Albany Senior AdvisorWhat is VA Aid and Attendance?
Aid and Attendance is an increased VA pension amount for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need another person's help with daily activities, are bedridden, live in a nursing home because of disability, or have limited eyesight, and who meet the pension's income and net worth rules.
It is paid to the veteran or survivor, not to a facility, so it can help with assisted living, home care or a nursing home. The pension is need-based: unreimbursed medical expenses, including assisted living costs tied to care, reduce countable income.
How much does Aid and Attendance pay in 2026?
For December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026, the maximum annual pension rate with Aid and Attendance is $29,093 for a veteran with no dependents, $34,488 with one dependent and $18,697 for a surviving spouse with no dependents.
| Household | Maximum annual pension | Roughly per month |
|---|---|---|
| Veteran with no dependents, Aid and Attendance | $29,093 | $2,424 |
| Veteran with one dependent, Aid and Attendance | $34,488 | $2,874 |
| Two veterans married to each other, both A&A | $46,143 | $3,845 |
| Surviving spouse, no dependents, Aid and Attendance | $18,697 | $1,558 |
| Veteran with no dependents, Housebound | $21,313 | $1,776 |
VA pension rates in effect December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026.
The amounts are maximums: the actual payment is the maximum minus countable income after deductions.
What is the VA net worth limit?
The VA's net worth limit for pension, including Aid and Attendance, is $163,699 for the current rate year, counting assets plus annual income, with a three-year look-back on transfers that would bring someone under the limit.
A primary residence is generally excluded. Penalty periods can apply to assets given away within the look-back.
Where do Capital Region veterans get help applying?
Accredited veterans service officers help for free, and every county in the region has a veterans service agency; the Stratton VA Medical Center in Albany serves enrolled veterans' health care separately.
Use only VA-accredited representatives. No one may charge a fee to help file an initial pension claim, and offers to reposition assets for a fee deserve real skepticism.
Can Aid and Attendance be combined with Medicaid?
In a Medicaid nursing home the VA generally reduces a single veteran's pension to $90 a month, and that amount is not counted toward the cost of care; outside a nursing home the pension counts as income for Medicaid purposes.
Timing matters when both programs are in play. An elder law attorney or accredited representative can sequence the applications.
Side by side
| Aid and Attendance | Aid and Attendance is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need daily help | Limited to service-connected disability |
| Money | Up to $29,093 a year for a single veteran | Paid to the facility |
| Assets | Net worth limit of $163,699 | Unlimited |
| Help | Free from accredited service officers | Something you should pay to file |
Where this page states a rule or a dollar figure, it relies on New York statute or regulation (Social Services Law, Public Health Law, 18 NYCRR and 10 NYCRR), Department of Health GIS messages and directories, CMS, the VA or CareScout, as named in the text. How we source facts: editorial standards.
