Albuquerque Senior AdvisorLast verified: October 2026
How much is VA Aid and Attendance in 2026?
From December 1, 2025 the maximum annual VA pension rate with Aid and Attendance is $29,093 for a veteran with no dependents, $34,488 for a veteran with one dependent, and $18,697 for a surviving spouse with no dependents.
The rate is a maximum. The VA subtracts countable income, after allowing unreimbursed medical expenses, from the maximum and pays the difference, which is why assisted living costs can raise the payment. The net worth limit is $163,699.
Sources: VA Veterans Pension rates; VA Survivors Pension rates.
Can VA pension help pay for assisted living in Albuquerque?
Yes. For a veteran or surviving spouse who meets the wartime service, income and net worth rules and needs another person's help with daily activities, assisted living fees paid for care can count as medical expenses that lower countable income and raise the pension payment.
Get a letter from the facility describing the care it provides and a physician's statement of the need for aid and attendance. Payments are not retroactive to before the claim, so file as soon as the move is planned.
What is the difference between basic pension, housebound and Aid and Attendance?
They are three levels of the same VA pension: the basic rate for a veteran alone is $17,441 a year, the housebound rate is $21,313 for a veteran substantially confined to the home, and Aid and Attendance, $29,093, is for someone who needs help with daily activities, is bedridden, lives in a nursing home because of disability, or has limited eyesight.
A veteran cannot receive both housebound and Aid and Attendance at the same time; the VA pays the higher one the veteran qualifies for.
Where can Albuquerque veterans get help with a VA pension claim?
Albuquerque is home to the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center on the southeast side, and accredited veterans service officers, including those at county and state veterans offices and the major veterans service organizations, help with pension claims for free.
Be cautious of anyone who charges a fee to prepare an initial pension claim or who recommends moving assets into annuities or trusts to qualify; the VA has a three-year look-back on asset transfers.
Can a veteran use both VA pension and New Mexico Medicaid?
Sometimes, but the two interact: VA pension counts as income for Medicaid, and a veteran or surviving spouse on Medicaid in a nursing home may have their VA pension reduced, so check both programs' rules before applying for either.
New Mexico Medicaid long-term care eligibility →
VA pension with Aid and Attendance is and is not
| Is | Is not | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | wartime veterans and surviving spouses meeting income and net worth limits | only for service-connected disability |
| Amount | up to $29,093 a year for a veteran alone (2026) | a fixed flat payment |
| Use | any purpose, often assisted living or home care | paid directly to the facility |
| Timing | from the date of claim | retroactive to when care began |
