VETERAN PENSION
What is a Veteran Pension?
The Department of Veterans Affairs offers the Veterans Pension Benefit to help veterans and their families manage financial challenges. This tax-free monetary benefit provides supplemental income to low-income wartime veterans who have income and net worth within certain limits.
Qualifying Wartime Service
Generally, a veteran must have served at least 90 days of active-duty service, with at least one day of service during a wartime period, to qualify for a VA pension. If you entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally you must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), with at least one day of service during a wartime period.
You may be eligible for the Veterans Pension program if you meet these requirements.
Both of these must be true:
- You didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, and
- Your yearly family income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress. Your net worth includes all personal property you own (except your house, your car, and most home furnishings), minus any debt you owe. Your net worth includes the net worth of your spouse.
And at least one of these must be true about your service:
- You started on active duty before September 8, 1980, and you served at least 90 days on active duty with at least 1 day during wartime, or
- You started on active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980, and served at least 24 months or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions) with at least 1 day during wartime, or
- You were an officer and started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and you hadn’t previously served on active duty for at least 24 months
And at least one of these must be true:
- You’re at least 65 years old, or
- You have a permanent and total disability, or
- You’re a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or
- You’re getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income
How Can a VSO Assist You With Your Pension Benefits?
Our dedicated Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) can assist you in gathering evidence, preparing your claim, and advocating for your pension benefits.
Our VSOs guide you through the necessary steps and ensure that your representative is properly appointed to manage your claims and benefits.
If you are housebound or need assistance from an aid or attendant, we’ll help you gather the necessary documentation and guide you through every step of the process.
The VA may increase your benefit rate if you provide information on deductible expenses. Your benefit amount depends on your income, and certain medical and dental expenses can be deducted.
We’ll help you report any out-of-pocket costs for yourself or a household member (such as a spouse, grandchild, or parent) for whom you have not been or do not expect to be reimbursed. Include the following examples of deductible expenses, if applicable:
Hospital expenses
Doctor’s office fees
Dental fees
Prescription and non-prescription drug costs
Vision care costs
Medical insurance premiums
Nursing home costs
Hearing aid costs
Home health service expenses
Transportation expenses to medical facilities
Monthly Medicare deductions
