VA Pension Eligibility Self-Check

The VA pension, with its Aid and Attendance and Housebound add-ons, can help wartime veterans and surviving spouses pay for care at home, in assisted living or in a nursing home. This self-check walks through the four main tests (wartime service, discharge, age or disability, and financial need) and gives a rough estimate of the yearly benefit using the rates in effect from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026. It is anonymous: nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere. It does not replace a VA decision.

Figures change periodically. Double-check current amounts before relying on them.

The self-check

How the estimate works

1. The MAPR (Maximum Annual Pension Rate) is chosen from the table below based on who is applying and the level of care.
2. Medical expenses above 5 percent of the MAPR are subtracted from yearly income to find countable income.
3. Net worth is countable assets plus countable income. It must be at or below $163,699.
4. The pension is the MAPR minus countable income, paid monthly.

2026 rates used (December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026)

Add $2,984 for each additional dependent child. Two veterans married to each other have their own combined rates. Rates change each December 1. See VA pensions.

Wartime periods

What counts as a medical expense

The VA allows a wide range of unreimbursed medical expenses to reduce countable income, including:

• Medicare Part B, Medicare Advantage, supplement and other health insurance premiums;
• payments to home care agencies and in-home attendants;
• assisted living fees, generally when the person needs help with daily activities or the facility provides health care;
• nursing home costs;
• prescriptions, dental, vision and hearing costs not covered by insurance;
• medical transportation.

Keep receipts and contracts. Payments to family caregivers can count when the care is needed and actually provided; a written agreement helps. See Getting paid by the VA as a family caregiver.

What the self-check does not do

• It does not verify service dates or discharge status.
• It does not decide whether medical evidence supports Aid and Attendance or Housebound.
• It does not apply every VA rule on what counts as income or assets, such as the residential lot size or rules for retirement accounts.
• It does not calculate a penalty for transfers.
• It does not show how the pension will affect Medicaid. See How VA benefits count for Medicaid.

Example

Martha, a surviving spouse with no dependent child, has $22,800 a year in income, pays $62,400 a year for assisted living where she receives help with bathing and dressing, and has $60,000 in savings. Her MAPR at the Aid and Attendance level is $18,697. Her medical expenses minus 5 percent of the MAPR (about $935) are about $61,465, which reduces her countable income to zero. Her net worth is about $60,000, under the limit. The estimated pension is the full $18,697 a year, about $1,558 a month.

Two more examples

A married veteran with savings over the limit. Walter, a Korean War veteran, and his wife have $210,000 in savings and $40,000 a year in income. Walter needs help with daily activities at home, and they pay $18,000 a year for home care. The MAPR for a veteran with one dependent at the Aid and Attendance level is $34,488. Medical expenses above 5 percent of the MAPR (about $1,724) are about $16,276, so countable income is about $23,724. Net worth is about $233,724, above the $163,699 limit. Walter does not qualify now. If his care costs rise and savings are spent on care, he may qualify later. Giving savings away to qualify would risk penalties under both the VA and Medicaid rules.

A veteran whose income is too high. Carl, a Vietnam-era veteran with no dependents, has $45,000 a year in income and $20,000 in savings, and pays $6,000 a year in health insurance premiums. He needs some help at home but pays little for it. His countable income, after medical expenses above 5 percent of the $29,093 Aid and Attendance MAPR, is about $40,450, which is above the MAPR. No pension is payable. If he moves to assisted living and his care costs rise, the answer may change.

Documents to gather

• Discharge papers (DD-214 or equivalent).
• Marriage certificate and, for a surviving spouse, the veteran’s death certificate.
• Social Security and other income statements for the claimant and spouse.
• Bank and investment statements.
• Health insurance premium notices.
• Contracts and invoices for assisted living, home care or nursing home care.
• A physician’s statement or the VA examination form for Aid and Attendance or Housebound.
• Records of any transfers in the past 36 months.

Next steps if the result looks promising

1. Find the discharge papers (DD-214). If lost, they can be requested from the military records center.
2. Gather medical evidence: a physician’s statement or the VA examination form describing the need for help.
3. Document medical expenses: contracts, invoices and insurance premium notices.
4. File an intent to file to protect the effective date while gathering documents.
5. Get free help from an accredited veterans service officer.
6. Think about Medicaid before moving any assets. See VA pension vs. Medicaid.

Avoiding pension scams

Be cautious of anyone who offers “free” VA pension help and then recommends moving assets into annuities or trusts, charges a fee for filing an initial claim, or promises approval. Only VA-accredited representatives, agents and attorneys may help prepare VA claims, and federal rules restrict fees for initial pension claims. Transfers to qualify for the pension can cause a VA penalty and, if a nursing home is needed within five years, a Medicaid penalty as well. See Scams and red flags.

Getting experienced help

VA claims can be prepared with free help from accredited veterans service officers. When a veteran may need Medicaid in the next few years, a Certified Medicaid Planner can explain how VA steps will affect Medicaid. As a rough guide, full planning ranges from about $2,500 to $15,000 or more and hourly help from about $150 to $600.

Frequently asked questions

Does the veteran need a service-connected disability? No.

Does the home count? The primary residence, with a lot up to about two acres, is excluded.

Can a surviving spouse who remarried qualify? Generally no, with some exceptions if the later marriage ended.

How long does a decision take? It varies; several months is common.

What if the veteran already receives disability compensation? The VA generally pays whichever benefit is greater, not both. A veteran with a low compensation rating may receive more from the pension if they qualify.

Is the pension paid to the care provider? No. It is paid to the veteran or surviving spouse, who uses it to pay for care or any other expense.

Can the estimate be wrong? Yes. The VA applies detailed rules on income, assets and medical expenses, and decides the level of care from the medical evidence.

Do I have to report changes after approval? Yes. Report changes in income, assets, medical expenses and living situation promptly to avoid an overpayment.

Related guides

• VA pension eligibility
• The VA look-back and net worth rules
• Veterans hub
• Tools hub

Last updated for 2026. General information only, not legal or financial advice. Medicaid Answers is a free educational resource published by Medicaid Answers Foundation.