Claim Recon/Tools/Aid & Attendance

Aid & Attendance

Two paths to A&A and Housebound benefits.

Aid & Attendance is paid through VA Pension (income-tested, wartime veterans) or as Special Monthly Compensation (service-connected). You cannot draw A&A and Housebound at the same time.

Pension MAPR

$27,611

Annual w/ A&A

Authority

§ 1114(l)

SMC-L

Form

21-2680

A&A exam

A&A CRITERIA

Qualify if you meet any one of the following.

You need help performing daily activities such as bathing, feeding, dressing, adjusting prosthetic devices, or protecting yourself from environmental hazards.
You are bedridden (spend most of your time in bed because of disability).
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, or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.

HOUSEBOUND CRITERIA

Qualify if you meet either of the following.

A single permanent disability rated 100% with substantial confinement to your home and immediate premises.
A single permanent disability rated 100% plus additional disabilities rated 60% or more (independent of the 100% condition).

Pension-path rates

Maximum Annual Pension Rates (MAPR) effective Dec 1, 2025

Basic pension (veteran alone)

$16,550

ANNUAL CAP

Pension with Aid & Attendance

$27,611

ANNUAL CAP

Pension with Housebound

$20,216

ANNUAL CAP

Survivor pension (alone)

$11,103

ANNUAL CAP

Survivor with A&A

$17,732

ANNUAL CAP

Compensation path (SMC)

Awarded as Special Monthly Compensation alongside service connection

SMC-L (Aid & Attendance)

For service-connected veterans, A&A is paid as Special Monthly Compensation at the L rate, in addition to the 100% rate.

38 U.S.C. § 1114(l)

SMC-S (Housebound)

Housebound is paid as Special Monthly Compensation at the S rate. Requires a single 100% disability plus additional disabilities totaling 60%, or substantial confinement.

38 U.S.C. § 1114(s)

Filing checklist

What VA needs to evaluate the request

Apply for VA Pension if income-eligible (VA Form 21P-527EZ).
Submit VA Form 21-2680 (Examination for Housebound Status or Permanent Need for Regular Aid and Attendance) - completed by your physician.
Document the limitations: which activities of daily living you cannot perform unassisted.
If service-connected and applying for SMC, file VA Form 21-526EZ noting the SMC level sought.

Educational tool. Cites 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l)/(s), 38 C.F.R. § 3.351, § 3.352. MAPR figures effective Dec 1, 2025. Eligibility determinations made by VA on a case-by-case basis.

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