VA Aid and Attendance Calculator: Estimate Your 2026 Monthly Pension
Quick Answer
VA Aid and Attendance pays up to $29,093 a year ($2,424.42 a month) to a veteran with no dependents, minus your countable income. Your net worth, which is assets plus income, must be $163,699 or less. Unreimbursed care costs above 5% of the basic rate reduce your countable income, and your home and car are not counted.
Source: VA: Veterans Pension rates
This is an estimate, not a VA decision. VA reviews your service, discharge, age or disability, medical need, income and assets. Two veterans married to each other have different rates, which this calculator does not model.
No Account. No Sign Up.
Use the tool instantly — no email, no password, nothing to create.
We Never Sell Your Data.
Your inputs are used only to generate your result. We do not share, store, or sell any information you enter.
Fully Independent.
Seniors Audit is not affiliated with any insurance company, government agency, or data broker. We have no financial interest in your coverage choices.
VA Pension and Aid and Attendance Rates for 2026
These are the maximum annual pension rates (MAPR) from December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026. Each additional dependent adds $2,984. VA adjusts the rates every December 1 with the Social Security cost-of-living increase.
| Level of need | Veteran, no dependents | Veteran, one dependent | Surviving spouse, no child | Surviving spouse, one child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic pension | $17,441 | $22,839 | $11,699 | $15,311 |
| Housebound | $21,313 | $26,710 | $14,298 | $17,902 |
| Aid and Attendance | $29,093 | $34,488 | $18,697 | $22,304 |
The yearly maximum is not what you receive. Your pension is the maximum rate minus your countable income, then paid monthly.
How the Pension Amount Is Calculated
- Start with the maximum rate for your situation from the table.
- Add up your yearly income for VA: Social Security, pensions, annuities, IRA withdrawals, interest and wages.
- Subtract unreimbursed medical and care costs you paid in the year, but only the amount above $872 for a veteran with no dependents (5% of the basic rate).
- Subtract that countable income from the maximum rate. What remains is your yearly pension.
Hypothetical.
A veteran with no dependents has $24,000 of income, $80,000 in savings and pays $30,000 a year for care that qualifies as a medical expense.
- Medical costs above the $872 threshold: $29,128, which is more than their income.
- Countable income: $0.
- Pension: $29,093 − $0 = $29,093 a year, or $2,424.42 a month.
- Net worth: $80,000, under the $163,699 limit.
With no care costs, the same veteran would have $24,000 of countable income and receive $424.42 a month. Qualifying care costs are the biggest lever on the amount.
Which Care Costs Reduce Your Countable Income
Only unreimbursed costs you actually paid in the 12-month period count, and they count only above 5% of the basic rate. The 5% amount is $872 for a veteran with no dependents, $1,141 with one dependent, $584 for a surviving spouse with no child and $765 with one child.
| Cost | Counts? | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing home, hospital, medical foster home | Yes | Includes meals and lodging the facility charges |
| In-home attendant | Yes | Pay must match the hours worked. If you need Aid and Attendance or are housebound, the attendant does not have to be a licensed health care provider |
| Assisted living or other care facility | Yes, if it qualifies | Licensed if the type requires it, and a residential facility staffed 24 hours a day. Meals and lodging count if it provides health or custodial care |
| Medicare Part A, B and D premiums | Yes | Premiums for long-term care insurance also count |
| Vacations, dance classes and other general-health items | No | They only maintain general health |
| Meals and lodging outside a qualifying care setting | No | Unless the facility rules apply |
Keep records
Keep invoices, proof of payment, hours worked for in-home help, and facility licenses. If a facility is not clearly a nursing home, a written statement from a doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner that you need the protected environment can matter.
Who Can Get VA Pension and Aid and Attendance
Aid and Attendance is added to a VA Pension, so you need to qualify for the pension first.
- Service: wartime service. For a veteran who entered active duty before September 8, 1980, that means at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a wartime period. Later entry dates have a 24-month rule. VA lists the wartime periods, which include World War II, the Korean conflict, and the Gulf War from August 2, 1990 to a date not yet set.
- Discharge: not dishonorable.
- Age or disability: at least 65, or permanently and totally disabled, or a long-term nursing home patient because of a disability, or receiving SSDI or SSI.
- Income and net worth: within the limits above.
- Aid and Attendance: you need help with daily activities, stay in bed much of the day because of illness, live in a nursing home because of a disability, or have 5/200 vision or worse in both eyes even with correction.
- Housebound: you mostly stay at home because of a permanent disability.
The Net Worth Limit: What Counts and What Does Not
Net worth is your assets plus your annual income, and your spouse's assets and income are included. The limit is $163,699 until November 30, 2026.
| Counts toward net worth | Does not count |
|---|---|
| Savings and checking accounts | Your primary residence and lot up to 2 acres |
| Stocks, bonds and mutual funds | Your car and other family transportation |
| Retirement accounts | Appliances and furnishings |
| A second home or land beyond the home lot | Debts secured by property are subtracted, but not a mortgage on the home |
If you sell your home, the net proceeds count as an asset, unless you reinvest them in another residence in the same calendar year.
Hypothetical.
A surviving spouse has $12,000 of income and $155,000 in savings, with no medical costs. On income alone, the pension would be $6,697 a year. But net worth is $167,000, which is $3,301 over the limit, so VA would deny the pension. This is why VA looks at assets and income together.
The 36-Month Look-Back and Transfer Penalty
VA reviews the 36 months before it receives your claim. If you gave away assets or sold them for less than fair market value, and the transfer would have put your net worth over the limit, VA does not pay pension for a set number of months.
- VA adds up the covered assets, which is the uncompensated value of those transfers.
- It divides that total by the monthly penalty rate, which is $2,874 in 2026.
- It rounds down. The result is the number of months with no pension, up to 60.
- The penalty starts the first day of the month after the transfer. With several transfers, it starts the month after the last one.
For example, $60,000 of covered transfers is $60,000 ÷ $2,874 = 20 months. The calculator above has a penalty estimator. Transfers made because of fraud or unfair business practices related to financial products are exempt, and so are assets placed in a trust for a child VA rates as incapable of self-support, if no distributions can benefit the veteran, spouse or surviving spouse.
Get help before you move assets
Moving money after you need care can start a penalty. Talk to a VA-accredited attorney, claims agent or Veterans Service Organization representative before you transfer anything.
Common Mistakes With Aid and Attendance
Counting the yearly maximum as your payment
The $29,093 figure is a ceiling. If your countable income is $24,000 and you have no qualifying care costs, the pension is $5,093 a year, not $29,093.
Using the wrong income
VA counts household income, including Social Security, pensions and IRA withdrawals. Take care costs off only when you actually paid them and no one reimbursed you.
Forgetting the care costs deduction
Many families pay for in-home help, assisted living or a nursing home. These costs can bring countable income to $0, which is when the pension reaches the full rate.
Gifting assets just before applying
Transfers in the 36 months before a claim can cause a penalty. Talk to an accredited representative first.
Applying for the wrong benefit
VA Pension is needs-based and requires wartime service. Disability compensation is a different benefit with different rules. This page covers pension only.
VA Aid and Attendance FAQs
What is VA Aid and Attendance?
Aid and Attendance is an increased monthly amount added to a VA Pension for wartime veterans and surviving spouses who need another person's help with daily activities, stay in bed because of illness, live in a nursing home because of a disability, or have very limited eyesight. You must already qualify for a VA pension to receive it.
How much is VA Aid and Attendance in 2026?
From December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026, the maximum yearly Aid and Attendance rate is $29,093 for a veteran with no dependents, $34,488 for a veteran with one dependent, and $18,697 for a surviving spouse with no children. The amount you actually receive is that rate minus your countable income, so it is usually lower.
How is the VA pension amount calculated?
VA subtracts your countable income from the maximum annual pension rate that fits your situation. The result is your yearly pension, which is paid monthly. Unreimbursed medical expenses reduce countable income, but only the part above 5% of the basic rate.
What is the net worth limit for VA pension in 2026?
The net worth limit is $163,699 from December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026. Net worth is your assets plus your annual income. Your home and its lot (up to 2 acres), your car and personal belongings are not counted as assets. If your net worth is over the limit, VA denies the pension.
What medical expenses count for Aid and Attendance?
Unreimbursed costs for nursing homes, in-home attendants who help with daily activities, qualifying care facilities, Medicare Part A, B and D premiums, and long-term care insurance premiums can count. Meals and lodging in a facility count when it provides health or custodial care. Items that only maintain general health, such as vacations, do not count.
Does assisted living count as a medical expense for VA pension?
It can. VA's rule covers care facilities other than nursing homes. A residential facility must be staffed 24 hours a day, and it must be licensed if its type requires a license where it operates. Meals and lodging count if the facility provides or contracts for health or custodial care, or a doctor or other listed provider states in writing that you must live there.
Is my house counted for the VA net worth limit?
No. VA recognizes one primary residence, and the home and its lot are not counted, up to 2 acres unless extra land is not marketable. Mortgages on the home cannot be subtracted from your other assets. If you sell the home, the net proceeds count as an asset unless you reinvest them in another residence in the same calendar year.
What is the VA look-back period?
VA looks at 36 months before the date it receives your claim. If you gave away assets or sold them for less than fair market value, and the transfer would have put your net worth over the limit, VA can deny the pension for up to 60 months.
How long is the VA penalty period?
VA divides the covered asset amount by a monthly penalty rate, which is $2,874 in 2026, and rounds down. The result is the number of months VA will not pay pension, up to 60. For example, $60,000 of covered transfers means 20 months. The penalty starts the first day of the month after the transfer.
Who qualifies for VA Pension?
You must meet the service rules for a wartime veteran, have not received a dishonorable discharge, and be at least 65 or have a permanent and total disability. Your income and net worth must also be within the limits. Surviving spouses of qualifying wartime veterans may qualify too.
Can I get Aid and Attendance and Housebound at the same time?
No. VA says you cannot receive both at the same time. You receive the one that fits your situation.
Does VA need a doctor's statement?
Yes. A medical examiner must complete the examination section on an online application. For a mail application, you submit VA Form 21-2680. Nursing home residents also submit VA Form 21-0779.
Official Sources and How We Calculate
Rates, the net worth limit and the penalty rate come from VA's pension rate pages. The income, medical expense, net worth and look-back rules come from Title 38 of the Code of Federal Regulations. VA's own worked example for veterans on its rates page still shows the previous year's $33,548 rate; we use the current table.
| Source | What we used it for |
|---|---|
| VA: Veterans Pension rates | Veteran rates, 5% medical threshold, net worth limit, penalty rate |
| VA: Survivors Pension rates | Surviving spouse and child rates, thresholds |
| VA: Pension eligibility | Service, age, discharge and disability requirements |
| VA: Aid and Attendance and Housebound allowance | What qualifies for each, exam forms |
| 38 CFR 3.274 and 3.275 | Net worth, assets, the home exclusion |
| 38 CFR 3.272 and 3.278 | Medical expenses that reduce income |
| 38 CFR 3.276 | 36-month look-back and penalty period |
Rates change each December 1. Results are estimates. VA makes the final decision.
Educational Disclosure: This guide is for educational purposes only. Government rules, benefit levels, and tax limits change frequently. While we strive to present accurate information, it should not be taken as legal, tax, or financial advice. We encourage you to review official guidance on government portals (like IRS.gov or SSA.gov) and consult with a qualified professional before making final retirement or benefit elections.