Oak Park attorney Catherine H. Cornell will present an informational program about the newly increased pension rates for eligible wartime veterans and/or their spouses at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, at the , 408 S. Oak Park Ave. The public is welcome to join the residents for this free presentation.
The pension rates increased on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011.
“The pension is a fantastic benefit that can make all the difference in a veteran and/or their spouse’s ability to afford assisted living, in-home care, and cover any and all other unreimbursed medical expenses,” Cornell said.
Despite how helpful this tax-free benefit can be, it is one of the most misunderstood and underutilized benefits. It is estimated that less than 10 percent of those eligible receive their VA pension.
There are three levels of the program that basically correspond with how much the monthly benefit is – Basic, Housebound, and Aid & Attendance (A&A).
- Basic: If the veteran is 65 or older, there is no requirement that he/she have any medical problems. As long as the family income is less than the monthly pension amount, this benefit is available.
- Housebound: If the applicant’s health is such that they can no longer transport themselves, but do not need assistance in any other area, they could qualify for the housebound benefit which is a higher monthly amount than the basic pension.
- Aid & Attendance: This benefit is for veterans and/or their spouses who require another person’s assistance with activities of daily living. It helps cover the costs of unreimbursed medical expenses, in-home care, and assisted living facility care. Aid & Attendance is the highest amount of pension benefit a claimant can get.
According to Cornell, the VA does not make it clear who qualifies for the pension. Once an applicant deducts his or her un-reimbursed medical expenses, in-home care, and/or assisted living facility costs from their income, many will qualify. The VA also looks at asset levels of the applicants.
The basic criteria to qualify are:
- Veteran must have served at least 1 day during a war period;
- Veteran must have served at least 90 days of active duty;
- Veteran received a better than dishonorable discharge;
- Claimant is over the age of 65 or permanently and totally disabled;
- Claimant’s monthly medical expenses exceed their monthly income; and
- Asset levels are within allowable limits.
The process of applying and qualifying for the pension benefit is complex, often involves consideration of many issues such as Medicaid eligibility and estate planning, and usually requires legal advice.
Cornell’s interest in helping veterans started during an internship at CNN in Washington, D.C. She did an investigative piece on the homeless and was shocked to learn how many veterans were on the streets, having tried and failed to get help from the VA.
After working at the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago for more than five years, litigating on behalf of some of the city’s poorest residents, Cornell, whose father is a veteran of the Air Force, started focusing on veterans’ benefits. Seeing the frustration and hopelessness many veterans feel trying to navigate the VA, she decided to open her own law office, The Veterans Practice, Ltd. It is the only law firm in the Chicagoland area dedicated exclusively to helping veterans and their families.
The Oak Park Arms is a rental retirement community which provides independent living and assisted living apartments and a full schedule of activities and services. Furnished apartments are also available for a short-term stay - a weekend, a week, a month or longer.
The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call Jill Wagner at 708-386-4040 or visit http://www.oakparkarms.com.
