$2,000+ Per Month through the Veteran's Aid and Attendance Benefit?

If you are Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran you may be entitled to collect $1,000 to $2,000 tax-free per month that you or your spouse earned through service to our country.   You, like most Veterans nationwide, are likely still unaware of the VA Pension with Aid & Attendance benefit available through the Department of Veterans Affairs.  Designed to help offset health care costs, this benefit can be a lifesaver if you are facing the challenge of paying spiraling health care costs while maintaining your quality of life.

The VA, by its own admission, has done very little to advertise the existence of this benefit.  World War II, Korean War, Vietnam-Era Veterans and their widows are in need of assistance and are even dying in our community daily without knowing they are entitled to a monthly check from the VA to help.

What is Aid & Attendance and how do you know if you or a loved one is eligible?

Aid & Attendance is a health care pension available to Veterans and their widows to assist in paying unreimbursed medical expenses (such as in-home care, assisted living, or nursing home care).

There are some basic requirements which are age, health, and service-realted.  You can learn more about those by clicking here.

There are also income and asset limits.  This is where many Veterans give up before realizing even people with significant income and assets often qualify.  Also, the VA does not count your residence, auto, burial plots/plans or small life insurance policies as assets.

Those who have significant assets or income should not be discouraged.  There are planning techniques available to structure income and assets so that Veterans (or their surviving spouses) can qualify.  If you are interested in applying, you should consult a VA-accredited attorney who has experience with this benefit.

So what is the Veteran's Aid and Attendance benefit worth? 

Significant tax-free money for those who qualify:

• $2,019/month to a married Veteran
• $1,703/month to a single Veteran
• $1,094/month to a widow(er)

This is cash paid directly to the Veteran or suviving spouse.

The VA makes no promises about when benefits will begin but, once approved, payments are retroactive almost to the date of application.  So there is an advantage to applying as soon you can.

Be careful when seeking information about this benefit.  Well-meaning VA representatives unintentionally give out incorrect information about this benefit much of the time when contacted.  That alone is good reason to seek professional advice.

If you know of a Veteran or the surviving spouse of a Veteran who needs help managing the cost of long-term care, please let him or her know about VA Pension with Aid & Attendance.  You can make a real difference in that person’s life.

Photo courtesy of The U.S. Army.

Department of Veterans Affairs Book on Benefits Available to Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs publishes a handbook in PDF format that lists and explains all of the various benefits programs available to veterans, dependents and survivors. It's a comprehensive resource for veterans.  You can download it here http://goo.gl/CaIuQ.

America Loses One of the Last WWII Navajo Code Talkers

Last Tuesday night, January 3, 2012, Keith M. Little, president of the Navajo Code Talkers Foundation, died of cancer at the age of 87 in Fort Defiance, Arizona.  He is survived by his wife, Nellie.  Little served in the Navajo Code Talkers unit of the U.S. Marine Corps in the South Pacific and made significant contributions during many battles including Iwo Jima.

The Navajo Code Talkers unit was formed in early 1942 when the first 29 Navajo Code Talkers were recruited to send messages that the Japanese would be unable to decode. It was ingenious as it was effective. They could communicate in 20 seconds what took coding machines of the time 30 minutes to do.  Only three of the Navajo Code Talkers are still with us.

Little took responsibility for safeguarding the memory of the 420 Navajo Code Talkers. He was a driving force behind the National Navajo Code Talkers Foundation and the National Navajo Code Talkers Museum & Veterans Center in Window Rock, AZ.

Founded in 2009, the Navajo Code Talkers Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating current and future generations about the history, ideals, and heroic accomplishments in World War II by the Navajo Code Talkers. The Foundation further sets out to preserve and pass on the unique Navajo language and the Navajo Code Talkers legacy.

The goal of the museum is to preserve their story in compelling detail through an educational environment, and interactive exhibits and activities. A state-of-the-art Veterans center will provide integrated services, resources and opportunities for all Armed Services Veterans, active duty military personnel, and their families. It will be a place to honor and celebrate the courageous deeds of all Americans and Native Americans, alike, in military service.

To learn more of Keith Little's amazing story, click here.  To learn more about WWII Navajo Code Talkers or to make a donation, please visit navajocodetalkers.org.