Many older veterans and surviving spouses miss out on benefits they've earned. Here are 8 of the most overlooked — from VA Aid and Attendance and CHAMPVA to property tax exemptions and burial benefits — and how to claim them for free.
Many older veterans and surviving spouses leave thousands of dollars on the table every year simply because they don't know a benefit exists (learn more about complete guide to memory care: understanding alzheimer's (learn more about disability insurance strategy guide) (learn more about medicare enrollment periods explained) (learn more about healthcare cost strategy guide) and dementia care). The most overlooked is the VA Aid and Attendance pension, which can add well over $2,000 a month to a qualifying veteran's income to help pay for care. Below are eight benefits seniors most often miss — and how to find out if you qualify.
A quick note: benefit amounts and eligibility rules change yearly (learn more about "how annuities can help fund your medical tourism expenses") (learn more about beneficiary planner tool: organize your beneficiary designations). Treat the figures here as approximate and confirm current numbers and your eligibility at VA.gov or with an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO), whose help is free.
Aid and Attendance is an enhanced monthly pension for wartime veterans (and surviving spouses) who need help with daily activities, are housebound, or live in assisted care. For a married veteran it can be worth roughly $2,700 or more per month in 2026, depending on the maximum annual pension rate. It's one of the most valuable — and most underused — benefits available because so few eligible families know to apply.
A surviving spouse of a wartime veteran with limited income may qualify for a monthly Survivors Pension, even if the veteran's death wasn't service-related. Many widows and widowers never apply because they assume benefits ended with their spouse. It's worth checking eligibility based on income and net worth limits.
CHAMPVA provides health coverage for the spouses and dependents of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected condition (or who died from one). It can work alongside Medicare to cover costs Medicare leaves behind. Families frequently miss it because it's separate from the veteran's own VA care.
DIC is a tax-free monthly benefit for surviving spouses, children, or parents of a service member who died in service or from a service-connected condition. Unlike the income-based Survivors Pension, DIC is not means-tested. Surviving family members often don't realize they may qualify decades after service.
Most states offer property tax exemptions or reductions for veterans — often substantially larger for those with a service-connected disability rating, and sometimes full exemptions for higher ratings or surviving spouses. These are claimed at the county or state level, not through the VA, which is why so many homeowners overlook them. Contact your county assessor or state veterans affairs office.
The VA provides burial benefits that many families don't claim, including a burial allowance, a free gravesite in a national cemetery, a government headstone or marker, a burial flag, and a Presidential Memorial Certificate. Some of these can even be applied for in advance through pre-need eligibility, easing the burden on family later.
Veterans with certain service-connected disabilities may qualify for grants to adapt their home for safer, independent living — such as the Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) or Special Home Adaptation (SHA) grants, plus the Home Improvements and Structural Alterations (HISA) grant for medically necessary changes. These can fund ramps, widened doorways, walk-in showers, and more.
This isn't a cash benefit, but it's the key that unlocks the others. Accredited VSOs — available free through organizations like the VFW, American Legion, DAV, and county veterans offices — help you identify benefits, gather documents, and file claims correctly. Because applications (especially for Aid and Attendance) can be complex, working with a VSO dramatically improves approval odds. Never pay someone to file a basic VA claim; accredited help is free.
Start by gathering the veteran's discharge paperwork (DD-214), then make a free appointment with an accredited VSO. Bring income and asset information, medical records if applying for care-related benefits, and marriage or death certificates for survivor benefits. The VSO will tell you which of the benefits above you qualify for and help you file. Most of these benefits are not automatic — you have to apply.
Billions in veterans benefits go unclaimed every year because eligible seniors and surviving spouses simply don't know they qualify. Aid and Attendance, Survivors Pension, CHAMPVA, DIC, property tax exemptions, burial benefits, and home modification grants are the ones most often missed. The smartest first step costs nothing: contact an accredited Veterans Service Officer and confirm current eligibility at VA.gov.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not legal, financial, or benefits advice. Benefit amounts and eligibility rules change and vary by situation; verify current details at VA.gov or with an accredited Veterans Service Officer.
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