What are valid expenses that reduce income to avoid exceeding the Veterans Aid & Attendance income limit?

The VA is pretty specific as to the limit on income. It is whatever your mother receives, and if a company is taking money to "manage" that, this is wrong. Contact the VA local office in your area, go to va.gov/benefits and see what the guidelines are for qualifying. She should not be paying anyone for getting A&A.

The maximum VA Pension benefit with Aid and Attendance for an eligible surviving spouse is $1,149 per month.

To receive the maximum amount the claimant must have Net Income for VA Purposes (IVAP) of $0.

To calculate IVAP begin with GROSS income from all sources.

The claimant then deducts from gross income eligible Unreimbursed Medical Expenses (UME) which may include virtually any ongoing, regular medically related expense including the cost of Medicare insurance premiums (Part B, D, and supplements), life alert systems, physician and Rx co-pays, transportation expenses, durable medical equipment rentals, the cost of home care (provided by an agency or privately), and assisted living facility room and board.

Private household expenses are not deductible.

A deductible of $35.95 per month is then applied. If the net result is $0 or less, the full pension award will be granted. If the net result is below the maximum pension benefit of $1,149, then a partial award may be granted.

The benefit is paid directly to the claimant by monthly electronic transfer. The claimant then pays their expenses from these funds. The claimant is free to use any provider they choose and may change providers at will. The VA must be notified of any changes in income or expenses.

I am very interested to learn what you mean by "the bulk of it goes to the company that is keeping her in compliance". What does that mean? Is she receiving services from a home care company that applied for the benefit for her?

We tried to get VA benefits for my mother, but because my father was dishonorable discharge she was unable to get it. The reason why was because my father couldn't take the blood shed and left, but he served for 2 years in world war II my mother had heard that back then the president had dismissed this for many veterans but when I went to the VA office they said that they had not heard this and that she couldn't get VA help,

Whatsaname - are you working with an entity such as Veterans Home Care that assisted you in putting together the VA benefit application? I did this and they were wonderful in handling all of the paperwork, application, etc. and gave me clear direction as to what documents they needed so that the app would be submitted "fully compliant" or something like that. In return, from the month that the app was submitted they paid the home health aide agency while the app was being processed. Now that the $1,149 is direct deposited into my mother's account, there is an ACH (automatic debit) to cover the home care aides time and we don't pay anything out of pocket. Hope this information is helpful......

The only that speded up the long, long proces of getting VA benefits for my mother was contacting her Congressmans and her Senator's office monthly. Even with them, it took almost two years and she is over 90.

It has been 5 years and I have answered this questions before but putting money into a trust is a great way for you and your mom to have control of her money. We were told that a person can only have 20,000 in savings plus their income ie. social security, annuity, etc. Plus, my dad receives more than 1,149 from VA. We used an attorney that only did VA benefits. If we got them approved for my mom then we paid him his cost. If we were denied, we paid him nothing. We got all the paper work togehter for him but he's the one that put it all together for us (and it was a lot) in the right order. We felt very comfortable with him and it only took about 3 mos. I don't think I would have felt comfortable giving the company that took care of her the money. My dad's is direct deposited into his acct. from the VA or govt. I have gotten feed back on this site from people that said an attny that takes money to do this is wrong but I know too many people that have used other attnys in different states and it worked out great for them. Anyway that's our story..... Good Luck and God Bless

Hmmm; not sure where the link to Veterans Home care went in my prior post (are we not able to post these types of things?) but I'll try again here:

Yes, Ralph Robbins, the company helped my mom get approved and has been handling it ever since. They hired a 'homecare' agency, who then hired a 'helper' for my mom. The helper gets 17 hours at $8.25 per hour and the other 2 agencies keep the rest. I feel that I could get my mom more help, which she needs more and more since she can no longer walk unassisted and now has heart problems along with her other health issues. My mom is the vet so she is getting the full amount.

Give a Hug, that is pretty much the same thing we did. I just hate that my mom is only benefiting from about 1/3 of what she is actually getting because I am afraid if I try to mange it I will mess things up and she will lose what help she is getting.

whatsaname: There really is not much to "maintaining compliance". The claimant is simply required to notify the VA of any changes in income, assets, or expenses. Any questions can be easily answered by contacting the VA directly so there really is no need for an intermediary while receiving benefits. I suggest you read the contract signed with this company and find out what the options are to terminate it.

imb1234 and for others that may be reading this thread:

Veterans Home Care (VHC), as you probably know, is not affiliated with the VA. They are a private company and the deal is essentially this:

The veteran or surviving spouse signs a contract with VHC. VHC has contracts with home care agencies. VHC files the application for benefits and arranges for home care to be delivered to the claimant through one of their contracted agencies while the application is being processed. Once approved, any retroactive benefit goes to VHC to reimburse VHC for the care delivered.

The contract with VHC, however, usually requires that you continue to retain them to deliver home care services for a period of time after approval. VHC claims to provide care at "no up front cost" to the claimant but "no up front cost" does not mean "no cost". How do they make money if they don't charge the claimant (they are, to be sure, a for-profit enterprise)?.

The answer is that they pay the agency a certain fee and add a premium to the hourly rate being charged the claimant. VHC's profit is the "spread", or the difference between, what the claimant is charged for services and what VHC pays the agency. So, in reality, the claimant is indeed "paying" for VHC's services in that if it were not for the premium going to VHC, the claimant would have more of the VA award to spend on service hours.

I caution against this arrangement for this very reason. The claimant can usually do better by negotiating their own rate with a home care agency or other provider of services. The true cost of VHC's services must be carefully weighed against other alternatives.

For instance, the primary benefit of VHC's services is that the claimant does not have to wait to receive care if the claimant cannot otherwise afford to pay for care while the claim is pending. In this case, securing a low cost loan for this purpose might be a better alternative in that the claimant has freedom of choice of care provider, no restrictive ongoing obligation, and will probably end up with more service hours in the long run.

There are other companies that operate in a similar manner to VHC and all claim to be helping claimants for "free" or with "no up front cost". They can easily be discerned by their willingness to provide care while the claim is pending.

I used Senior Veterans Council in North Carolina. Paid them a nominal fee and they helped get Dad his Aid and Attendance benefits which then paid for in-home care for him. They were extrememly helpful.

how much help can a 86 year old veteran get in the home,who is not able to get out of bed,but wants to stay at home,How much will the veterans pay for home care

Foresttrees...
If the veteran is eligible and qualifies for VA Improved Pension with Aid and Attendance the maximum monthly benefit for a single veteran in 2015 is $1,788 per month.
The Veterans Healthcare Administration may also provide some nominal home care services through the Geriatric Extended Care program. This is accessed through the veteran's VA primary care physician.

forestrees.....I know it is so sad for the elderly that want to stay in their homes but sometimes that's just not possible. I know my in laws fought going into an assisted living place for a long time but I nor my husband was equipped to take care of them (not that we wouldn't have just didn't have the skills needed). Hope you can find the help you are needing through VA, Social Worker, Visiting Nurse Assoc. etc. My dad didn't want to move out of his house after my mom went into a dementia facility but finally agreed and is a lot happier (of course he wasn't bedridden either just turned 93). We used an attny that dealt just with veterans and their spouses to get benefits. Paid around 2000 but was worth it. Good luck and God Bless.

Per a previous post, I spoke of how I used a North Carolina company to get the monthly benefit for my Dad who was a WWII Veteran. Their cost was under $900 and well worth it. The Agency I used was private and not affiliated with the Vetereran's Administration, but they specialize exclusively in obtaining benefits for Vets. They were so helpful in educating me about all the preparatory paperwork I would need. They helped me calculate Dad's finances to see if he would qualify (no charge until we knew that he would indeed qualify). But it is not a painless process in that it took nearly 9 months to get the monthly benefit. Dad's money for living expenses and home care ran out a few months before the benefit came, so I had to scramble to find a way to cover those expenses. Once the benefit came, it was retroactive and I was able to reimburse most of the costs incurred during the waiting period. I considered taking out a small loan until the benefit came, but for various reasons, didn't. The $1700 plus was a godsend, though it didn't allow for my Dad to have 24/7 in-home care, which he could have used. But it DID allow him to stay in his home with adequate care for the last 8 months of his life (he died at 94). I recommend finding a good agency to help you, but please shop around and make sure they are legit. Mine cost $850 and that was in 2013. Best of wishes

still didn't think anybody was supposed to charge for helping vet get the benefit, give a hug, but so was your dad using savings to pay for his home care? we have used Veterans Home Care to see about vet been working with/for but their income is too high at least for the maximum benefit, which, yes, will still not provide for 24/7 in-home care - at least depending on who's providing it, which is a whole other issue - but all their income overage is already tied up in debt so can't be used for care, unless I can convince them care is more important, but of course then they wouldn't be able to take out another loan there but also VHC won't work with us as long as they continue to only use a bank account they have somebody else on but she's finally begun to be willing to consider opening another one just for this purpose because they really want to be able to stay home; they do have the "nominal" home care, may be considered to be through the Geriatric Extended Care program but not exactly been stated that way but they cut that time when they re-extended it a couple of months ago but they've just been assigned a new social worker who's actually at their new clinic now so have put in a request about that through the new Patient Advocate also at the clinic to have that time re-instated

I am dumb or can't understand--What happens when MOM needs help--does the VA pay the bills for home health care if she has other bills that she has made before she gets to that spot--Like home loan and credit things? I need these answers before that time. She was married to a VA of Viet Nam and already gets a check from VA. Do they(VA) pay extra money for her care or do we have to pay extra? She has been told by her doctors that she has Parkinson's and will need help later. We do not have extra money to pay! but I need some answers soon, Please, if some one can answer this- thanks to anyone that can help me

Most on this site speak of VA Pension when speaking of VA benefits. It appears your mother is receiving "Compensation" base on her husbands service connected disability or death. There are benefits that may accrue to her in addition to what she is receiving however the rules for Pension and Compensation differ.
Your best bet is to find a Veteran Service Officer (VSO) to assist you in determining what might be available and under what circumstances.
You can find a VSO in your area by doing a search or by going here:
http://nacvso.org/find-a-service-officer/

I really want to thank you for your answer. We just need some answers and we can't pay for her bills and then nursing home too.

What is the max. dollar amount that my mother may have in savings and investments to qualify for said and assistance?

what is the max. dollar amont that is allowed to have in savings and investments and still qualify for Aid and Assistance?

how old is your mom?

Mr. Robbins, I don't believe that that is true on max. benefits unless things have changed in 6 years or it is state to state what is allowed. At least it isn't in my dad's case. He receives a lot more than that for my mom's care. And Net Income $0?? He can have max. 20,000 in savings and he has benefits coming in from my mom and his SS, Teacher Retirement, etc. Other than that everything has been put into a trust. Sorry if I didn't get the whole story on this with a "company" handling everything.

deleteaccount: It sounds to me like those agencies are taking improper advantage. Being "in compliance" is not much of a job. Once a person is approved for VA benefits, there is not that much to do in order to maintain that status. I was recently audited because my mother died and I had to fill out new paperwork because everything (income, expenses, dependents) changed. The audit was not that difficult--took about an hour. It took a little longer to compile the info before the audit. You can do this! You have to keep receipts for anything that is medically related and you must print the VA bank account statements and save them. The VA just needs to know that ALL the money is being spent for the veteran's benefit. If they occasionally ask you to list unreimbursed medical expenses, you can just pull out your receipts and compile a list. It really is not rocket science and as long as you write in the checkbook what every check was written for, it's a piece of cake. NEVER withdraw cash for anything; either write checks or run a debit card. You can take this over successfully and use the money for the benefit of the veteran--not to line the pockets of some sleazy agency.

pargirl, your dad's evidently married; he was talking about for a single veteran

also, isn't your dad paying the place where your mom is?

also, you used an attorney, which I still didn't think you were supposed to have to pay, but anyway, while he used a company - that he didn't have to pay upfront, so not a matter of issue of paying a company vs an attorney - they will take care of everything for you, plus, and this is the advantage - maybe you already had the means to pay for your mom to be where she is - if you don't have the money, they will go ahead and pay for you to go ahead and get services while you wait but the maximum benefits is still and issue; they couldn't get it because they weren't willing to go ahead and pay anything for services, but turned out that not long after my comment here last fall that their son had evidently gotten his dad to sign the paperwork for him to go through the local county VSO and apply for the benefit because he started getting it - or at least got his retroactive in April, though not sure he is getting the maximum; guess it was worth it to him/them/ somebody to go ahead and do it anyway; my dad's VSO didn't think so, so we didn't do it until we could get the maximum, when he was getting 24/7 care, at least in the sense of having someone living with him full-time, which they're not.

deleteaccount, did you ever get things worked out? took us a while to confirm that Veterans Home Care did indeed have a contract with the home care agency they said they did; there was only one person there that handled it and nobody else had a clue; all they knew about was the services provided by what's often called the Geriatric Service but that's not what this is but did finally get to the right person that knew about it and I would think they wouldn't have a problem - did you find out when your contract runs out? - we didn't get that far with finding out how long they're for? do you mind sharing that? - because we didn't want them to think we were going to drop them as soon as, which wasn't our thought; they were the ones who were recommended to us by the home health agency in the first place; we would just be wanting more hours, like you, which is why I don't think they would have a problem with the contract running out because then if you just keep them they would just be getting that money to provide more hours; are you concerned that if you tried to get out of the contract to get more hours is when/how you would have a problem? this isn't something the VA itself would get involved with because it doesn't involve them; they don't deal that much with what you do with the money once they approve you for it; they just give it to you to do with what you will, as long it involves care for the veteran, which is an issue I am wondering about.

KarenKonnection, the advantage of using those agencies, like Mr. Robbins stated, is that they will make it possible for you to go ahead and get services while you're waiting to get approved; right, once you are, it's not that big a deal, but sounds like in your case the services issue wasn't that big a deal for you while you were waiting but it is for a lot of people and it certainly was for them because they were not willing to pay for anything themselves. But I'm not really understanding your audit; is your dad still alive, so when your mom died he had to go from them getting the maximum for a married couple to him getting only what he'd be able to get as a single? and, yes, it always takes longer to do the compilation than to actually fill out the paperwork; that's what I was dealing with with them, I just couldn't get the info I needed, getting down to not being on their account and not sure if they weren't getting the paperwork and then it started, or if something was happening to it, leading to finding out, which something had been said along those lines, that while she was having/wanting me to be doing this, he was having or they were having him have somebody else doing it as well that could get access or was, anyway, to the paperwork to be able to do it, which is when, strangely enough, the paperwork began to show up showing that they had, which she knew nothing about, which made for some very interesting situations. I didn't bring that bank statement home and copy it, like I had the one that showed the VA account being set up as part of their same account at their same financial institution; at that point they didn't have a whole separate VA account, regardless of whether it was at a separate institution, like I did with my dad but even then not until later, but even so before then we didn't either; we had it put on a card, not sure if you can still do that or not. But anyway after we found that it apparently was pulled from that account and a separate one set up because it no longer showed up on that statement any longer, though interesting how that was able to be done without veteran going in, since they very explicitly stated that he was primary on his account but maybe since it was to set up a VA account they had no choice if paperwork was presented with ostensibly his signature or they felt they didn't anyway or chose to, in their mind, defer to the VA regarding it, since it would have been done by someone who already had access to their account. I'm assuming you're your dad's caregiver? or are you paying an agency? or is that not one of his medical expenses; he has enough without that? Is he not in the VA healthcare system? We never wrote checks for my dad's but then like said, his money was put on the card; maybe we should have but we never had a problem and they're not writing checks either, certainly not now with this new account or at least as far as she knows there aren't even any for it.