The benefits nobody tells you about until you need them
Most of this site is about a veteran filing a disability claim. This part is about three situations that reach past that, and that people usually discover too late:
- A veteran has died and the family does not know what, if anything, they are entitled to.
- Someone is providing the care — often a spouse or an adult child, usually unpaid, usually without knowing VA has programs for them.
- A veteran needs help with daily living — dressing, bathing, medication, getting through the day safely — and the family is trying to work out how to pay for it.
These are different systems with different forms, and a claim in one does not open the others.
One warning, up front
The third of those — Aid and Attendance — attracts more predatory selling than anything else in veterans benefits.
There is an industry built around moving an elderly veteran's assets into annuities or trusts so they appear poor enough to qualify. It has a name among people who work in this field: pension poaching. It is sold at free lunch seminars, in assisted living facility lobbies, and by advisors who describe themselves as veterans benefits specialists.
Since October 18, 2018, VA looks back 36 months at asset transfers and can impose a penalty period of up to five years. The elder care page explains how that works. The short version: the restructuring that was sold as the way in is now frequently the reason for a denial, and the money is often locked up in a product that charges to get out.
Nobody may charge you to prepare or file an initial VA claim. Accredited help is free, and the people who provide it are listed in a public directory.
Where to start
| If | Start at |
|---|---|
| A veteran has died and you are the spouse, child or parent | Survivors |
| You are the one doing the caring | Caregivers |
| A veteran needs daily help, or is entering a care setting | Elder care and Aid and Attendance |
| You are not sure the death or condition is service connected | How service connection works |
Everything here points at VA's own pages and the regulation behind each rule. Nothing on this site is sold, and there is no form here to fill in.
Rules and forms change, and exceptions apply. Follow the instructions on your own decision letter and the linked governing sources. This site does not track your deadlines or file anything for you.
Reviewed October 6, 2026