Maximum VA Basic Pension Benefit Amounts

If you have been reading along, you are not at the point where you are wondering: how much money are we talking about if I get these VA benefits?

First, there are three levels of benefits that a qualified veteran or qualified surviving spouse of a veteran can obtain.  This article is going to discuss the lowest maximum threshold amount of money a VA pension benefit recipient can receive.  There are two more levels of VA pension benefits that a qualified person may receive.  The basic VA pension benefit payout for 2010 is:

1. Veteran with a dependent - Annually $15,493 or Monthly $1,291;
2. Single Veteran - Annually $11,830 or Monthly $985;
3. Surviving Spouse of a Decease Veteran - Annually $7,933 or Monthly $661; and
4. Surviving Spouse with a dependent - Annually $10,195 or Monthly $693.

Remember that these sums are additional government assistance paid in cash directly to the veteran or surviving spouse.  These sums are not paid directly to the health care providers.  These amounts are for the basic pension - you can get even more if you can prove additional need for assistance such as a 100% disability rating, proving that you are housebound, and/or showing that you cannot do basic life functions.  This could be a new, additional income stream for a person in need of long term health care assistance that you could not get with interest on large certificates of deposit or savings accounts. 

Instead watching you assets dwindle down to nothing to get these benefits, you can be proactive to preserve your assets.  Contact me to find out more on how to qualify.