There’s a little-known veterans’ benefit that helps wartime veterans and their surviving spouses pay for a variety of medical and long-term care costs.br /The VA benefit is called “Aid and Attendance,” a special pension benefit that provides monthly income up to $1,644 for a veteran; $1,056 for a surviving spouse; or $1,949 for a veteran and one dependent. The money can be used to pay for in-home care, assisted living and nursing home care as well medical expenses, prescription drugs and more.br /To qualify, the vet must have served 90+ days of active service with at least one day of service during a period of war (stateside or overseas), and not have been dishonorably discharged. (Single surviving spouses of wartime vets are also eligible if their marriage ended due to death.) The vet will also have to meet certain physical and financial requirements to be eligible.br /To learn more or to apply, contact a veteran’s service organization. Contact the Department of Veterans Affairs at 800–827–1000 or a href=”http://www.va.gov/”www.va.gov/a.
