As the nation celebrates Veterans Day, here are veterans benefits that every CSA should know about.
Some CSAs grew up in military families or served in the military themselves, and others aren’t as familiar with the challenges and unique needs of military families. As CSAs, our clients almost certainly include veterans, and possibly veterans who are eligible for a suite of services that they aren’t yet taking advantage of. Only 45% of Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries use more than one VA benefit.
This Veterans Day, make it your business to get to know some of these benefits. For certain clients and their families, they could be life-changing.
In a 2024 CSA Journal article, Carmen Perry-Tevaga provided readers with a guide to the Aid & Attendance (A&A) Pension available to eligible active-duty veterans and their surviving spouses through the VA. The A&A Pension is designed to help veterans cover the cost of long-term care, whether that’s in-home nursing care or assisted living. In 2024, the maximum annual pension rates under this program were:
- Single veteran: $27,549
- Married veteran: $32,433
- Surviving spouse: $17,935
A person may be eligible if they need assistance with activities of daily living, are housebound, live in a nursing home, or have severely limited vision.
The A&A pension is a needs-based benefit, meaning the VA evaluates applicants based on financial need to determine eligibility. As of last year, an applicant’s net worth needed to be $150,538 or below; this number changes every year.
According to Perry-Tevaga in her recent article, the A&A pension can provide financial relief, improved quality of life, and support for surviving spouses–and yet, many people who may be eligible don’t try to take advantage.
Through the Disability Housing Grants program, the VA offers veterans and service members “with certain service-connected disabilities so they can buy or change a home to meet their needs and live more independently.” A Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant provides financial assistance to veterans who need to retrofit their home to allow them to live there with certain service-connected disabilities. In 2025, the maximum grant amount is $121,812, and other related grants are available for people who meet additional eligibility requirements.
Help for Caregivers
The VA also offers programs that provide essential support to the caregivers of veterans. Respite Care provides short-time care for veterans who live at home, to provide a break for family caregivers. The Home Respite Care program pays for short-term in-home care of a few hours, and Nursing Home Respite Care pays for the veteran to stay in a care community for a few days while the family is out of town.
In some locations, Adult Day Health Care may be available for veterans who need assistance with activities of daily living. These programs provide a place for older adults to go during the day for companionship and recreation, while allowing caregivers to work at their jobs or rest.
Help with All the Paperwork
With all these and other benefits, the paperwork involved can feel overwhelming and constitute a barrier to accessing the service or grant. Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) can assist with the paperwork, for free. Indeed, it’s highly recommended that veterans take advantage of this service in order to avoid delays in the application process. They’ll also help with tracking applications and appeals processes, when necessary.
Applicants will need to provide their service record and all the other documents that determine eligibility–a Veteran Service Officer can help you determine what those documents are and where to find them. The National Veterans Foundation provides a list of federal, state, and independent agencies that provide Veteran Service Officers.
More Non-VA Benefits
Most veterans are probably aware of the Wounded Warrior Project, but it’s worth taking a look at all the many resources they offer, including peer support groups, financial counseling, and the Independence Program, which can provide direct care and support to eligible wounded veterans who served post-2001. Similarly, the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) serves veterans and their families by assisting them with accessing VA benefits plus counseling, transition services, and entrepreneurship support.
Here are two other non-governmental resources that many veterans and their families may not know about: First, VetTix honors service members by offering free tickets to a variety of sporting events and concerts–all donated by the venues. Their mission is to help veterans “reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, build life-long memories and encourage service members and veterans to stay engaged with local communities and American life.” In 2024, they gave out 6.6 million tickets to veterans and their families, and they have over 3,500 open events on their website. The tickets include NFL, MLB, theater, stadium concerts, comedy tours, and more. Second, GOVX supports a variety of nonprofits that serve veterans and families, and they also host a clearinghouse of discounts available to servicemembers, from event tickets to gym memberships to streaming subscriptions.
While there’s no doubt that older veterans and their families need even more benefit options at the federal, state, and local levels, many of our clients aren’t taking advantage of the benefits that are already out there. CSAs can help make sure these clients aren’t missing out on thousands of dollars.
This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional financial advice from a qualified financial advisor.
