Because the benefit is keyed to income, recurring out-of-pocket care costs can be subtracted from your countable income, which can make a family that looked "over income" eligible after all.

The rule has a floor. Only the portion of your unreimbursed medical expenses that exceeds 5% of the applicable MAPR counts. For 2026, that floor is $872 per year for a veteran with no dependents and $1,141 per year for a veteran with one dependent. In-home attendant care for daily activities counts as a deductible medical expense when there is a documented care need.

For example, a veteran paying for an in-home aide might spend $22,000 over a year on that care. The first $872 does not count, but the remaining roughly $21,000 can be subtracted from countable income, often lowering 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 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period (such as World War II, Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf War). Gulf War service has its own length-of-service rules.
  • Age or disability: be 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled.
  • A need for aid and attendance: need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, or eating, or be bedridden, in a nursing home due to incapacity, or have severely limited eyesight.
  • Net worth under $163,699 for 2026, which counts assets and annual income but excludes the primary home, a vehicle, and basic household goods.

The VA reviews asset transfers made for less than fair market value during the three years before you file, so it is worth planning ahead. A surviving spouse can qualify under the Survivors Pension version of the benefit.

Using Aid and Attendance to Pay a Family Caregiver

Because Aid and Attendance is paid as cash, a family can use it to help compensate a relative who provides care at home. There is no VA rule that forces you to hire an outside agency.

If you want a more structured way to pay a family caregiver, ask your VA medical center about Veteran-Directed Care (VDC). VDC gives a veteran a flexible, clinically set budget to hire their own caregivers, including family members and even a spouse, with a financial management service handling payroll. Eligibility requires VA enrollment, a clinical need for personal care, and risk of needing institutional care. VDC is a separate program from the Aid and Attendance pension, but the two can both support care at home.

How Aid and Attendance Works with Virginia Medicaid

VA Pension, including Aid and Attendance, generally counts as income when a senior applies for Medicaid long-term care, but the two programs use different income rules, so coordination matters. Under federal VA rules, a pension claimant's countable income can be reduced by unreimbursed medical expenses such as home health services, which is why much of the Aid and Attendance amount is often effectively attributable to medical costs. For Medicaid, that medical-expense portion can frequently be offset so that not all of the VA pension counts against Medicaid's much lower income limits, though the precise treatment depends on the pathway and is determined case by case.

In Virginia, Medicaid is called Cardinal Care and is administered by the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS); it provides long-term services and supports, including nursing-facility care and home- and community-based waiver services such as the Commonwealth Coordinated Care Plus waiver. A veteran receiving Aid and Attendance who also needs Medicaid long-term care should have the income and unreimbursed-medical-expense treatment reviewed for their situation, ideally with a DVS benefits representative or DMAS.

How to Apply and Get Free Help

You apply for Aid and Attendance using two VA forms: Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance), which a doctor completes to document the need for help, and Form 21P-527EZ (Application for Veterans Pension) if you are not already receiving a pension. You can file online at va.gov, by mail, or through an accredited representative. Processing often takes three to six months or longer.

Do not do this alone. The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS) provides free claims assistance through a statewide network of benefit service offices, where trained, accredited Veterans Service Representatives help veterans and families apply for and file federal VA claims, including VA Pension and the Aid and Attendance enhanced pension. All DVS services are free, and DVS encourages veterans to work with a representative before filing rather than self-filing or paying a third party.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Aid and Attendance is paid as cash added to a VA pension, so the money can go directly toward an in-home aide, a homemaker, or other care at home. It is not tied to a specific facility, which makes it well suited to families keeping a loved one at home.

Up to $2,424 a month for a veteran alone, up to $2,874 for a veteran with one dependent, and up to $1,558 for a surviving spouse. These are maximums; the actual amount depends on your countable income.

Not necessarily. The VA subtracts unreimbursed care costs above a yearly floor of $872 (or $1,141 with one dependent) from countable income, so families that look over the limit often still qualify once in-home care costs are counted.

Often yes. VA pension generally counts as income for Cardinal Care, but the medical-expense portion can frequently be offset so not all of it counts against Medicaid's limits. Have the treatment reviewed with a DVS representative or DMAS.

Compare Care Settings in Virginia

Aid and Attendance can help pay for any care setting. See how it works for the others:

Learn More

Find personalized help using VA benefits to pay for in-home care in Virginia 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.