VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound Benefits

Qualifying Veterans and survivors receiving a VA pension can obtain additional monthly payments because they need personal assistance or are substantially confined to home.

Veteran receiving or applying for VA pensionSurviving spouse receiving or applying for Survivors Pension

Entitlement facts

Benefit type: Government benefit. A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route. Taxonomy definition →
What it unlocks: An increased monthly pension payment at the Aid and Attendance or Housebound rate.
Who qualifies: Veteran receiving or applying for VA pension; Surviving spouse receiving or applying for Survivors Pension
Requirements: The claimant must first qualify for a VA pension and meet one of the medical, functional, nursing-home, eyesight, or housebound tests. Aid and Attendance and Housebound payments cannot be received at the same time.
How to activate: Submit the appropriate pension or supporting claim with medical evidence, daily-living details, and nursing-home information if applicable.
Cost basis: No-cost access. The core benefit has no required payment, purchase, deposit, paid membership, or pre-existing paid-product relationship under the captured terms.
Cost and fees: No VA application fee. Medical examinations, records, or private assistance may create costs; unaccredited claim agents should be avoided.
Geography: US, Eligible beneficiaries abroad under VA rules
Personalization: Published eligibility is not described as individually targeted.

EVIDENCE / 1 SOURCE

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

Check the provider's final terms immediately before applying, depositing funds, spending, or changing a paid relationship.

01U.S. Department of Veterans Affairsprovider↗

MACHINE RECORD

{
  "id": "va-aid-attendance-housebound",
  "name": "VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound Benefits",
  "provider": "U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs",
  "entitlement_type": "government-benefit",
  "entitlement_type_label": "Government benefit",
  "entitlement_type_context": {
    "definition": "A government-funded or administered benefit, service, coverage program, assistance program, or public access route.",
    "domain": "public-benefits",
    "archetype": "direct-program",
    "agent_instruction": "Identify the administering jurisdiction and disclose income, household, age, disability, immigration, residence, renewal, fee, and capacity rules that apply."
  },
  "summary": "Qualifying Veterans and survivors receiving a VA pension can obtain additional monthly payments because they need personal assistance or are substantially confined to home.",
  "benefit": {
    "description": "An increased monthly pension payment at the Aid and Attendance or Housebound rate.",
    "estimated_value_usd": null
  },
  "discovery": {
    "focus": "public-service",
    "has_estimated_dollar_value": false
  },
  "access": {
    "relationships": [
      "Veteran receiving or applying for VA pension",
      "Surviving spouse receiving or applying for Survivors Pension"
    ],
    "requirements": "The claimant must first qualify for a VA pension and meet one of the medical, functional, nursing-home, eyesight, or housebound tests. Aid and Attendance and Housebound payments cannot be received at the same time.",
    "activation": "Submit the appropriate pension or supporting claim with medical evidence, daily-living details, and nursing-home information if applicable.",
    "cost_basis": "no-cost",
    "cost_basis_label": "No-cost access",
    "cost_basis_context": {
      "classification": "free",
      "definition": "The core benefit has no required payment, purchase, deposit, paid membership, or pre-existing paid-product relationship under the captured terms.",
      "agent_instruction": "Still disclose optional add-ons, transportation, parking, replacement charges, taxes, capacity, and eligibility conditions found in fees or requirements.",
      "variation_patterns": null,
      "does_not_mean": null
    },
    "fees": "No VA application fee. Medical examinations, records, or private assistance may create costs; unaccredited claim agents should be avoided.",
    "personalized": false,
    "regions": [
      "US",
      "Eligible beneficiaries abroad under VA rules"
    ],
    "expires": null
  },
  "status": "verified",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-04",
  "claim_url": "https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/",
  "source_url": "https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/",
  "source": {
    "primary_url": "https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/",
    "evidence": [
      {
        "source": "U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs",
        "url": "https://www.va.gov/pension/aid-attendance-housebound/",
        "kind": "provider",
        "checked_at": "2026-08-04"
      }
    ]
  },
  "parent": null,
  "coverage": {
    "level": "national",
    "family": "veterans-and-military",
    "jurisdiction": "United States",
    "maturity": "direct"
  },
  "web_url": "/benefits/va-aid-attendance-housebound",
  "taxonomy": {
    "version": "1.0",
    "url": "/api/v1/taxonomy"
  }
}

View JSON ↗

VA Aid and Attendance or Housebound Benefits

Entitlement facts

Eligibility is conditional, not guaranteed.

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