VA Pension Eligibility: Who Qualifies

The VA pension, including its Aid and Attendance and Housebound add-ons, has four main tests: wartime service, discharge status, age or disability, and financial need. A veteran or surviving spouse must pass all four. This guide explains each test in plain language, with examples, so families can tell whether applying makes sense. For what the pension pays, see VA pensions. For a quick screen, try the VA pension eligibility self-check.

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

Test 1: Wartime service

The veteran must have served on active duty during a recognized wartime period. The service does not need to have been in combat or overseas.

Minimum service

• If the veteran entered active duty before September 8, 1980: at least 90 days of active duty, with at least one day during a wartime period.
• If the veteran entered active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980: generally at least 24 months of active duty or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), with at least one day during a wartime period.
• If the veteran was an officer who started on active duty after October 16, 1981 and had not previously served 24 months: similar minimum-duty rules apply.

Wartime periods recognized by the VA

Many veterans now in their 60s, 70s and 80s served during the Vietnam era or the Gulf War period, even if they never deployed.

Test 2: Discharge status

The veteran must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Honorable and general discharges generally qualify. Other discharges are reviewed case by case. Proof is usually the DD-214 or equivalent separation papers, which can be requested from the military records center if lost.

Test 3: Age or disability

At least one of these must be true:

• the veteran is 65 or older;
• the veteran is permanently and totally disabled (this does not need to be service-connected);
• the veteran is a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability;
• the veteran receives Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.

For surviving spouses, there is no age requirement for the Survivors Pension, but the financial and other rules apply.

Test 4: Financial need

Net worth

The VA adds the claimant’s (and spouse’s) assets and annual income to find net worth. From December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026, the net worth limit is $163,699. It is adjusted each December 1.

Assets generally not counted:

• the primary residence, with a lot that does not exceed a set size (about two acres, unless the extra land is not marketable);
• a vehicle used for transportation;
• personal belongings and household goods;
• certain other items, such as payments excluded by law.

Assets generally counted:

• bank and investment accounts;
• retirement accounts (subject to VA rules);
• real estate other than the home;
• the cash value of life insurance in many cases;
• business interests.

Countable income

The VA counts most income, then subtracts unreimbursed medical expenses above 5 percent of the MAPR. Countable income must be below the MAPR for the person’s situation. For a veteran with no dependents qualifying for Aid and Attendance, the 2026 MAPR is $29,093 a year. See VA pensions for all the rates.

Example. Martha is the 86-year-old widow of a Korean War veteran. She has $1,900 a month ($22,800 a year) in Social Security and a small pension, $60,000 in savings and a paid-off home. She lives in assisted living, where staff help her bathe, dress and take medications, at a cost of $5,200 a month ($62,400 a year). Her net worth (savings plus income, not counting the home) is well under $163,699. Her care costs exceed her income, so her countable income after medical deductions is zero. If the VA agrees she needs Aid and Attendance, she could qualify for the survivor A&A rate, up to $18,697 a year in 2026.

Medical evidence for Aid and Attendance or Housebound

To get the higher Aid and Attendance or Housebound amounts, the VA needs medical evidence. Typically this is the VA’s examination form for housebound status or permanent need for regular aid and attendance, completed by a physician, or other medical records showing:

• which daily activities the person needs help with (bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, adjusting prosthetics, protection from hazards);
• whether they are bedbound or substantially confined to the home;
• whether they are in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity;
• vision limitations, if relevant.

Statements from family caregivers and care facilities describing the help provided are also useful.

Proving medical expenses

Because medical expense deductions often decide the benefit, document them carefully:

• care agreements or contracts with assisted living or home care providers;
• monthly invoices or receipts;
• a statement from the facility describing the care provided;
• insurance premium notices, including Medicare Part B;
• in-home caregiver payment records (including family caregivers, if paid under a written agreement and the veteran needs the care).

The VA may count expected future medical expenses for the coming year if they are predictable, such as a monthly assisted living fee.

Dependents

A spouse and certain children can increase the MAPR. A child generally must be under 18, under 23 and in school, or have become permanently incapable of self-support before 18. A child’s net worth above the limit can mean they are not counted as a dependent.

Common reasons for denial

• No qualifying wartime service, or not enough active-duty days.
• Net worth over the limit, often because of savings or a second property.
• Countable income over the MAPR because medical expenses were not documented.
• Missing medical evidence for Aid and Attendance.
• A transfer in the past 36 months that triggered a penalty. See The VA look-back.

How Medicaid eligibility differs

The VA pension and Medicaid use different measures. Medicaid’s asset limit for a single person is often about $2,000, while the VA’s net worth limit is much higher. Medicaid generally counts gross income against a limit; the VA subtracts medical expenses. Medicaid’s look-back is five years; the VA’s is three. A veteran can qualify for one and not the other. See VA pension vs. Medicaid.

A step-by-step screen

1. Find the discharge papers. Check the dates of active duty and the character of discharge.
2. Check the wartime periods. Did at least one day of active duty fall in a period listed above?
3. Check the minimum service. Ninety days for those who entered before September 8, 1980; generally 24 months or the full call-up period after that.
4. Check age or disability. Is the veteran 65 or older, permanently and totally disabled, in a nursing home, or receiving SSDI or SSI?
5. Add up assets, leaving out the home, a vehicle and personal belongings.
6. Add up annual income, then subtract unreimbursed medical expenses above 5 percent of the MAPR.
7. Compare. Is assets plus income at or below $163,699? Is countable income below the MAPR?
8. Check transfers. Were any assets given away or sold below value in the past 36 months that would have kept net worth over the limit?
9. Gather medical evidence if applying for Aid and Attendance or Housebound.

If the answers are yes, no transfer problem appears and medical evidence supports the need for care, applying is likely worthwhile.

Effective date and back pay

The effective date of a pension award generally depends on when the claim (or an intent to file) is received. Filing an intent to file preserves the date while documents are gathered, generally for up to a year. Because the pension can take several months to decide, an earlier effective date can mean a meaningful amount of back pay. Report any back pay carefully if the veteran is applying for or receiving Medicaid; see How VA benefits count for Medicaid.

Getting experienced help

VA claims can be prepared with free help from accredited veterans service officers. Where a veteran may also need Medicaid, it is important to plan for both programs before moving assets or buying financial products. A Certified Medicaid Planner can explain the Medicaid side and how VA steps would affect it. As a rough guide, full planning ranges from about $2,500 to $15,000 or more and hourly help from about $150 to $600. Be wary of anyone who charges to file a first VA pension claim or recommends moving assets into annuities or trusts without explaining the Medicaid consequences.

Frequently asked questions

Does the veteran need to have served in combat? No. Any active-duty service that includes at least one day during a wartime period can qualify, if the minimum duty requirement is met.

Is National Guard or Reserve service enough? Generally only if the person was called to federal active duty (not just training) for the required period during wartime.

Does a second marriage affect a surviving spouse? A surviving spouse who remarries is generally no longer eligible for the Survivors Pension, with some exceptions if the later marriage ends.

Can the VA count the home? The primary residence on a lot of normal size is excluded. If the home is sold, the proceeds can count. See Selling a home while on a VA pension.

Related guides

• VA pensions
• The VA look-back and net worth rules
• VA pension eligibility self-check
• VA pension vs. Medicaid

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