Frequently Asked Questions

The VA Pension gives a monthly payment to low-income, wartime veterans who are 65 or older or who have a permanent and total disability not connected to their military service.

To qualify for a VA Pension both of these must be true:

• You did not receive a dishonorable discharge, and
• Your yearly family income and net worth are less than the limit set by Congress, which is called the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR).

And at least one of these must be true, that you:

• Have a permanent and total disability
• Are 65 or older
• Are a patient in a nursing home, or
• Are getting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Plus, at least one of these must be true about your military service:

• You started on active duty before September 8, 1980 and you served at least 90 days on active duty and at least one of those days was during an eligible wartime period
• You started on active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980 and served at least 24 months or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions) with at least one day during an eligible wartime period, or
• You were an officer and started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and you had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months.

If you get a VA Pension, you also get Priority VA Health Care benefits and may qualify for other veterans benefits. Learn more about VA Pension eligibility.

If you are the surviving spouse or dependent child of a deceased veteran who served during wartime and your income and net worth are less than federal limits, you can get monthly payments from the VA Survivors Pension (also called the Non-Service-Connected (NSC) Survivors Pension, death pension or widow's pension). To qualify for a VA Pension as a surviving spouse:

• You must have not remarried after the veteran’s death
• Your annual family income and net worth must be less than the federal limit
• The deceased veteran did not receive a dishonorable discharge, and
• At least one of these must be true:
  • The veteran entered active duty on or before September 7, 1980, and served at least 90 days on active military service, with at least one day of that during an eligible wartime period, or
  • The veteran entered active duty after September 7, 1980, and served at least 24 months or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), with at least one day during an eligible wartime period, or
  • The veteran was an officer and started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and did not previously serve on active duty for at least 24 months.

To qualify for a VA Pension as the dependent child of a deceased wartime veteran, at least one of these must be true:

• You are under age 18
• You are under age 23 and attending a VA-approved school, or
• You are unable to care for yourself due to a disability that happened before age 18.

Learn more about the VA Survivors Pension.

To begin the process to apply for a VA Pension for Veterans, you can:

• Apply online, or
• Use a paper application. Download and complete VA Form 21P-527EZ and then submit your completed form by:
  • Uploading it online using the Quick Submit tool through AccessVA
  • Mailing it to:
    Department of Veterans Affairs
    Pension Intake Center
    P.O. Box 5365
    Janesville, WI 53547-5365, or
  • Submitting it in person at the VA's Phoenix Regional Office

Filing a claim to get a VA Pension and making sure you get the benefits you are entitled to can be complicated, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) authorizes three types of accredited representatives to help with the application process: Accredited Service Officers (who do not charge for their services) from VA-recognized veterans service organizations, Accredited Claims Agents (non-attorneys who may charge for some services) and Accredited Attorneys (who usually charge fees).

A family member, friend, or other person can help you apply, but anyone who is not accredited as a representative by the VA cannot charge a fee for helping with your claim.

You can search the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) website for accredited representatives, claims agents, and attorneys. You can also ask veterans in your area if they know a good accredited service officer, claims agent, or attorney.

If you qualify for a monthly VA Pension payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and you either need help with daily activities or are housebound, the Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefit or the Housebound allowance can increase the amount of your monthly pension payment.

Note: You can't get the A&A benefit and the Housebound allowance at the same time.

Your VA Pension benefit amount is calculated by subtracting your countable income from your Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR), and the remainder is how much you get each month. Getting A&A or Housebound benefits increases your MAPR.

For example, the MAPR for a veteran with no dependents who doesn't qualify for A&A or Housebound benefits is $16,551; with A&A the rate is $27,609; and with the Housebound allowance it is $20,226.

Learn more about the A&A and Housebound programs and how the VA calculates your VA Pension monthly payment.

To qualify for a VA pension from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), your total net worth must be less than the federal limit, which is $155,356. Your net worth includes your and your spouse’s assets and annual income. However, not everything is counted, and some expenses may be deducted from your total net worth. Learn more about how the VA counts your assets and your income.

Note: When calculating your countable assets, the VA does what it calls a 3-year Look-Back. If you sold or gave away any of your assets (like a house, car, stocks, or other property) for less than what it was worth (its fair market value) in the past three years and the value of those assets would have caused you to go over the Net Worth Limit, then you might not be able to get VA Pension benefits for a penalty period of up to five years. Learn more about the VA’s 3-year look-back for asset transfers.

The federal Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) is the most anyone can get in VA Pension benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The MAPR you qualify for varies depending on:

• How many dependents you have
• If you’re married to another veteran who qualifies for a pension, and
• If your disabilities qualify you for Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefits or the Housebound allowance

For example, the MAPR for a veteran with no dependents who doesn't qualify for A&A or Housebound benefits is $16,551; with A&A the rate is $27,609; and with the Housebound allowance it is $20,226.

The VA lists the Maximum Annual Pension Rates online (scroll down to “Find your Maximum Annual Pension Rate").

If you qualify for VA Pension benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) calculates your benefit amount by subtracting your countable income from your Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR).

The federal MAPR is the most anyone can get in VA Pension benefits. It varies depending on:

• How many dependents you have
• If you’re married to another veteran who qualifies for a pension, and
• If your disabilities qualify you for Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefits or the Housebound allowance

The VA subtracts your countable income from your MAPR rate, and the remainder is how much you will get each month in VA Pension benefits.

Your MAPR minus Your Countable Income = Your VA Pension Benefit

Fully Developed Claims is an optional program that gives veterans and survivors faster decisions from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on applications for pension, compensation, or survivor benefits. It's faster because you gather together (and submit) the evidence needed to support your claim, instead of having the VA do it for you.

The FDC process gives you more control, is typically faster than a standard claim, and if the VA decides it needs more nonfederal records to decide if you qualify for benefits or if you turn in additional information or evidence after you submit your FDC application, the VA simply removes your claim from the FDC program and processes it as a standard claim.

Learn more about the Fully Developed Claims program.

It’s important to apply for a VA Pension as soon as you can, because the date you actually apply is the potential start date for your benefits. And submitting all or as much evidence as possible with your application can mean it takes the VA less time to make a decision on your claim. However, it can be time-consuming to gather all the details and evidence that you need to submit with your application.

If you submit an Intent to File, your benefits could be paid retroactively back to the date you file your Intent, instead of the date you submit your completed application. After you notify the VA of your intent to file, you have up to one year to complete and submit your VA Pension application. Learn more about how to notify the VA of your Intent to File.

You can’t get VA Pension and VA Disability Compensation benefits at the same time, but it’s good to apply for both. If you do qualify for both, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pays you whichever benefit is higher.

VA Pension — also called the non-service-connected (NSC) pension — gives a monthly payment to veterans with low income and few resources who served during wartime and have a permanent and total disability that is not connected to their military service. Learn more about VA Pension benefits.

VA Disability Compensation is a tax-free monthly cash benefit given to veterans (whether they served in war or peace time, or both) who have a service-connected disability, meaning it happened while on active duty or it was made worse by active duty. Eligibility depends on the severity of your disability, not your income or resources. Learn more about VA Disability Compensation benefits.

The VA gives an overview of the differences between pension benefits and disability compensation.