Considerations

• The first step in qualifying for a VA disability pension is proving a documented medical condition. The condition must prove that permanent assistance with daily activities is required. In addition, veterans must have received an honorable discharge and must be permanently or totally disabled during the application process. Discharge from the service must be for a service-related disability.
  
  

Time of Service

• In order to qualify, a disabled veteran must have completed 90 days of active duty with one day of active duty during a time of war. Veterans may have to meet a longer minimum period of active duty if they entered the service on or after Sept. 8, 1980, as will officers who entered on or after Aug. 16, 1981. Surviving spouses who have not remarried may be eligible to receive their late spouse's disability pension if they were married to an eligible veteran at the time of their death.
  
  

Income and Assets

• In order to qualify, veterans must fall below a set income limit. Veterans without dependents must fall below $11,830 per year, while those with a spouse or child must fall below $15,493. Housebound veterans without dependents must fall below $14,493, while those who need aid and attendance must fall below $19,736. If both husband and wife are veterans, they must fall below $15,493.
  
  Income levels go up if the disabled veteran has dependents or is an early war-era veteran. Early war-era refers to World War I and the Mexican Border Period. Medical expenses that have not been reimbursed are also taken into consideration. A veteran may reduce his countable income based on his medical expenses.
  
  Liquid assets, such as stocks, bonds, IRAs and annuities, must fall below $80,000. Veterans with too many assets can always qualify later if their assets fall below the set amount.
  
  

Aid and Attendance

• Aid and Attendance is a benefit that provides additional monthly assistance to veterans requiring round-the-clock care. Disabled veterans who qualify for Aid and Attendance must prove that they need another person to perform daily personal functions. Veterans who are bedridden, mentally or physically incapacitated, blind or living in a nursing facility may also qualify.
  
  

Housebound

• The Housebound benefit provides additional monthly income to those who cannot drive. The VA must deem the veteran's disability 100 percent disabling, confining them to their residence. The Housebound benefit allows disabled veterans to pay for care and assistance when they can no longer drive safely.