VA Benefits
Aid & Attendance is one of the most under-used veterans’ benefits in Pennsylvania — extra monthly money added to a pension that can help pay for adult day care. If you’re caring for an aging veteran or a surviving spouse, this is worth ten minutes to understand.
Families often assume VA benefits only cover care inside a VA facility. Aid & Attendance works differently: it’s cash added to a veteran’s pension, paid to them, that they can spend on the care they actually need — including a day program like Penn Village’s VA-supported adult day care in Germantown. Here’s how it works.
What Aid & Attendance actually is
Aid & Attendance (often written “A&A”) is an enhanced monthly amount added on top of the basic VA pension for veterans and surviving spouses who need help with everyday activities or regular supervision. Because it increases the monthly pension payment rather than reimbursing a specific vendor, the money is flexible — it can go toward adult day care, in-home help, assisted living, or other care costs. For a family paying out of pocket for daytime care, that flexibility is the whole point.
Who generally qualifies
Three tests usually have to be met. The VA makes the final call, but this is the shape of it:
1 Service & discharge
Generally, active-duty service with at least one day during a recognized wartime period and a discharge that wasn’t dishonorable. Surviving spouses of eligible veterans may qualify on the veteran’s record.
2 A care or supervision need
The applicant needs help with daily activities (bathing, dressing, eating, managing medications) or requires supervision due to conditions like dementia. Adult day care is a common way to meet that need during working hours.
3 Income & net worth limits
Because A&A is tied to the pension, there are income and net worth thresholds. Importantly, unreimbursed medical and care expenses — including adult day care — can be subtracted from countable income, which is why many families who assume they earn “too much” still qualify.
Care costs you already pay can lower your countable income — which is exactly why families who assume they won’t qualify often do.
How adult day care fits in
Adult day care helps in two ways at once. It’s a legitimate use of the benefit money, and its cost can count as an unreimbursed medical expense that improves eligibility. For a veteran with memory loss, that structured, supervised day is often what makes staying at home in the evenings safe — see how our Alzheimer’s and dementia day care is built around exactly that.
How to apply
Getting started
- Gather the veteran’s DD‑214 (discharge papers), marriage/death certificates if a surviving spouse is applying, and records of medical and care expenses.
- Get a physician’s statement documenting the need for help with daily activities or supervision.
- File the pension and Aid & Attendance application with the VA — a VA-accredited representative, VSO, or county veterans affairs office can help at no cost.
- Keep receipts for adult day care and other care; they support both the claim and the ongoing benefit.
Be cautious of anyone charging a fee to “get you approved” — accredited help is available for free. And if you want a straightforward conversation about whether a day program fits into your plan, that’s what we’re here for.
Wondering if Aid & Attendance could cover your care?
We’ll talk you through how adult day care fits your benefit — and point you to free application help.
This article is general information, not benefits or legal advice. Aid & Attendance rules, income limits, and net worth thresholds change and are decided by the VA. Confirm your situation with the VA, a VA-accredited representative, or your county veterans affairs office.
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