VA Aid & Attendance is an add-on allowance that raises a qualifying wartime veteran's VA pension rather than a separate benefit. For a veteran with no dependents, the 2025-2026 Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) with Aid & Attendance is $29,093 per year, or about $2,424 per month, effective December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026. This is a federal benefit set nationally and does not vary based on living in Raleigh or anywhere else in North Carolina.
The detail behind the number
Aid & Attendance is frequently misunderstood as a standalone benefit, but it actually works by replacing a veteran's base VA Improved Pension MAPR with a higher figure once the veteran demonstrates both wartime service eligibility and a qualifying clinical need, such as requiring help with activities of daily living or being substantially confined to the home. The veteran must first qualify for the underlying VA pension, which includes meeting income and net worth limits -- as of the December 2025 update, the combined net worth and annual income limit for VA pension eligibility is $163,699. Because actual monthly payment is reduced by the veteran's countable income, most veterans receive less than the full $2,424/month MAPR figure in practice. Triangle-area veterans can get help applying through the NC Division of Veterans Affairs county service offices or accredited veteran service officers, who can calculate countable income and net worth specific to the veteran's situation.
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