FAMILYVA program

Veterans Pension

Veterans Pension is a monthly payment for wartime veterans who are 65 or older, have a permanent and total disability, live in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or get Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income. VA bases the payment on the difference between yearly income for VA purposes and the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR), the most VA pays. Paid medical expenses that insurance does not cover can lower that income, counting only the amount above 5% of the MAPR. The net worth limit counts assets and income, but not the primary home or car, and it is $163,699 from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026.

Wartime service, not dishonorably discharged; age 65+, permanent and total disability, long-term nursing home care, or SSDI or SSI; income and net worth within limits set by Congress

Fill Form 21P-527EZ View on VA.gov

Example value

Up to $17,441/yrVeteran with no dependents

Step-by-step guide

What VA looks for: Veterans Pension

Wartime service that meets the length rulesAt least 90 days of active duty with at least 1 day in a wartime period. Enlisted members who started after September 7, 1980, and officers who started after October 16, 1981, generally need 24 months or the full period they were called to, with some exceptions. A discharge for a service-connected disability before 90 days also meets the rule.
Age 65 or older, or a disability basisOne of these: age 65 or older, a permanent and total disability, a nursing home patient for long-term care because of disability, or receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.
Income and net worth within the limitsYearly income after deductible medical expenses, and net worth, within the limits VA publishes. The income limit depends on who is in your household.

Source: 38 CFR 3.3(a)(3) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.12a (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.2 (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.ii.2.B (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.23(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.274 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: current pension rates (opens in new tab)

Which kind of claim is this?

Veterans Pension
A monthly payment for wartime veterans whose yearly income and net worth are under limits set by law and VA regulation. VA looks for wartime service, an age or disability basis, and income and net worth within the limits.
Source: 38 CFR 3.3(a)(3) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.12a (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.2 (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.ii.2.A (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Veterans Pension requirements (opens in new tab)
Aid and Attendance (added to pension)
A higher pension rate for a veteran on Veterans Pension who meets at least one of four criteria. One: needs another person's help with daily activities such as bathing, feeding, or dressing. Two: must stay in bed because of illness. Three: is a nursing home patient because of mental or physical incapacity. Four: has corrected vision of 5/200 or less in both eyes, or a visual field of 5 degrees or less.
1. At least one Aid and Attendance criterionNeeding help with daily activities, having to stay in bed because of illness, living in a nursing home because of incapacity, or the vision loss the rule describes.
Source: 38 CFR 3.351 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.352(a) (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.ii.1.A (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Aid and Attendance and Housebound (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-2680 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0779 (opens in new tab)
Housebound (added to pension)
A higher pension rate for a veteran on Veterans Pension who has one permanent disability rated 100%, not a rating based on unemployability, plus one more thing. Either other disabilities, separate from the first, rated 60% or more on their own, or being substantially confined to home, with that confinement reasonably certain to last for life. Housebound and Aid and Attendance are not paid at the same time.
1. One permanent disability rated 100%A single permanent disability rated 100%. A rating based on unemployability does not count here.
2. Other disabilities rated 60% or more, or being permanently houseboundOther disabilities rated 60% or more on their own, or being substantially confined to home for life because of disability.
Source: 38 CFR 3.351 (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.ii.1.A (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Aid and Attendance and Housebound (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-2680 (opens in new tab)

What to gather, and what it shows VA

Documents for this benefit: what each is, what it shows VA, and how VA gets it
Document	What it shows	How VA gets it	Have it?
Proof of wartime service (DD214) Your separation papers, showing service dates, type of service, and character of discharge.	Your wartime service dates and discharge	The pension application asks for a copy of your DD214, or an equivalent, for every period of service. For your own copy, use eVetRecs or SF180.	Yes
Income records, such as Social Security award letters Statements for every source of income, such as Social Security award letters, retirement or pension statements, and wage records, for you, your spouse, and dependents whose income the rules count.	Your household's income	Each payer sends these; Social Security award letters come from SSA. The amounts go on VA Form 21P-527EZ, and VA may ask for copies.	Yes
Bank and asset statements Recent statements for bank accounts and investments, and values for property other than your home, for you and your spouse, with any debts tied to that property.	Your household's net worth	Statements come from your bank, brokerage, or county records. The values go on VA Form 21P-527EZ. Your primary residence is not counted, and a mortgage on it is not subtracted either.	Yes
Income and asset statement VA Form 21P-0969, a detailed statement of income and assets.	Income and assets in more detail	Send it when VA asks for it, or when the pension application tells you to. The application names several income sources or larger assets as reasons it may be needed.
Records of transfers in the last 36 months Deeds, gift terms, and trust or annuity papers for anything sold or given away for less than fair market value.	What left your hands before you filed	VA may ask for a federal tax return transcript, the terms of a gift, trust, or annuity, or a recorded deed.	Yes
Unreimbursed medical expense report VA Form 21P-8416, where you total the medical costs you paid and were not paid back for.	Medical costs that lower countable income	You total the costs on VA's form from your own bills and receipts, and send it to VA. BeneVets does not collect medical expense details.
Social Security disability award letter The letter from SSA that awards Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.	A disability basis for pension	SSA mails it when it decides your claim. A copy can go to VA with your application.	Yes
Medical records for a disability basis Records from your doctors about a disability you expect to be permanent.	A permanent and total disability	Under 65 without a Social Security disability finding, the application asks for medical evidence. Send copies to VA, or complete VA Forms 21-4142 and 21-4142a so VA can request them. BeneVets does not collect them.
Physician exam for Aid and Attendance or Housebound VA Form 21-2680, completed by a physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist.	The daily help or confinement VA looks for	Download it from VA.gov, give it to your provider, and send the completed form to VA. BeneVets does not ask for its contents.
Nursing home information VA Form 21-0779, with information from the nursing home.	Care in a nursing home	An official of the nursing home completes VA's form, and the form goes to VA.
Statements from people who help you Statements from family, caregivers, or others describing the daily help they give.	The daily help others see you need	VA Form 21-10210, Lay/Witness Statement, completed by the witness and sent to VA. The rater weighs it alongside the physician exam.
Marriage and family records Marriage certificates, records of how any prior marriages ended, and your children's birth certificates or adoption papers.	Who counts in your household	The application asks for your marital history, your spouse's, and your dependent children. For an adopted child it asks for the adoption decree or a revised birth certificate. VA may ask for other records.	Yes

Records and statements go to VA. BeneVets never asks you to upload or type them here.

Steps, in order

Set your start date
Submit an intent to file on VA Form 21-0966, by phone, or by starting the online pension application. VA treats a complete application filed within 1 year as filed on the intent to file date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab); M21-1 II.iii.2.A (opens in new tab); VA.gov: your intent to file (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0966 (opens in new tab)
Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you. VA also accredits attorneys and claims agents, who can charge fees only for work done after VA issues its initial decision on the claim.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for pension (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 14.636(c) (opens in new tab)
Check your service dates
Check your service dates against VA's list of wartime periods and the length rules for your start date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.2 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.3(a)(3) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.12a (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Veterans Pension requirements (opens in new tab)
Find your age or disability basis
Find your basis: 65 or older, SSDI or SSI, a nursing home for long-term care because of disability, or a permanent and total disability. Gather the matching proof.
Source: 38 CFR 3.3(a)(3) (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.ii.2.B (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-527EZ (opens in new tab)
Gather your personal history
The application asks for your military history, your work history, your marital history and your spouse's, and information about your dependents. Have the dates and places ready.
Source: VA.gov: how to apply for pension (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-527EZ (opens in new tab)
Total your yearly income
Total your yearly income from every source, including your spouse's and any dependent income the rules count. The BeneVets fill flow prefills only identity, contact, service, and discharge fields, so the income, net worth, and medical expense sections are completed on VA's form.
Source: 38 CFR 3.271(a) (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.i.3.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: how to apply for pension (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-527EZ (opens in new tab)
Total your unreimbursed medical costs
Total the medical costs you paid in the 12-month period that were not paid back to you, and record them on VA Form 21P-8416. Only the part above the 5 percent floor lowers countable income.
Source: 38 CFR 3.272(g) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.272(g)(1)(iii) (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.iii.1.G (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-8416 (opens in new tab)
Work out your net worth
Add your assets and your spouse's, not counting your primary residence, to your yearly income after deductible medical expenses. Compare the total to the current net worth limit on VA's pension rates page.
Source: 38 CFR 3.274 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.275(b)(1) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: current pension rates (opens in new tab)
Add the income and asset statement if asked
If the application or VA asks for it, complete VA Form 21P-0969 with the details of your income and assets.
Source: VA Form 21P-0969 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-527EZ (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.i.3.B (opens in new tab)
List transfers from the last 36 months
List anything you sold or gave away for less than fair market value in the 36 months before you file, with the papers for each.
Source: 38 CFR 3.276 (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.iii.1.J (opens in new tab)
Add the forms for Aid and Attendance or Housebound
If you need help with daily activities or are confined to home by a permanent disability, have a physician complete VA Form 21-2680. If you live in a nursing home, an official there completes VA Form 21-0779.
Source: 38 CFR 3.351 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.352(a) (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-2680 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0779 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-527EZ (opens in new tab)
Ask for retroactive pension if it applies
If your pension is based on disability and you became permanently and totally disabled within the past year, you can include a written request for retroactive pension with your application or send it separately.
Source: 38 CFR 3.151(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.400(b)(1)(ii)(B) (opens in new tab)
Know how pension works with compensation
If you also get or are claiming VA disability compensation: VA pays one benefit, the greater one unless you choose the lesser in writing, and does not pay both on your own service at the same time. You can change the choice later.
Source: 38 CFR 3.151(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.700 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.701 (opens in new tab)
Have your bank details ready
VA Form 21P-527EZ asks for direct deposit details: the bank name, account type, account number, and routing number, because federal benefits are paid by electronic transfer. These details go on VA's form only. BeneVets does not collect them.
Source: VA Form 21P-527EZ (opens in new tab)
Add a cover letter (optional)
Optional, not a VA requirement: a one-page cover letter on top of your papers. List your service dates and your age or disability basis. Then number every enclosed document: income statements, asset statements, the medical expense report, and the physician exam.
File your application
File VA Form 21P-527EZ online, through VA's QuickSubmit tool, by mail to the Pension Intake Center, in person at a VA regional office, or through an accredited representative.
Source: VA.gov: how to apply for pension (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-527EZ (opens in new tab)
Report changes after an award
After an award, tell VA promptly about changes in income, net worth, or other factors that affect pension.
Source: 38 CFR 3.277(b) (opens in new tab)
Know your options after the decision
If you disagree with the decision, the review options are a Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995), a Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996), or a Board Appeal (VA Form 10182). A review filed within 1 year of the decision notice keeps the original effective date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.2500(h) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: decision reviews and appeals (opens in new tab); VA Form 20-0995 (opens in new tab); VA Form 20-0996 (opens in new tab); VA Form 10182 (opens in new tab)

Good to know

Income minus unreimbursed medical expenses

VA counts payments of any kind from any source as income unless a rule excludes them. VA counts income over a 12-month period it calls the annualization period. Medical costs you paid in that period and were not paid back for lower your countable income, but only the part above a floor. The floor is 5 percent of the basic MAPR for your household, not counting any Aid and Attendance or Housebound increase. Your pension is the MAPR minus the countable income that is left.

Source: 38 CFR 3.271(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.272(g) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.272(g)(1)(iii) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.23(b) (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.iii.1.G (opens in new tab)

Net worth and the 3-year look-back

Net worth is your assets plus your yearly income. A married veteran counts a spouse's assets too. Yearly income here is counted after deductible medical expenses; those expenses are not subtracted from assets. Your primary residence is not counted as an asset. The limit is set in VA regulation and rises with the Social Security cost-of-living increase. VA reviews assets given away or sold for less than fair market value in the 36 months before a pension claim. If those assets would have put net worth over the limit, VA sets a penalty period of up to 5 years with no pension. Transfers before October 18, 2018 are not counted.

Source: 38 CFR 3.274 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.275(b)(1) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.276 (opens in new tab); M21-1 IX.iii.1.J (opens in new tab); VA.gov: current pension rates (opens in new tab)

Retroactive pension must be asked for

Pension based on disability starts on the date VA receives the claim. It can start earlier only if you specifically ask for retroactive pension within 1 year of becoming permanently and totally disabled. You also need to show a disability kept you from filing for at least the first 30 days after that date.

Source: 38 CFR 3.151(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.400(b)(1)(ii)(B) (opens in new tab)

Filing alongside compensation

A pension claim and a compensation claim can move at the same time, and VA may treat a claim for one as a claim for the other. VA pays one of them, not both: the greater benefit, unless you choose the lesser one in writing. You can change that choice later.

Source: 38 CFR 3.151(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.700 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.701 (opens in new tab)

Changes must be reported

Anyone who applies for or gets pension must promptly tell VA about changes that affect it, such as changes in income or net worth.

Source: 38 CFR 3.277(b) (opens in new tab)

BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you