Family Resources

• 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 assisted living facility also qualifies.

• Aid and Attendance can help pay for care in the home, nursing home or assisted living facility.
• A veteran may be eligible up to $1703 per month
• Surviving spouse of a veteran may be eligible for up to $1,093 per month.
• If applying as a couple they could be entitled up to $2019 a month.

• Any War Veteran with 90 days of active duty, 1 day beginning or ending during a period of War.
• A surviving spouse of a War Veteran –marriage must have ended in death.
• The individual must qualify both medically and financially.
• Unsold primary residence or vehicle is not included as an asset but once sold, it is considered income/part of net worth.
• There is no set limit on how much net worth a Veteran and his dependents can have, but net worth cannot be “excessive”.  The decision as to whether a claimant’s net worth is excessive depends on the facts of each individual case.
• For further information regarding financial qualifications, consider seeking the professional advice of an attorney or financial planner.

VA recognizes these war periods:

Mexican Border Period: May 9, 1916, through April 5, 1917, for veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders or in adjacent waters.

World War I: April 6, 1917, through Nov. 11, 1918; for veterans who served in Russia, April 6, 1917, through April 1, 1920; extended through July 1, 1921, for veterans who had at least one day of service between April 6, 1917, and Nov. 11, 1918.

World War II: Dec. 7, 1941, through Dec. 31, 1946.

Korean War: June 27, 1950, through Jan. 31, 1955.

Vietnam War: Aug. 5, 1964 (Feb. 28, 1961, for veterans who served “in country” before Aug. 5, 1964), through May 7, 1975.

Gulf War: Aug. 2, 1990, through a date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation.

Special Groups:

A number of groups who have provided military related service to the United States have been granted VA benefits. For the service to qualify, the Secretary of Defense must certify that the group has provided active military service. Individuals must be issued a discharge by the Secretary of Defense to qualify for VA benefits. Service in the following groups has been certified as active military service for benefits purposes:

• Women Air Force Service Pilots (WASPs).
• World War I Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit.
• Engineer Field Clerks.
• Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).
• Quartermaster Corps female clerical employees serving with the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I.
• Civilian employees of Pacific naval air bases who actively participated in defense of Wake Island during World War II.
• Reconstruction aides and dietitians in World War I.
• Male civilian ferry pilots.
• Wake Island defenders from Guam.
• Civilian personnel assigned to OSS secret intelligence.
• Guam Combat Patrol.
• Quartermaster Corps members of the Keswick crew on Corregidor during World War II.
• U.S. civilians who participated in the defense of Bataan.
• U.S. merchant seamen who served on block ships in support of Operation Mulberry in the World War II invasion of Normandy.
• American merchant marines in oceangoing service during World War II.
• Civilian Navy IFF radar technicians who served in combat areas of the Pacific during World War II.
• U.S. civilians of the American Field Service who served overseas in World War I.
• U.S. civilians of the American Field Service who served overseas under U.S. armies and U.S. army groups in World War II.
• U.S. civilian employees of American Airlines who served overseas in a contract with the Air Transport Command between Dec. 14, 1941, and Aug.14, 1945.
• Civilian crewmen of U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey vessels who served in areas of immediate military hazard while conducting cooperative operations with and for the U.S. armed forces between Dec. 7, 1941 and Aug. 15, 1945.
• Members of the American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) who served between Dec.7 1941, and July18,1942.
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support employees of United Air Lines who served overseas in a contract with Air Transport Command between Dec. 14, 1941, and Aug. 14, 1945.
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support employees of Transcontinental and Western Air, Inc. (TWA), who served overseas in a contract with the Air Transport Command between Dec. 14, 1941 and Aug. 14, 1945.
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support employees of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp.(Consairway Division) who served overseas in a contract with Air Transport Command between Dec.14, 1941, and Aug. 14, 1945.
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support employees of Pan American World Airways and its subsidiaries and affiliates, who served overseas in a contract with the Air Transport Command and Naval Air Transport Service between Dec. 14, 1941, and Aug. 14, 1945.
• Honorably discharged members of the American Volunteer Guard, Eritrea Service Command, between June 21, 1942 and March 31, 1943.
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support employees of Northwest Airlines who served overseas under the airline’s contract with Air Transport Command from Dec. 14, 1941, through Aug. 14, 1945.
• U.S. civilian female employees of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps who served in the defense of Bataan and Corregidor during the periodJan. 2, 1942 to Feb. 3, 1945.
• U.S. flight crew and aviation ground support employees of Northeast Airlines Atlantic Division, who served overseas as a result of Northeast Airlines’contract with the Air Transport Command during the period Dec.7,1941 through Aug.14,1945.
• U.S. civilian flight crew and aviation ground support employees of Braniff Airways, who served overseas in the North Atlantic or under the jurisdiction of the North Atlantic Wing, Air Transport Command, as a result of a contract with the Air Transport Command during the period Feb. 26, 1942 through Aug. 14, 1945.
• Honorably discharged members of the Alaska Territorial Guard who served during the period Dec. 31, 1941 through 1947.

Filipino Veterans:

World War II era Filipino veterans are eligible for certain VA benefits. Generally, Old Philippine Scouts are eligible for VA benefits in the same manner as U.S. veterans. Commonwealth Army veterans, including certain organized Filipino guerrilla forces and New Philippine Scouts residing in the United States who are citizens or lawfully admitted for permanent residence, are also eligible for VA health care in the United States on the same basis as U.S. veterans.

Certain Commonwealth Army veterans and new Philippine Scouts may be eligible for disability compensation and burial benefits. Other veterans of recognized guerrilla groups also might be eligible for certain VA benefits. Survivors of World War II era Filipino veterans may be eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation. Eligibility and the rates of monetary benefits may vary based on the recipient’s citizenship and place of residence.

Selected Reserve and National Guard:

Current and former members of the Selected Reserve who served on active duty establish veteran status and may be eligible for VA benefits, depending on the length of active military service and the character of discharge. In addition, reservists not activated may qualify for some VA benefits. Members of the National Guard activated for federal service during a period of war or domestic emergency may be eligible for certain VA benefits, such as VA health care, compensation for injuries or conditions connected to that service, and burial benefits. Activation for other than federal service does not qualify guard members for all VA benefits. Claims for VA benefits based on federal service filed by members of the National Guard should include a copy of the military orders, presidential proclamation or executive order that clearly demonstrates the federal nature of the service.