The short answer: VA Aid & Attendance is a tax-free benefit that pays wartime veterans and surviving spouses up to about $2,300/month (married veteran, 2026) toward in-home care — including non-medical care from a Florida nurse registry. Most eligible Florida veterans never apply. The Volusia County Veterans Service Office files the application for free.
If you're a wartime veteran or a surviving spouse of one, the VA has a benefit most families have never heard of: Aid & Attendance. In 2026, it pays up to $2,300 a month for a married veteran, $1,950 a month for a single veteran, and $1,250 a month for a surviving spouse — and the money can be used to pay for in-home care, including non-medical care from a Florida nurse registry like TrustWise.
This is the most under-claimed benefit in Volusia County's senior population. Roughly 2 in 3 eligible Florida veterans never apply — usually because nobody told them they qualified or because the application looked overwhelming.
It isn't. Here's how it works.
Who qualifies for VA Aid & Attendance?
To receive Aid & Attendance, the veteran must check four boxes.
- Service. Served at least 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period. You did not need to serve in combat — you only needed to be on active duty during one of these windows:
- World War II (December 7, 1941 – December 31, 1946)
- Korean War (June 27, 1950 – January 31, 1955)
- Vietnam War (February 28, 1961 – May 7, 1975, in-country; or August 5, 1964 – May 7, 1975, otherwise)
- Gulf War (August 2, 1990 – present, until VA declares the end)
- Discharge. Other than dishonorable.
- Age or disability. Aged 65 or older, OR permanently and totally disabled, OR receiving Social Security Disability.
- Need for care. Must require help with at least two activities of daily living (ADLs) — bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, transferring, continence management — OR be bedridden, OR be in a nursing facility, OR have severely impaired vision (5/200 or worse in both eyes).
For a surviving spouse, the rules are similar but the spouse must have been married to the veteran at the time of death (and generally not remarried).
Financial limits
The VA looks at your countable assets and net income.
- Net worth limit (2026): ~$159,240. This includes most countable assets but excludes your primary residence, your personal vehicle, and household belongings.
- Income limit: Your "income for VA purposes" must be below the maximum annual pension rate, after subtracting your unreimbursed medical expenses (which includes the money you spend on home care).
The income subtraction is the key insight. If your loved one's gross income is $48,000/year but they spend $36,000/year on home care, their "income for VA purposes" is $12,000 — well under the threshold. Many families assume they make "too much" and never apply. They almost certainly qualify after the medical-expense subtraction.
How much does VA Aid & Attendance pay in 2026?
These are the monthly maximum benefits (the VA calls them Maximum Annual Pension Rates, or MAPR, but most families think monthly).
| Veteran status | Monthly maximum | |---|---| | Single veteran | $1,950 | | Married veteran (one spouse needs care) | $2,300 | | Both spouses need care | $3,025 | | Surviving spouse | $1,250 |
These numbers are tax-free. They are paid directly to the veteran (or surviving spouse), not to the home care provider — which means you have full discretion in how to apply them.
How can VA Aid & Attendance pay for home care?
Once approved, the VA deposits the monthly benefit into your bank account. You then use it to pay TrustWise (or whomever you choose) for non-medical home care. The VA does not dictate which provider you use, does not require Medicare certification, and does not require any prior authorization for each visit.
At TrustWise's flat $34/hour rate, the maximum Aid & Attendance benefit covers about:
- 27 hours/week of care for a single veteran ($1,950 ÷ $34 ÷ 4.33 weeks ≈ 13 hrs/wk if used in full)
- 35 hours/week of care for a married veteran ($2,300 ÷ $34 ÷ 4.33 ≈ 16 hrs/wk)
In practice, families layer A&A with private pay or LTC insurance to cover heavier care plans.
How do I apply for VA Aid & Attendance in Florida?
There are three workable paths.
Path 1 — Free help from the Volusia County Veterans Service Office
The Volusia County Veterans Services Office helps veterans file VA claims at no charge. They are funded by the county and trained on the current forms.
- Phone: (386) 740-5102
- Locations in Daytona Beach, DeLand, and New Smyrna Beach
- Website: volusia.org/services/community-services/veterans-services
This is the path we recommend for almost everyone. They are exceptional, the help is free, and they handle the paperwork.
Path 2 — VA-accredited claims representative (free)
A handful of Veteran Service Organizations have VA-accredited representatives who file claims at no charge: American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Paralyzed Veterans of America. All operate in Daytona Beach.
Path 3 — Online via VA.gov
You can file the application yourself at va.gov/pension/apply-for-veterans-pension-form-21p-527ez. The form is called VA Form 21P-527EZ for veterans, or VA Form 21P-534EZ for surviving spouses. Plan on 4–6 hours to gather documentation and complete the form.
Don't pay a fee-based "VA benefits planner"
There is a cottage industry of financial advisors who charge $2,000–$5,000 to "help structure your assets" and file the A&A application. Never pay anyone a fee for help filing a VA claim. It's illegal under federal law (38 USC § 5904) for non-accredited individuals to charge for filing assistance, and the free options above are better.
The 3-year look-back rule
In 2018, the VA added a 3-year look-back for asset transfers. Any uncompensated transfer of assets in the 36 months before applying may be counted as if you still owned them, creating a "penalty period" of up to 5 years during which the benefit is denied.
In plain English: don't try to give away your house to a child the week before applying. If your loved one has been gradually downsizing for years (selling a vacation home, gifting to grandkids) and there's no transfer in the last 36 months, you're fine.
What documents you'll need
Gather these before applying:
- DD-214 (discharge papers). If you don't have it, request from National Personnel Records Center at archives.gov/veterans
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Death certificate for the veteran (if you're a surviving spouse)
- Social Security card for the applicant
- Bank statements for the last 12 months
- Brokerage and retirement statements for the last 12 months
- Medical evidence that you need help with ADLs — typically a letter from your primary care physician on letterhead, or VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance) completed by your physician
- Care receipts or contracts — your TrustWise service agreement is the evidence that you're using the funds for care
We can provide the service agreement on request before approval. The VA needs to see that the money will be used as represented.
Timeline
Plan on 4–9 months from application to first benefit payment. Once approved, the VA pays retroactively to the date the application was filed (not the date of approval), so the back-pay catches up on the first check.
During the wait, families typically pay privately and then reimburse themselves once benefits start.
Bottom line
If your loved one is a wartime veteran 65 or older, a Volusia County family is leaving real money on the table by not applying. The Volusia County Veterans Service Office files it for free. Total cost to you: $0. Potential benefit: up to $27,600 per year for a married veteran couple.
We help families understand whether they qualify before they apply, and we coordinate with the VSO on the care-contract paperwork. There is no charge from us for any of that, regardless of whether you eventually choose to use our care services.
Talk to us about VA benefits →
This article is general information, not legal or VA-specific advice. For your specific situation, consult the Volusia County Veterans Services Office or a VA-accredited representative.
This article was reviewed by the TrustWise Care clinical team.