We will discuss a non-administration associated incapacity benefit for the bereft mate of a conflict time veteran. These will primarily be widowed spouses of veterans who served in Korea, Vietnam, or the civil war pensions.
A huge number of veteran's widows have barely any insight into this VA benefit. They mistakenly believe that their veteran spouse must have witnessed or participated in combat. They frequently hear that the veteran must have been wounded or killed in action before they can receive any benefits from the VA.
All of these are false!
The veteran had to have been on active duty for at least one day during the "official" times of WWII (12/7/1941 - 12/31/1946), Korea (6/27/1995 - 1/31/1955), and Vietnam (8/5/1964 - 5/7/1975), and had to have been on active duty for at least 90 days all together.
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and the civil service crewmember of the ocean-going Merchant Marine during World War II are the eligible arms of service. To be eligible, the veteran must have been discharged with honorable conditions.
If certain requirements are met, the VA's widowed spouse aid and attendance benefit can provide up to $1,057 per month in financial assistance. And one of them is not the veteran who was killed or wounded in action!
The government's cost of living index is the basis for Social Security's annual increase in this aid and attendance benefit in December. Essentially, that is the VA help and participation advantage will change by the very rate that Government managed retirement changes their advantage.
Sadly, there is a lot of speculation that there won't be a benefit increase in 2010 for Coca-Cola.
Let's take a look at how a wartime veteran's widow can get this aid and attendance benefit from the VA:
First, the service time that we talked about earlier.
Second, the surviving spouse must no longer be able to drive safely. Thirdly, your private doctor must indicate on a medical evaluation form that you require assistance with activities of daily living. This means that you cannot drive. Grooming, dressing, bathing, hygiene, satisfying natural needs, and eating are all examples of common tasks. Somebody experiencing dementia, visual deficiency or is wheelchair bound will likewise qualify.
Fourthly, liquid assets ought to be less than $80,000. This amount ought to be lower the older the widowed spouse. Cash, stocks, bonds, IRAs, money market accounts, 401(k)s, annuity funds, U.S. savings bonds, certificate of deposits, and mutual funds are all examples of liquid assets. Personal property, the primary residence, and a vehicle are not considered liquid assets. Second homes and collectibles with significant market value would be considered liquid assets. The good news is that the VA currently allows asset transfers without any look-back or exclusion penalties.
Finally, the VA calculates the widowed spouse's "countable income" to determine the monthly benefit they are eligible to receive. This basically is all out family pay from all sources including profits and interest less qualified clinical and care costs.
The VA has a very specific list of things that can be taken out of income to get the countable income they will use to determine eligibility and qualification. The VA does not recognize many desired expenses as qualified expenses.
The sad reality is that the VA doesn't make it easy to learn about this aid and attendance benefit for widowed spouses or understand how to apply for it. Fortunately, there are numerous sources of assistance. Make sure you, your parents, or your grandparents are aware of the VA's aid and attendance benefit for widowed spouses.
