Aid and Attendance Pension (A & A): A & A is a supplement to the VA Pension program and provides benefits to veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist them in eating, bathing, dressing, cooking, leaving home, etc. This program is paid in addition to the additional VA Pension program, and to qualify, you must be eligible for the VA Pension Program first.
 

To qualify for A & A, you must be currently receiving a VA pension and at least one of the following must be true:

• You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing, or
   
• You have to stay in bed—or spend a large portion of the day in bed—because of illness, or
   
• You are a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability, or
   
• Your eyesight is limited (even with glasses or contact lenses you have only 5/200 or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less)

Please Note: You can’t get A & A and Housebound benefits at the same time. So if you are already receiving Housebound benefits, you cannot also get A&A.

 

You can apply by mail or in person, whichever is easier for you.
 

To apply by mail:

You must download and fill out VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance) and mail it to the Pension Management Center for your state. You can have your doctor fill out the examination information section. 
 

When sending your VA Form 21-2680, you will also want to include other evidence such as:

• A doctor’s report that shows you need Aid and Attendance or Housebound care,
   
• Details about what you normally do during the day and how you get to places,
   
• Details that help show what kind of illness, injury, or mental or physical disability affects your ability to do things on your own.

To apply in person:

Gather any information and documentation you have regarding your medical issue and why you need Aid and Attendance or Housebound care and bring it to your nearest VA Regional Office (RO). This information can include:

• A doctor’s report that shows you need Aid and Attendance or Housebound care,
   
• Details about what you normally do during the day and how you get to places,
   
• Details that help show what kind of illness, injury, or mental or physical disability affects your ability to do things on your own.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC): DIC is a VA program that pays tax free money to surviving families of veterans who died:

• On active duty, or
   
• Whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease, or
   
• Who's death resulted from a non-service related injury or disease but who was receiving total VA Disability Compensation at the time of their death for a set period of time.
   

Parents who are dependent on a veteran may qualify for a variation of the DIC program called Parents DIC. 
 

StatesideLegal created a page that helps you determine if you are eligible for DIC benefits and where to apply.

Survivors' and Dependents' Education Assistance (DEA): DEA, or Chapter 35 as it's known, is an education program that provides education funding to survivors' and dependents of qualifying veterans. 

The program offers up to 36 months of education benefits if the first use of benefits was after August 1, 2018 and 45 months if the first use of benefits was before August 1, 2018. DEA benefits may be used for:
 

• College, business, technical, or vocational programs
   
• Certification tests
   
• Apprenticeships and on-the-job training
   
• Tutorial assistance
   
• Work study

StatesideLegal created an easy to read page that helps you determine if you are eligible for DEA benefits and how to apply.
You can also access the current payment table for this program to see the maximum benefit amount per month.

Family Caregiver Program: The Family Caregiver Program is a program that provides financial assistance, among other things, to family members who are caring for severely injured veterans. Some benefits in the program are only available for veterans who served after 9/11 while others are open to veterans of any era. 

Find out if you qualify for the program's various benefits and how to apply You may also call the Family Caregiver Support Helpline for assistance. Lastly, a Family Caregiver Support Coordinator can also be helpful in assisting you with your questions needs.