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VA Aid and Attendance pension calculator

VA pension pays the difference between a maximum annual rate and your countable income. Aid and Attendance and Housebound raise that maximum. This calculator applies the rule VA publishes and shows each step.

Uses US rates checked October 27, 2026.

Your answers stay in this browser. Nothing you type is sent to Carevo.

1. Who is the pension for?
2. Dependents

A veteran's dependents are a spouse and any dependent children. Count a spouse as 1.

3. Which maximum rate applies?
4. Yearly income for VA purposes

Total income of the claimant and any dependents: pensions, Social Security, interest, dividends, wages, rental income. Do not subtract medical costs here.

$
5. Unreimbursed medical expenses for the year

What you pay out of pocket and no one reimburses: insurance premiums, prescriptions, and care from a health care provider or aide. VA decides which costs count.

$
6. Assets

Savings, investments and property other than the home you live in. Leave out your primary residence, personal belongings and a family vehicle. Subtract mortgages on other property.

$

What this tool cannot do

  • Carevo cannot tell you whether you qualify. VA decides, and it also checks wartime service, discharge status, age or disability, and medical evidence of the need for aid and attendance.
  • It does not decide which of your costs VA treats as medical expenses, how VA values an asset, or the effect of transfers made in the 3-year look-back period.
  • It covers a veteran or surviving spouse with no dependents or with dependents. It does not cover two veterans married to each other, a veteran whose spouse needs aid and attendance, a surviving child, or protected rates.
  • Ask a VA accredited representative to check your numbers before you apply.
  • It is an estimate based on published rules and current rates, not advice.

Common questions

What is the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR)?

It is the limit Congress sets for VA pension. VA pays the difference between the MAPR for your situation and your countable income. For a veteran with no dependents who qualifies for Aid and Attendance, the MAPR is $29,093 a year from December 1, 2025.

Which medical expenses reduce my income?

Unreimbursed medical expenses you pay count only to the extent they are above 5% of the MAPR that applies to you, not counting the extra amount for Aid and Attendance or Housebound. Federal rule 38 CFR 3.278 lists what VA treats as a medical expense, including care from a health care provider and, in some cases, custodial care and care facility costs. VA decides which of your costs qualify.

Does my home count toward the net worth limit?

No. Your primary residence, up to 2 acres of residential lot, is not counted as an asset, and neither are ordinary personal effects and a family vehicle. Net worth is your other assets plus your annual income after deductible expenses. The limit is $163,699 from December 1, 2025 until the next cost-of-living change.

Can I give assets away to get under the net worth limit?

VA reviews transfers made for less than fair market value during the 3 years before a pension claim. A transfer that would have put net worth over the limit can lead to a penalty period of up to 5 years. This tool does not calculate that penalty.

Can I get Aid and Attendance and Housebound at the same time?

No. VA says you cannot get both at the same time.

Where these rules come from

Sources checked October 27, 2026.