VA Aid and Attendance: How Veterans Pay for Care
Updated September 15, 2026
The VA's Aid and Attendance benefit helps veterans, their spouses, and surviving spouses pay for assisted living. A separate, faster VA program pays for long-term care when a veteran is on hospice. Both come with free help from a Veterans Service Officer, so nobody should ever charge you to file a claim.
Aid and Attendance for assisted living
Aid and Attendance can help cover the cost of assisted living for veterans, spouses, and surviving spouses (the husband or wife of a veteran who has passed away). How much a person gets, and whether they qualify at all, depends on income, assets, and care needs.
The 3-year look-back
Like Medicaid, the VA checks the past 3 years for money or property that was given away. Do that inside the window, and it can delay when benefits start. Get advice before giving anything away or spending it down, not after.
Long-term care on hospice
The VA will also pay for a veteran's long-term care while they're on hospice. The application is short, and most families hear back within 3 days. A hospice company can usually file it on the family's behalf.
Medicare works differently here: it pays for hospice care itself, but never the room. See what Medicare does and doesn't cover.
Sorting out hospice from palliative care for a veteran right now? Our hospice or palliative care comparison covers who qualifies and what's covered by each.
Where can I get free help with a VA claim?
A Veterans Service Officer will help fill out the forms and file a claim at no cost. It's against VA rules for anyone to charge for help with a first claim. If someone asks for money to help you apply, walk away and find a free Veterans Service Officer instead.
Get VA benefits guidance directly from VA.gov or a free, accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO), not from a facility's sales staff or an unaccredited third party. County and state veterans service offices offer free help with VA claims.
What is VA Aid and Attendance and who qualifies?
Aid and Attendance is a VA benefit that helps veterans, their spouses, and surviving spouses pay for assisted living. How much a person gets, and whether they qualify, depends on income, assets, and care needs, and the VA checks the past 3 years for money given away.
Does it cost anything to get help filing a VA claim?
No. A Veterans Service Officer files a first claim for free. It's against VA rules to charge for that help, so treat any request for payment as a red flag.
Once you know what's covered, the next step is finding the right facility.
Find facilities that fit your loved one's care needs and budget.