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VA Aid and Attendance, 2026

Current maximum annual pension rates, the net worth limit, and why care costs can make a veteran eligible despite moderate income.

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VA Aid and Attendance, 2026

Short answer

VA Aid & Attendance and Housebound are not separate benefits with their own payment — they are add-on allowances that raise a veteran's or survivor's Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) under the VA Improved Pension / Survivors Pension program. The veteran/survivor must first qual

SituationMaximum annual rateApproximate monthly
Veteran needing Aid and Attendance$29,093/year (MAPR, veteran with no dependents) = about $2,424/monthhttps://www.va.gov/pension/veterans-pension-rates/ per month
Surviving spouse needing Aid and Attendance$18,697/year (MAPR, surviving spouse with no dependent children) = about $1,558/monthhttps://www.va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/survivor-compensation/survivors-pension/rates per month

Net worth limit: $163,699 (combined net worth and annual income limit for VA pension eligibility), effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026.

VA Aid & Attendance and Housebound are not separate benefits with their own payment — they are add-on allowances that raise a veteran's or survivor's Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) under the VA Improved Pension / Survivors Pension program. The veteran/survivor must first qualify for a VA pension (wartime service, income/net worth limits), and then the A&A or Housebound rate replaces the base MAPR with a higher figure if they meet the clinical need (e.g., need help with activities of daily living, or are substantially confined to their home).

VA publishes these as annual MAPR figures; monthly amounts shown above are the annual figure divided by 12, rounded to the nearest dollar. Actual monthly payment can vary based on countable income, which is subtracted from the MAPR. These are federal VA benefit figures set nationally by Congress/VA COLA and do not vary by state, including North Carolina. Rates effective Rates and net worth limit above are effective December 1, 2025 (reflecting the 2.8% COLA increase for 2026), through November 30, 2026..

Source: VA veterans pension rates

Source: VA survivors pension rates

Questions families ask

What should I ask a facility in Smithfield about its 'admission and retention' policy?

Adult care homes operate under 10A NCAC 13F rules governing which residents they may admit and continue to serve based on assessed level of care — facilities are generally required to use a state-approved assessment (commonly the FL-2 medical form completed by a physician) to determine whether a resident's needs fall within what the facility is licensed and staffed to provide, and to discharge or transfer residents whose needs exceed that scope. Ask the facility directly what level-of-care threshold would trigger a required move, since this varies by facility and by whether the resident is in a general unit or a licensed Special Care Unit.

Can I trust glowing online reviews of an assisted living facility in Durham, or should I check something official first?

Online reviews aren't part of North Carolina's regulatory oversight and can't substitute for it — the official sources are DHSR's Regulated Facilities search to confirm licensure and DHSR's ACLS Facility Inspections, Ratings and Penalties search (info.ncdhhs.gov/dhsr/acls/star/search.asp) to review actual inspection findings, corrective action history, and any penalties within the last 36 months. Reviews can supplement that picture but shouldn't replace checking the state's own compliance record.

Will NC Medicaid pay for the room-and-board cost of an assisted living community in Cary?

Not directly — North Carolina does not have a Medicaid HCBS waiver covering room and board in assisted living/adult care homes (there is no 'CAP/AL' equivalent). Instead, eligible low-income residents can receive State/County Special Assistance (SA), a state- and county-funded cash supplement toward room and board, and SA recipients automatically become eligible for Medicaid, which can then cover medical and personal care services layered on top.

What exactly does the CAP/DA Medicaid waiver cover for a parent aging in place in Apex?

The Community Alternatives Program for Disabled Adults (CAP/DA) is North Carolina's Medicaid 1915(c) home- and community-based services waiver for adults 18+ who need a nursing-facility level of care but want to remain at home. It covers up to 18 in-home and community-based services, including adult day health, in-home aide services, home modifications and equipment, meal preparation, respite care, personal emergency response systems, and consumer-directed care that lets the beneficiary hire and supervise their own caregiver.

How do I actually apply for CAP/DA if my mother lives in Raleigh?

Apply for long-term-care Medicaid generally through Wake County's Department of Social Services, and apply for CAP/DA specifically by contacting a local CAP/DA case management entity serving Wake County; the CAP/DA program is administered overall by the NC Division of Health Benefits/NC Medicaid within NCDHHS. The NC Medicaid Contact Center (888-245-0179) can help direct families to the correct local starting point.

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