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Veterans Benefits

VA Pension & Aid and Attendance Calculator

Estimate your VA pension and Aid and Attendance benefit using 2025 Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) limits. The calculator computes your IVAP (income for VA purposes) and layers the A&A enhancement where applicable.

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Medical expenses above 5% of MAPR reduce your IVAP.

2025 net worth limit: $159,825.

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Estimate only. VA pension requires wartime service, age 65+ or disability, and meeting IVAP/net-worth limits. Aid & Attendance requires a higher level of care need.

VA Pension vs VA Disability: opposite eligibility rules

VA pension is a needs-based program for wartime veterans with limited income and net worth, while VA disability compensation is earned through service-connected injury or illness. The two programs have opposite eligibility logic — a veteran can receive one or the other, but not both simultaneously.

The 2025 MAPR table

The Maximum Annual Pension Rate is the ceiling the VA will pay before counting your other income against it:

Category2025 MAPR
Veteran alone (basic)$17,235
Veteran with spouse (basic)$22,655
Single veteran with A&A$28,746
Married veteran with A&A$34,026
Surviving spouse (basic)$11,610
Surviving spouse with A&A$18,876

IVAP — the income test

Income for VA Purposes (IVAP) is your countable income minus unreimbursed medical expenses above 5% of the MAPR. The pension pays the difference between MAPR and IVAP. If your IVAP is zero, you receive the full MAPR. If your IVAP equals or exceeds the MAPR, you receive no pension.

The net worth limit

The 2025 net worth limit is $159,825, combining countable assets and annual income. The VA also applies a 3-year look-back period on asset transfers below market value, similar to Medicaid's look-back rule. Transferring assets to qualify can trigger a penalty period of up to 5 years.

For the Aid & Attendance eligibility requirements — including the ADL test and the need for assistance with daily living — see our complete A&A guide.

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Common Questions

Frequently asked questions

Q: What is the difference between VA pension and VA disability compensation?

VA pension is a needs-based benefit for wartime veterans with limited income and net worth, while VA disability compensation is paid to veterans with service-connected disabilities regardless of financial need. Pension payments are reduced dollar-for-dollar by countable household income, whereas compensation is not means-tested and can be received alongside other income. To qualify for pension, you generally need 90 days of active duty with at least one day during a recognized wartime period and a non-dishonorable discharge. Both programs pay tax-free benefits, but pension uses Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) caps while compensation is set by a combined disability rating from 0% to 100%.

Q: What are the 2025 MAPR limits?

For 2025, the Maximum Annual Pension Rates are $17,247 for a veteran without dependents and $22,608 for a veteran with one dependent under the basic pension program. With Aid and Attendance — for veterans who need another person's help with daily activities — the rates rise to $27,766 (no dependents) and $32,932 (with one dependent). Housebound status pays an intermediate amount of $21,063 for a veteran alone or $26,424 with a dependent. Surviving spouses of wartime veterans can receive up to $13,925 basic or $17,943 with Aid and Attendance. These figures are adjusted annually by the same COLA applied to Social Security and increase roughly 2.5–3% in most years.

Q: What is IVAP (Income for VA Purposes)?

IVAP is your gross household income from all sources — including Social Security, pensions, interest, and wages — minus allowable deductions, used to determine eligibility and the actual pension payment amount. Allowable deductions include unreimbursed medical expenses that exceed 5% of the applicable MAPR, education expenses, and certain funeral and burial costs. Your annual pension payment equals MAPR minus IVAP, so if your IVAP is $10,000 and the MAPR is $17,247, you receive $7,247 for the year. The VA reviews IVAP each year through the Eligibility Verification Report (EVR), and recipients must report any income change within 60 days to avoid overpayment debts that can be recouped from future payments.

Q: What is the net worth limit for VA pension in 2025?

For 2025, the VA net worth ceiling is $159,829 for a veteran alone (or a surviving spouse), and $199,786 for a veteran with one dependent — amounts that are indexed annually to the same COLA used by Social Security. Net worth includes bank accounts, investments, real estate other than your primary residence, and the value of personal property, but excludes your primary residence and a reasonable lot, plus one vehicle. The VA applies a 3-year look-back period (38 CFR 3.276), meaning gifts or below-market transfers made within 36 months before application can trigger a penalty period of up to 5 years of ineligibility. The rule was implemented October 18, 2018, and brought VA pension asset planning closer to Medicaid's long-standing transfer rules.

Q: What is Aid and Attendance and who qualifies?

Aid and Attendance (A&A) is an enhanced pension benefit for veterans or surviving spouses who need regular assistance with activities of daily living or are substantially housebound. To qualify under 38 CFR 3.352, you must meet at least one of four criteria: require another person's help with bathing, dressing, feeding, or using the toilet; be bedridden apart from prescribed therapy; live in a nursing home due to mental or physical incapacity; or have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less in both eyes. A&A adds roughly $10,519 annually to the MAPR for a veteran without dependents in 2025, raising the cap to $27,766. A licensed physician must document the level of care on VA Form 21-2680, and the veteran must otherwise qualify for the underlying wartime-service pension.

Q: What is the 3-year look-back period for VA pension?

Effective October 18, 2018, the look-back rule penalizes asset transfers made for less than fair market value during the 36-month period immediately preceding a VA pension application. The penalty length is calculated by dividing the total uncompensated value of transferred assets by the maximum Aid and Attendance pension rate for a veteran with one dependent — $32,932 in 2025 — and rounding down to the nearest whole month. The maximum penalty is 5 years, though most real-world penalties are shorter. Certain transfers are exempt, including those to a spouse, to a child who is disabled or who lives in the home and provides care, or to a trust established for a disabled child. Proper pre-application planning should begin more than 3 years before expected need to avoid triggering penalties.