Aid and Attendance provides additional monthly compensation for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with daily activities. Here's who qualifies.
Aid and Attendance (A&A) is an enhanced pension benefit that provides additional monthly income to wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need regular help from another person with daily activities like bathing, feeding, dressing, or adjusting prosthetic devices. It can also apply to veterans who are bedridden, in a nursing home, or have severely limited eyesight.
The additional monthly amount for Aid and Attendance is substantial — it can add hundreds of dollars to a veteran's existing pension or compensation payment. For veterans on the VA pension, Aid and Attendance can more than double the monthly benefit. For surviving spouses receiving DIC, the A&A add-on provides meaningful additional support.
Eligibility requires meeting both service requirements and medical requirements. For the service requirement, the veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period. Wartime periods include World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and subsequent conflicts. For the medical requirement, you must demonstrate that you need the aid and attendance of another person to perform basic daily activities, or that you are bedridden or in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity.
The medical evidence for an A&A claim typically includes a physician's statement on VA Form 21-2680, documenting your need for assistance with daily activities. The form asks detailed questions about what you can and can't do independently. Be thorough and honest — describe what a typical day looks like and what tasks require help from another person. If you're in an assisted living facility, the facility can often provide the documentation needed.
One important distinction: Aid and Attendance is separate from Special Monthly Compensation (SMC). SMC is available to veterans with service-connected disabilities who need aid and attendance due to those specific disabilities. A&A as a pension enhancement is for veterans who may or may not have service-connected conditions but who served during wartime and meet the income and net worth requirements. Both provide additional monthly compensation, but the eligibility criteria and application processes differ.
If you're an aging veteran or the spouse of a deceased wartime veteran and you need help with daily activities, Aid and Attendance may provide significant financial relief. Contact a VSO to discuss whether you qualify and to help with the application.