PLANNING FOR VETERAN’S BENEFITS AND AID & ATTENDANCE
Often, people are surprised to learn, the Veterans Administration (VA) Aid & Attendance Special Care Pension provides monthly aid to wartime veterans, as well as surviving spouses of deceased veterans, who require personal assistance in their activities of daily living, to help them pay for care.
Many families are unaware of the benefits available to them, how to check their eligibility, and how to apply. Furthermore, some people have been misinformed — told that they do not qualify for benefits because their income and/or assets exceed the allowed thresholds. The sad fact is that many have been given the wrong advice! Our office is dedicated to helping clients preserve their assets by guiding them through the maze of legal issues, then plan for and obtain these long-term care benefits.
Many veterans and surviving spouses whose incomes are above the congressionally-mandated legal limit may still qualify for monthly Aid & Attendance benefits with the right planning in place. This includes a combination of estate and elder law planning strategies that will protect a family’s assets from being spent on long-term care. Qualifying veterans receive Aid & Attendance funds to pay for in-home care, assisted living or nursing home care, in addition to their monthly pension and Social Security benefits.
If you or someone you love is a veteran (or surviving spouse of a veteran) and needs assistance with activities of daily living – including but not limited to cooking, cleaning, dressing, driving, and mobility – the Aid & Attendance pension benefit program can provide the funds you need to pay for that care.
The Help of an Elder Law Attorney
To ensure that all questions are answered and benefits paid, it is important to seek the assistance of a qualified elder law attorney who is familiar with estate planning, disability, Medi-Cal and Veterans’ benefits. In fact, only attorneys accredited by the Veteran’s Administration can work with clients and help them apply for benefits.
Over the years, we have helped many veterans and surviving spouses receive the benefits they deserve. Our office is experienced in elder law and provides veterans and their families consultations to decide if it is appropriate to apply for this VA benefit, coordinate the application with any Medi-Cal planning and eligibility, and determine what steps must be taken.
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Attorney Dolenga has successfully guided thousands of severely disabled clients in presenting their claims before the Social Security Administrations administrative law judges and numerous Federal district courts across the country. As a result of these efforts, his clients have been provided with the resources needed to support themselves and their families.
Through this work, Attorney Dolenga also sees first-hand the catastrophic effects a severe, and often sudden, medical diagnosis or death can have on a family emotionally and financially. This allows him to fully understand how critically important advanced planning can be. Whether in drafting a simple will to protect an individual or a couple and their home and bank account or drafting more complex documents, he understands how important this planning can be to the lives of his clients and their families.
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