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VA Aid & Attendance: A Guide for Sacramento and Placer Families

By Roberto Hategan · CEO & Founder

October 28, 2026 · Cost · 6 min read

Original editorial content by Nonna Placements

A senior veteran holds an American flag at an outdoor community event

Quick answer: VA Aid & Attendance is extra monthly money added to a VA pension for wartime veterans and some surviving spouses who need help with daily activities. For a veteran with no dependents, the most it can bring the yearly pension to is $29,093 (about $2,424 a month) in the current VA rate year. Income, medical costs and a $163,699 net worth limit all matter. Free help is available from your County Veterans Service Office.

If your dad served during wartime, or your mom is the surviving spouse of someone who did, there may be VA money that can help pay for care. Many families never hear about it, or hear about it too late. This guide explains the basics in plain English, with the current numbers from VA.gov.

The short version

  • Aid & Attendance is an add-on to the VA pension, not a separate program.
  • Your parent must qualify for a VA pension and need help with daily activities (or meet other VA criteria).
  • VA uses a net worth limit of $163,699 (December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026).
  • The payment is the difference between your parent’s countable income and a VA maximum, and some unreimbursed medical costs can lower countable income.
  • Applying is free. Your County Veterans Service Office can help at no cost.

What is VA Aid & Attendance?

It’s a monthly payment added to a VA pension for veterans and survivors who need extra help. According to VA, your parent may be eligible if they get a VA pension and at least one of these is true (VA.gov):

  • They need another person to help with daily activities like bathing, feeding and dressing.
  • They have to stay in bed, or spend much of the day in bed, because of illness.
  • They’re a patient in a nursing home due to loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability.
  • Their eyesight is severely limited, as VA defines it.

There’s also a separate Housebound benefit for people who are mostly confined to home by a permanent disability. VA notes you can’t get both at the same time.

How much is it in 2026?

VA sets a Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR). Your parent’s pension is roughly the MAPR minus their yearly income for VA purposes. These are the current VA rates, effective December 1, 2025 (VA pension rates):

  • Veteran, no dependents. Yearly MAPR with Aid & Attendance: $29,093. About per month: $2,424.
  • Veteran with 1 dependent (like a spouse). Yearly MAPR with Aid & Attendance: $34,488. About per month: $2,874.
  • Two veterans married to each other, both qualify for A&A. Yearly MAPR with Aid & Attendance: $46,143. About per month: $3,845.

VA adds $2,984 for each additional dependent. For comparison, the basic pension MAPR for a veteran with no dependents, without Aid & Attendance, is $17,441 a year.

How the math works (an illustration using VA’s current table): A veteran with a dependent spouse who qualifies for Aid & Attendance has a MAPR of $34,488. If their yearly income for VA purposes is $10,000, the pension would be about $24,488 a year, or roughly $2,041 a month. Actual amounts are set by VA.

Why care costs matter: VA lets families subtract unreimbursed medical expenses above 5% of the MAPR from income (VA pension rates). Depending on how VA counts them, care costs may lower countable income and raise the pension. Ask a VA-accredited representative how your parent’s care costs would be counted.

Surviving spouses use a different rate table. Ask your County Veterans Service Office for the current survivor numbers.

A senior man in patriotic sunglasses holds an American flag outdoors

What’s the net worth limit and the look-back?

  • Net worth limit: $163,699 from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026. Net worth includes assets plus yearly income for VA purposes. Your parent’s primary home and car don’t count as assets.
  • Look-back: VA reviews asset transfers made in the 3 years before the claim. Giving assets away for less than fair value during that time can lead to a penalty period of up to 5 years (VA pension rates).

This is exactly why you should talk to an accredited representative before moving any money.

How do we apply?

VA says you can apply online, by mail or in person (VA.gov). A medical examiner must complete the exam section of VA Form 21-2680. If your parent lives in a nursing home, VA also asks for VA Form 21-0779.

A simple checklist to gather:

  • Discharge papers (DD214 or equivalent) showing wartime service
  • Marriage certificate and spouse’s death certificate, for a surviving spouse
  • Income: Social Security, pensions, other regular income
  • Bank and investment statements
  • Medical and care costs, including any care-home bills
  • Doctor’s completion of the exam section on VA Form 21-2680

VA processes claims in the order it receives them, so decisions can take time. Many families pay for care privately while they wait.

Where to get free help in Sacramento and Placer

A warning worth hearing: Help applying for VA benefits is free through County Veterans Service Offices and VA-accredited representatives. Be cautious of anyone who charges to help you apply or asks you to move money into a product to “qualify.”

  • Sacramento County Veterans Service Office: 3970 Research Drive, Sacramento. (916) 874-6811 (Sacramento County)
  • Placer County Veterans Service Office: 1000 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 115, Rocklin. (916) 780-3290. There’s also an office in Auburn with limited hours (Placer County)
  • Agency on Aging Area 4 for other senior programs in both counties
An older caregiver warmly greets a senior woman at home

How does A&A fit with other ways to pay?

A simple way to think it through:

  • If your parent qualifies for A&A and has income and savings, then A&A can help stretch savings over more months of care.
  • If your parent also has long-term care insurance, then both can often be used together; check the policy terms.
  • If savings are very low and your parent lives in Sacramento County, then also ask about the Medi-Cal Assisted Living Waiver, which has a waitlist.
  • If your parent isn’t a wartime veteran or surviving spouse, then A&A won’t apply; see our roadmap to paying for care.

How Nonna Placements works: Nonna Placements is free to families. Licensed homes pay us a placement fee when someone moves in. You can choose any home. We never charge for VA help and don’t file VA claims. This article is general information, not medical, legal, or financial advice.

Talk it through with us

If your family is a veteran family looking at care in Sacramento or Placer County, call us. We’ll help you find licensed homes that fit your parent’s needs and budget, and point you to free local help with VA benefits. It’s free to your family.

Call or text (916) 261-2644 or email roberto@nonnaplacements.com.

Related reading: How Will We Pay for Mom’s Care? A Sacramento & Placer Roadmap · How Much Does Assisted Living Cost in Sacramento in 2026? · Ways to Pay for Assisted Living in Roseville

Sources

About the author

Roberto Hategan is the CEO & Founder of Nonna Placements, a senior placement service in Granite Bay serving families across California, with a focus on Placer and Sacramento counties. Contact: roberto@nonnaplacements.com

Photo credits: Chris F, Mike Jones, and Jsme MILA, via Pexels, Pexels License.

Common questions

The money is paid to your parent, who can use it toward care costs, including a care home.

VA pension is tied to wartime service periods, not combat. Your County Veterans Service Office can confirm whether your parent's service qualifies.

Yes, some surviving spouses who qualify for a VA survivors pension can get it. Survivor rates are different.

VA processes claims in the order received, so it varies. Start early and keep paying for care in the meantime.

$163,699, from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026, according to VA.

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