Basic, Aid and Attendance, Housebound

Please note:  The data below are expressed as annual and monthly figures.  The Department of Veterans Affairs adjusts the benefits upwards by whatever the announced Social Security percentage cost of living is for the year. The Social Security Administration has announced a 2.8% increase from the 2025 levels.  The monthly amounts are based upon the annual rates, and when 1/12 of the annual rate yields a fraction, the amount is rounded down to the nearest whole dollar.  See 38 CFR §§ 3.273, 3.29(b).

Please also note:  Effective October 18, 2018, the VA imposed a “bright line” asset test for determining whether the applicant (or family unit) owned excess assets that would prevent eligibility. The bright line amount for 2026 is $163,699.  With the same set of regulations, the VA also imposed transfer penalties for transfers of assets in excess of the bright line asset level. In 2026 the penalty is calculated by dividing the excess assets transferred by $2,874 to arrive at a number of months that benefits would be denied.

Please further note:  Effective January 1, 2019, Mason Law, PC ceased processing VA benefit applications. Frankly, there are certain departments of the government that are too difficult to deal with. The scary part is that this is the same government that has nuclear weapons!

For a decent description of how VA benefits work for a veteran visit the VA website.  The website also has a decent description of VA benefits work for the surviving spouse of a veteran.

* To be deductible in calculating adjusted income, medical expenses must exceed this amount.