VA Benefits, Eligibility, Aid Overview in Colorado

VA Benefits – The Aid and Attendance Benefit

Michael Bailey is a VA accredited attorney. As part of the asset protection services offered by the Michael Bailey Law Office, LLC, Michael Bailey specializes in assisting aging war time veterans, or their surviving spouses, in obtaining an enhanced pension with the VA. Michael Bailey is part of a national group that works for Veterans, known as Claim Support for Veterans. This benefit is commonly referred to as the VA Aid and Attendance benefit.

This benefit is available to a veteran who served during a time of war, or to the surviving spouse of a veteran who served during time of war, but only if the veteran or surviving spouse is eligible for the benefit.

Determining VA Eligibility in Colorado

The VA defines Aid and Attendance eligibility using the following four criteria:

1. General: Who is eligible?

2. Income: What income requirements must be met?

3. Assets: What are the assets restrictions?

4. Medical: What medical requirements qualify?

All of these criteria areas must work together before the Aid and Attendance pension is approved for a veteran and/or surviving spouse.

1. General VA Eligibility

The veteran must have served in active military for 90 or more consecutive days, with at least one day during a period of wartime as defined by the Veterans Administration, as shown:

World War II: December 7, 1941 – December 31, 1946
Korean Conflict: June 27, 1950 – January 31, 1955
Vietnam Era: August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975
*February 28, 1961 – August 4, 1964 for those veteran who were stationed on the ground in Vietnam during that time
Persian Gulf War: Aug 2, 1990 – undetermined / ongoing

The veteran must have been discharged under “other than dishonorable” conditions.
The veteran must be over the age of 65 or disabled.

2. Medical VA Eligibility

The VA program is designed to help veterans and/or surviving spouses requiring regular care and assistance from others in addressing life’s daily needs or being protected from life’s hazards.

3. Income VA Eligibility

Under VA eligibility guidelines, to be eligible for the full benefit, the veteran and/or surviving spouse must have un-reimbursed medical expenses that exceed income.

4. Asset VA Eligibility

The maximum allowable assets are based on the veteran and/or surviving spouse’s income, medical expenses and life expectancy.

Have you determined you are eligible? Keep reading.

The best way to determine if you, or someone you know, may be eligible for the VA Aid and Attendance benefit is to complete a pre-qualification worksheet. You can find a pre-qualification form for the VA Aid and Attendance benefit by downloading it here.

This form should be completed as much as possible, but since it is only a pre-qualification form, it need to be completed with the same precision as a government form. So, fill it out and send it back to the Michael Bailey Law Office, LLC, or ask for a form to be emailed to you in the contact section of this website.

The pre-qualification form will be evaluated by an attorney who is VA Accredited, and will allow for a proper evaluation of your situation and planning options. Many planning options exist to ensure a wartime veteran’s application for the VA Aid and Attendance should be successful.

As anyone who has ever dealt with government forms and applications knows, they can be complicated and difficult to complete properly. The Michael Bailey Law Office, LLC can help you go down the proper road to be successful in your application for VA Aid and Attendance benefits.