Enhanced or Special Monthly Pension Aid and Attendance or Housebound

by United States Department of Veterans Affairs

Enhanced or Special Monthly Pension Aid and Attendance or Housebound

What is enhanced or Special Monthly Pension?

Aid and Attendance Benefits and Housebound Allowance | VA.gov |

Aid and Attendance (A&A) is a higher monthly pension amount paid to a Veteran or surviving spouse. You may be eligible if one (or more) of the following is true:

• You require help to perform activities of daily living. These include bathing, feeding, dressing, toileting, adjust prosthetic devices, meal preparation, medication management or protection from environmental hazards due to mental or physical incapacity.
• You are bedridden. This means your disability requires you to stay in bed when you are not receiving treatment.
• You are a patient in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity.
• You have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less in both eyes.
• You have concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.

Housebound

Housebound is an increased monthly pension amount. It is paid to permanently disabled Veterans who are greatly confined to their homes. Veterans may qualify for this increased amount if one of the following is true:

• You have a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling. Because of this, you are permanently confined to your immediate location.
• You have a single permanent disability evaluated as 100-percent disabling and another disability (or disabilities) evaluated as 60-percent or more.
  You may not receive enhanced or special monthly pension without first establishing eligibility for VA pension. However, enhanced pension is based on a higher income limit. For this reason, a claimant who is not eligible for basic pension may still qualify for increased pension benefits. You may not receive pension at the A&A and Housebound rate at the same time.

How much does VA pay?

Visit the webpages below to view pension rate tables, including the A&A and Housebound rates:

• Veterans pension:

http://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/current_rates_veteran_pen.asp.

• Survivors pension:

http://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/current_rates_survivor_pen.asp.

How to apply for Aid and Attendance and Housebound

You may apply for pension at the A&A or Housebound rate by submitting a completed VA Form 21-2680, “Examination for Housebound or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance,” located at https://www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-2680/ or www.va.gov/find-forms/about-form-21-0779/.

Provide copies of any evidence that would help prove your need for A&A or that you are housebound. Examples of this include a report from your physician validating your need for A&A or your housebound status.

Remember, if you are not currently receiving VA pension benefits, you must attach a completed application to VA Form 21-2680. VA cannot make a decision on your claim without it.
Documents may be submitted by mail, in person at a VA regional office or electronically. However, VA recommends submitting correspondence electronically as this is the fastest method of receipt.

VA provides several tools to assist in electronic submission. To learn more about how to submit documents and claims electronically, visit www.va.gov/disability/uploadsupporting-evidence. You can also go directly to access.va.gov to digitally upload any correspondence using Direct Upload.

By visiting www.va.gov you can also check your claim status and learn about other VA benefits. If you need assistance, you can find a local, accredited representative at https://www.benefits.va.gov/vso/

Bring your application to a VA regional office near you. Find a VA regional office near you at Find VA Locations | Veterans Affairs

If you prefer to mail your correspondence, please use the related mailing address below:

Department of Veterans Affairs

Pension Intake Center

P.O. Box 5365

Janesville, WI 53547-5365

For information on VA Pension visit the web pages listed above or call 1-800-827-1000.

Updated May 2022