Do you have a loved one who is a veteran that you care for? Do you know someone his is caring for their veteran parent or grandparent? We spoke with the founder of veteranaid.org and learned about a little known benefit specifically designed to help.
VeteranAid.org
This non-profit organization was started by Debbie Burak who stumbled upon this unknown benefit while trying to care for her own parents in the later years of their life. Debbie discovered the VA Pension at the passing of her father, at the same time needing to move her mother to another assisted living facility. She also realized that her folks had missed out on over $160,000 by not knowing about the VA pension her Dad as a WWII veteran would have been entitled to.
Aid and Attendance
The Aid and Attendance benefit was specifically designed to help families in need that were struggling financially to care for their elderly, veteran family members. Here is the description straight from their site:
"The Aid and Attendance (A&A) Pension provides benefits for veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing and undressing or taking care of the needs of nature. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an assisting living facility also qualifies.
The A&A Pension can provide up to $1,788 per month to a veteran, $1,149 per month to a surviving spouse, or $2,120 per month to a couple. A veteran filing with a sick spouse is eligible for up to $1,406 per month. Many families overlook the A&A Pension as it pertains to veterans who are still independent, but have an ill spouse. Keep in mind that in this situation, if the spouse's medical expenses completely depletes their combined monthly income, the Veteran can file as a Veteran with a sick spouse."
Hearing about this benefit was quite a shock to us and truly made us wonder how many people could have been helped with this type of assistance throughout the past several decades had more veterans known about it. This non-profit organization is dedicated to spreading the word and helping anyone that reaches out to them with regard to the Aid and Attendance benefit. Here is where you can find them:
We hope you enjoy the show and look forward to bringing you another soon.
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please email us at themacs@vetscafe.com or visit our Facebook Page.