I am confused. Can a person have both SSI and aid & attendance from VA?

The VA uses a formula when reviewing each application, and will look at "total countable income," as well as other factors. See http://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/ -- there they list basic requirements, including that the applicant must be on either SSDI or SSI.

Here’s a link to forms used: http://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/Applying.asp

For help options, see http://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_disabilityexams.asp. You might want to call the 1-800-827-1000 number they list to ask questions, as it appears the VA has expanded help options. I’d also look around many of the other links they provide, it will help to know some of the options and terminology when you actually reach a VA representative. I have found local VSO’s to be most helpful for in-person help, and they are free.

You are wise to keep good records. I would definitely begin keeping receipts, but you will be absolutely required to once a VA benefit begins. I use Quicken, which allows me to scan receipts from my all-in-one printer with each transaction recorded (you don't have to, but it's a nice feature). I use Quicken's "Category" feature to tag VA-allowed expenses. All other non-medical expenses (such as groceries) are not paid for by the VA. So it is very possible that eventually you will run out of money, even with VA benefits. That is where an elder planning attorney can be very helpful, as not all trusts are VA-planning trusts.

VA applications can get frustrating and bog down. You just plug along and do what each step requires and reach out for help. How lucky your mother is to have you for her advocate!

Yes your mother can have both Social Security and aid and attendance. Her house and car will not count against her as assets but if either is sold the cash will count against her. So do NOT sell the house yet. Selling a parents house too soon is a mistake that many people make that can be a disaster. I have just completed this process from my mother who is herself a veteran, and after much research, my best source of information was the local VA office.

When I applied for VA Aid & Attendance (A&A) for my Dad in 2011, they did carefully and nit-pickingly review all bank statements for three months prior to the application date. Prior to the application, a VA-certified benefits representative told us that in order to qualify, Dad had to be spending at least 105% of his monthly income on his care, and have no more than approximately $8000 in total assets (excluding home, car). Dad was 90 at that time. It took nearly two years for the A&A to begin at 100%, because during the process Dad was declared "incompetent," which delayed things because a VA field examiner to personally visit Dad's home and interview Dad and I to determine whether I could be appointed Dad's VA Custodian (involved a background check, and nit-picking review of financials as well). My sister and I had to help Dad out financially, as he was completely wiped out for about a year before the benefit came through. The retroactive pay was a godsend though. Again, I highly advise finding a VA benefits expert, which are free if you use a Veterans Service Organization (VSO). I found out after spending about $2500 on VA-certified elder planning attorney, that a free VA benefits expert could have done the same thing. We already had Dad's life savings in a VA-approved trust, so I never had the chance to find out what "free" meant. It's worth checking out though. FYI, my Dad had about $50K in savings which was all put into a VA-approved elder planning trust before the A&A application date. Dad had no other assets, except his home and car, which were excluded.

Amicable describes a typical "outreach" that is done by annuity "experts" who often pose as VA-affiliated saints. They may or may not be affiliated with elder care attorneys. Their offices often have lots of patriotic decor. My Dad was so touched that they asked for his 20-something portrait in uniform, and hung in on their "wall of honor." To this day, that was such a memorable experience for him (as I bite and re-bite my lip and cry privately away from him knowing they sucked his life's blood and he and I trusted them). Were I to start over, I would have scoured my city, county, state and federal VA government benefits web sites. If I had done so, I would have been referred to our County's office of human resources, veterans support services. There were three fully-certified VA benefit counselors there, didn't cost a dime and they would have told us what to do with Dad's $50K. As it turns out, we are ok for now, because Dad's trust allows my sister and I to withdrawn his money for ourselves as beneficiaries. As the VA-certified lawyer said, it is our own moral and ethical decision what to do with that money. We are luckily able to give it all back to Dad by buying services for him. Not all are so lucky. And we can withdraw 10% per year without penalty, or convert the annuity to immediate lifetime payments. So all was not lost. But we could have saved $2500 if ... we began with VA-certified benefit's counselors who were employed by government, not in private practice.

... except for $250/day is rather huge depending on her stay at the hospital. RX at $250/month is something the VA will cover if her $40K is legally protected for her benefit "with morals" as per a VA-approved trust. As for her SS 1099, register with SS, that as well as history from the pre-1980s is available online. Post office WILL deliver to a vacant house if there is a "current" forwarding address on file (go to the po, or online and make the order current). If you are a SS "Payee", that means you applied for it. That doesn't happen without your application and signature.

The letter of intent is exactly what it sounds like...a notification to the VA that you intend to file for benefits. It's critically important that you submit that letter (your local VA office can do it for you and it's free---don't pay anyone to do the paperwork for you!). The sooner you get it in the better, because once her claim is approved, you'll receive payment retroactive to the date the letter of intent was submitted. It's kind of a pain, but we sent everything in together, and had the claim processed in about 4 months. @Dustyrose1, talk to your local VA office and make an appointment to chat with them immediately, and start gathering documents: DD-214 discharge paper, copies of doctors' assessment, and a list of ALL medical expenses for 1 year, and bank and investment account statements. The med expenses are deducted from his allowable income so that will help increase his allowable benefit. Mileage to doctor visits, etc is also an allowable expense, they will tell you the cost per mile just like on taxes. To help me figure that out, I went through the calendar and made a list of all doctor visits, and googled the distance to each one. I doubled it (mileage there and back) and tallied up the total for all visits. Good documentation to have if they require proof of how you figured it. Best of luck!

I am in the process of becoming the "payee". The SS person faxed a form for my mother's Dr. to fill out and said that once the form is faxed back to him he will call me for a telephone interview to complete the process. I have already been told that my mother should qualify for &1170 a month from the VA. I will be using the 40k to pay towards the difference in her bills and her benefit payments.
I was sent a check list of all of the paperwork that is needed in order to apply for the VA benefit. I have most of the required things like death certificate, discharge papers for my dad, my mother's signature of a certain form, marriage license. I still need mom to have a physical at her doctor and have him complete another health form. I have been advised to send everything overnight mail with signature requested when received at the VA. What is a letter of intent to file for benefits, to be sent to the VA? Someone on this forum mentioned it?

What you pay for every prescription, mileage traveled for medical care, durable medical equipment, maintenance items (vitamins, depends, etc.) There are instructions that come with the forms that tell you what you can count. PLEASE do go see a VA benefits counselor in your area. Go to www.va.gov and there should be a link to find one in your area. BTW, the VA has it's own POA form, doesn't have to be notarized, but someone must be authorized to contact the VA on behalf of the claimant due to the sensitive nature of the information involved.

I own a rental home, that is part of my income as I am on SSI, if I let my parents live in it for nothing will the VA compensate me for that?

Dustyrose, no they will not compensate you for that. You'd be far better off renting to someone who can pay you, and getting all the benefits you can for your parents. In fact, if your parents live rent-free it could potentially hurt their chances of qualifying for benefits. Once your parents have spent down their assets, they should potentially be eligible for medicaid. You really need to talk with the VA benefits advisor nearest you asap!