Changes Likely for Veteran Benefits in 2017
Changes to the requirements for VA Aid and Attendance Benefit are expected in 2017
Over 40% of APFM-referred families who move into senior living are veterans or spouses of veterans. It is essential that senior living communities not only market to veterans, but also provide the resources needed to help these families navigate their search. Essential resources to understand include those that help families pay for senior living.
Veteran’s benefits can be extremely complex to navigate. We find that prior to speaking with APFM, 70% of families are not aware of the VA Aid and Attendance Pension Benefit that can help pay for senior living. On top of that, requirements for this benefit are expected to change in 2017. These changes will potentially disqualify candidates who were previously eligible to receive the benefit.
A Place for Mom and VeteranAid.org have partnered to provide information about the Veterans Administration Aid and Attendance Pension to help you inform veterans and their families about changes to the benefit.
“It’s imperative that veteran families start planning for senior living as soon as possible so they can take advantage of the A&A Pension while it’s still more widely accessible,” said Kaylin Gilkey, senior manager at VeteranAid.org. “With the proposed changes anticipated to go into effect as early as next year, proactive planning can make the difference between a veteran and their spouse living in a high-quality assisted living facility or struggling to pay for basic care costs in the future.”
The key change
Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs only looks at a veteran’s current income, assets and expenses at the time of application. Under the new proposed eligibility requirements, the VA will likely examine the past three years of an applicant’s financial history to determine eligibility for the pension. This means that many applicants who qualify for the current version of the A&A Pension may be disqualified under the new guidelines. The discharge and service rules are expected to stay the same.
For more information on the anticipated changes, please visit the APFM resource page APFM resource page to download and share the “VA Benefits & Long-Term Care” eBook “VA Benefits & Long-Term Care”. APFM and VeteranAid.org will provide another update on the changes to the A&A Pension once they are officially adopted in 2017.