Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance
Veterans Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance are two VA pension top-up programs that provide cash benefits that can be used towards the costs of assisted living.
Eligible veterans and survivors who have a chronic illness, disability or multiple disabilities unrelated to military service that impact their ability to care for themselves or leave their home can apply for one of these two programs.
For the Housebound Allowance, applicants must have a VA-assessed disability rating of 100% and have marked difficulty travelling outside of their residence.
Under the Housebound Allowance, the maximum total combined VA monthly pension payment is $1,378 for a single veteran, $1,728 for a veteran with one dependent and $925 for a single surviving spouse.
For Aid and Attendance, applicants must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Need help from another person to perform one or more activities of daily living
- Be bedridden except to participate in medically necessary treatments
- Have a visual field to 5 or fewer degrees
- Be a full-time resident of a nursing facility
- Have corrected eyesight in both eyes tested at 5/200 or below
Under the Aid and Attendance Benefit, the maximum
monthly VA pension payment is $1,881 for a single veteran, $2,230 for a veteran with one dependent and $1,211 for a single survivor.
Note: To qualify for either program, applicants must be eligible for a regular VA pension. Eligible applicants can only collect benefits through either Aid and Attendance or Housebound.
For more information and help with the application process, contact the
Lake County Veterans Services Office at (352) 742-6586.
Optional State Supplementation The
Florida Optional State Supplementation program provides
Supplemental Security Income top-up funding to eligible seniors who are aged 65 or older, qualify for SSI benefits and need to live in an assisted living facility because they cannot safely live on their own.
Single applicants may receive $78.40 per month in OSS funding, and couples may receive up to $156.80. The OSS benefit is designed to help seniors pay for the room-and-board portion of their care costs.
For more information on the OSS for seniors, call the
Lake County Elder Helpline at (800) 262-2243.