John, I've been retired for 8 years, and am a little rusty.
Aid and Attendance (A & A) and Housebound benefits are extras that can be available to any veteran who qualifies for VA pension, but you must qualify for pension first to get either of them. VA pension is considered a bare bones subsistence benefit.
Pension is available to any wartime vet (basically served one day of active duty during a period of war) (and I'm guessing you served during Vietnam). You need not have served in combat, only during any period of war.
VA pension is means tested, both net worth and income. In 2017, a veteran with dependent spouse was eligible for $25,525 in pension, less any income (almost no income is exempt, social security retirement/disability and State or Federal G pensions are not exempt). If the two of you made more than that, no pension would be awarded (and without qualifying pension, no A & A either). However, there is a list of expenses that are allowed to reduce countable income, and I think that would include medical expenses/insurance. If, say, for 2017, your combined countable income, less allowable expenses, was $15K, then pension would be $10, 525 (this is how pension works).
However, the total amount of countable income, for a vet and dependent, less allowable expenses, for 2018 is $17,241 for basic pension, but $26,036 for A & A.
Now the net worth test exempts house, furnishings, vehicles. A veteran’s net worth includes assets in bank accounts, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and property other than the veteran's primary residence and vehicle (ie cash). Now there is no hard limit on net worth, VA adjudicators just look at what you have and decide if you can live on that instead of VA benefits.
Someone else already gave this link in another thread.
https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/longtermcare/resources/veterans_pension.html#title6https://www.payingforseniorcare.com/va-benefits-planning/income-calculation.htmlAll the actual regulations are in 38 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
The linked attachment says 9-12 months for a decision is usual. I think if you live in an area with a high concentration of veterans, the backlog at your VA Regional Office may be worse, and the wait longer.
I agree with Sandy, and advise you seek assistance from a local Veteran Service Officer with a Veteran Service Organization (they are free). In my experience, two of the best are Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) (you don't have to be paralyzed to use them) (and in my 18 years with VA, I mean head and shoulders
better than most of the other VSOs). I would do this even if you have already applied to VA for benefits. Take a copy of your application with you, and be prepared to show income, expenses and assets (other than home and vehicles).
And John, I'm not certain of this, but think the A & A benefit would only be payable to you if YOU qualified during your lifetime, then to a surviving spouse only after your death. If A & A is available just for Rita, I think the additional Housebound benefit would also very likely apply to her.
I am sorry if this is not what you were hoping to hear. (But, I probably only looked a few A & A/Housebound appeals in all my years at VA, and those were knocked out on income tests.)
The above links are not VA itself, these are:
https://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/https://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/pencalc.asphttps://www.benefits.va.gov/pension/aid_attendance_housebound.aspIf you would like to talk about this, send me a phone number on PM and tell me when to call.
Jess
