Basic Qualifications for a Surviving Spouse of a Florida Veteran to Receive Pension Benefits

The key for Florida seniors to pay for long term health care is to find a source to pony up the money.  The sources generally are 1) your savings, 2) long term health care insurance, or 3) the government.  Today, I am going to discuss the qualifications for a Florida surviving spouse or widow of a veteran to receive government money for long term health care.  In other words, how a person can receive a veteran's death pension.

Here is a checklist for the basic requirements for a surviving spouse to receive VA pension benefits:

1)  The surviving spouse must have been married to the veteran for one year prior to the veteran's death;
2)  The veteran met the requirements to receive the VA pension, including the income requirement; and
3)  The veteran and surviving spouse lived together before the vet's death (separations will not qualify).

If you are a Florida resident that was married to a veteran that has passed away, contact a Florida elder law attorney with knowledge of VA aid and attendance benefits to discuss your qualifications for VA death pension further.  If you qualify, you will be able to receive cash that could go to pay for long term health care - you do not have to go to the nursing home to qualify!