By Carol Howland

For aging veterans, one of their most important benefit programs is the Veterans Non-Service Connected Improved Pension Benefit Program. Established to assist qualified veterans, and/or their surviving spouses and family, the Veterans NSC Improved Pension Benefit Program provides financial support that enables veterans to live independently while receiving the quality of care they deserve. In particular, funds are available for aging veterans who need assistance with medical and non-medical care both in the home and in qualified facilities.

In many cases, veterans, along with their spouses and family, are unaware that this program exists. According to VA analysis, only 27 percent of veterans and 14 percent of widow(er)s who are likely eligible, actually receive any money from the program.

Types of Care Eligible

The availability of this program is something all veterans and their widow(er)s should know. Seniors in our country are now living longer. With higher living costs and the continued rise in healthcare expenditures, many seniors are at risk of quickly depleting their savings. Programs like the Veterans NSC Improved Pension Benefit Program can fund services like in-home care, assisted living facility expenses and other medical costs that many seniors face.

I see many clients that are faced with the difficult task of covering their healthcare expenses. If they qualify for these funds, it takes a huge burden off of veterans and their families. This money can be used to ensure they are given access to the care they need.

Qualifications

To qualify for the Veterans NSC Improved Pension Benefit Programs, a veteran must have 90 days or more of active duty with at least one of those days served during a US-declared war. The benefits are designed for those who meet specific financial criteria and demonstrate a physical need for healthcare.

The Department of Veterans Affairs determines active duty as full-time service, other than active duty for training, as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, Environmental Science Services Administration or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or its predecessor, the Coast and Geodetic Survey.

Other qualifications and considerations:

o Discharge for any reason other than dishonorable conditions

o Over the age of 65 or disabled

o Total financial assets

o Physical condition

o Current marital status (if you are the surviving spouse of a veteran)

o Total gross income versus medical deduction

Costly Misunderstanding

There are several reasons why veterans are unaware or misunderstand these benefits. First is the very name of the benefit itself - improved pension benefit. Pension benefits usually come after years of service, not after only 90 days of service.

In addition, many veterans often assume the available benefits are for those who have a service-related disability not just because they turned 65. As the name implies, this program is a non-service connected benefit.

Finally, it is uncommon for a benefit to be available in part just by virtue of age. However, the Veteran NSC Improved Pension Benefit does not require a qualified veteran to have any disability provided that they are over the age of 65.

Important Documents

Applicants who plan to seek VA benefits for the first time must submit the Service Discharge Form (DD-214, DD-215, or for WWII veterans, a WD form). This form will determine their service dates and reason for discharge, full name and military service number.

Applicants seeking VA benefits related to a veteran’s death must submit the following:

o Veteran’s birth certificate

o Veteran’s marriage certificate

o Children’s birth certificates or adoption papers

o Veteran’s death certificate

Next Steps

There are several places to find additional information regarding the application process.

o Department of Veteran Affairs - The entire program is explained throughout their website. For additional questions please contact VA Benefits at: 1-800-827-1000 or visit http://www.vba.va.gov.

o State Veterans Service Officers can assist veterans in filing claims for benefits. Their locations and phone numbers can be found through the phone book under “State Government, Veterans Service Officer”.

o VONAPP - Veterans Online Applications allow an individual to fill out the required forms regarding VA compensation, pension, education and vocational rehabilitation benefits. For more information or to get the correct forms, visit http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/faqs.asp.

These resources can assist in the application process. Other assistance can be provided through various national, county, or local service organizations. In addition, in-home care providers like Comfort Keepers in Clearwater and senior care facilities can assist in accessing the information necessary to evaluate a person’s eligibility for the Veterans Improved Pension Benefit Program.

Comfort Keepers can provide professional guidance while the applicant is completing the necessary paperwork and being assessed for eligibility for the Veterans Improved Pension Benefit Program. Once approved, Comfort Keepers can be the solution for quality in-home care.

About Comfort Keepers

Carol S. Howland is the owner of the franchised business Comfort Keepers in Pinellas County Florida. This office provides Home Care to seniors in Clearwater, Oldsmar, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and parts of Tampa.

Visit www.comfortkeepers.com/caregivers/115 for more information about the services provided to seniors at Comfort Keepers and a Free offer at Carol Howland’ s location.

Carol S. Howland, R. N. is the owner of Comfort Keepers in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Oldsmar, Florida which is a Private Duty Home Health Agency providing custodial care services and Comfort Staffing home health in Clearwater, Florida which is a Home Health Agency providing skilled nursing. For more information and our free offer Link to http://www.comfortkeepers.com/caregivers/115

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Carol_Howland
http://EzineArticles.com/?Aging-Veterans-Unaware-of-VA-Pension-Benefits—Millions-of-Veterans-and-Widows-Loose-Out&id=1685870

Financial Assistance For Elderly Veterans and Their Widows is a Well Kept By Sonja Kobrin

Ask an elderly Veteran if they are aware they may be eligible for a pension from the Veteran’s Administration and they will tell you “I’m not eligible because I was not injured in the War.” This is a common misconception which keeps many Veterans from tapping into a benefit they well earned by serving our country. The fact is elderly, disabled Veterans and their widows may very well qualify for large sums of money, but they have to apply for the funds. There are several Veteran pensions, but the pension designed to help elderly Veterans and Veteran’s Widows pay for costly Home Health Care, Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home fees (if the Veteran is not covered by Medicaid) is called Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance. The pension can pay a married Veteran up to $1,949.00 per month, an unmarried Veteran up to $1,644.00 per month and a Veteran’s Widow can receive up to $1,056.00 per month. The amount one receives is based upon their medical expenses and their current financial and medical status. The pension is paid by check directly to the Veteran or Veteran’s Widow every month as long as they meet the criteria.

The Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance is the government’s best kept secret. I cannot tell you how many seniors have told me that they called Veterans Affairs and were actually told that this pension does not exist or that they do not qualify. For thirteen years, I have assisted Veterans and Veteran’s Widows in obtaining these funds - they really do exist.

To get the maximum pension amount, a Veteran must qualify medically and financially and must have served their country for at least one day during “War Time”. Also the Veteran must have been honorably discharged. Every case is considered individually. If a Veteran or Veteran’s Widow feels they may qualify, they can apply for the pension. The pension can take many months to actually be approved. The average waiting period is three to eight months. The first check will be retroactive to the month the application arrived at the Veterans’ Affairs, therefore the first check may be for thousands of dollars. Subsequent checks will arrive monthly for the approved amount. This pension money can mean the difference between affording adequate care for an aging Veteran/ Widow or having no care at all.

As with any governmental program, success is all in the paperwork. The pension application is many pages long and some of it is in essay form. It is the exact wording used in the essay areas that mean the difference between approval and denial. Also, Veteran’s Affairs does not tell Veterans about all the supporting documents that they would like to see. The better the medical and financial records, the better the chances are of approval. Including the right medical forms signed by a doctor is very important for approval. Also typical of governmental red tape is the frustrating lack of communication. Once the application is filed and in the process of being reviewed, it is nearly impossible to get an update or check on the status of the application unless the Veteran/ Widow make the call themselves. For most of our clients, they are too ill or too confused to make a call like that.

In a perfect world, financial assistance for those who qualify should be easily accessible and easy to get. But the reality is that government agencies are inherently complicated and their application processes are never self explanatory or simple. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse and no one will tell you the rules. The rules are written in a handbook, but the Veterans Affairs is not allowed to give them to you. Seasoned Eldercare professionals can often navigate these processes for you. They may charge for their services, but to attempt to do it yourself and have your application denied, will cost much more money. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs supposedly employs staff to help Veterans and their Widows apply for these pensions for free, but it is these very people who have told so many seniors that they do not qualify, when in fact they could qualify if they made one small change. Perhaps Veteran’s Affairs is afraid that if they made it easy for every Veteran to apply, the pension fund would go broke. Given that War Time includes the Gulf War Era which began in 1990 and has not ended yet, I anticipate the pension fund will one day be either broke or impossible to get. For now, the money is very much available and attainable.

Here are the Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance eligibility criteria for the year 2008.

1) Veteran served in the Military for at least one day during War Time or had a spouse who served at that time. Spouses are people whom you never divorced.

2) Honorably Discharged from the Military.

3) Currently has medical or psychological condition which make the Veteran or Veteran widow dependent on the aid or assistance of a non- family member in order to meet their daily care needs or they reside in an Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home ( not on Medicaid). This claim must be supported by physician signed forms, financial data and medical records.

4) Veteran Financial Criteria: Have assets in their own name below $80,000 (if married) or below $50,000 (if single). The car and house does not count as an asset. Annual income below $19,736,.00 (if single) or $ 23,396.00 (if married) after all medical expenses such as insurance premiums/copays, assisted living facility fees, paid caregiver salary, medications, medical transportation/ supplies, certain housing expenses, etc.

5) Veteran Widow Financial Criteria: Assets below $50,000 and income less than $12,681 per year (after medical expenses listed above).

6) Note: Income figures are AFTER MEDICAL EXPENSES. VA may require someone of advanced age to have fewer assets than quoted above. We have seen this when applicants are near 100 years old.

In many cases, if a person has a paid care giver, such as a nurse’s aide, or they pay an assisted living facility, or they pay out of pocket for a nursing home, those expenses impact so greatly on a person’s net income, that they will meet the criteria for the income level.

If a Veteran or Veteran Widow has cash assets above the limit, they are allowed to place those assets into certain investments in order to have them “sheltered”. This sheltering does not have a penalty or “look back period” associated with it. Proper asset sheltering for Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance should be done under the supervision of an elder care professional or attorney well versed in Medicaid planning because one could easily ruin the chances of ever getting Medicaid if the V.A. pension planning was done incorrectly.

With a little professional planning, many Veterans and Veteran Widows can receive pensions that make a significant difference in the amount of care they receive. After all, the reason for this particular pension is to assure that a Veteran or Veteran Widow does not live in a substandard environment in their old age. It takes a little work to apply for this pension, but anything worth having usually does.

Geriatric Care Managers and Elder Health Care Professionals Committed To Providing Senior Care Management, Guardianship, and Long Term Care Planning. Also can call toll free at V.I.P. Care management, inc. 1-877-588-5158.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sonja_Kobrin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Financial-Assistance-For-Elderly-Veterans-and-Their-Widows-is-a-Well-Kept-Secret&id=3470434

EnergyStar.gov — Check Out Energy Rebates

This is a government site that offers lots of energy saving tips as well as explains what energy saving grants or credits might be available.

Besides the board of realtor sites:  http://theThing.mplsrealtor.com and market data posted elsewhere at http://www.MplsRealtor.com I have a subscription to Realty Trac.  My subscription gives me additional data about foreclosures and trends within certain zip codes.  This is in addition to my daily subscription to Finance & Commerce (a business newspaper that prints all the foreclosure information as well as very timely articles regarding the business community).  If you are looking for someone who has experience and access to information about distressed sales, we need to be working together.  Whether buyer or seller-I can help you understand the market we are in and the options and opportunities available to you.  Give me call today.

These are a couple of my newsletters that have a ton of valuable information. Go check them out.

Foreclosure Market Trends Newsletter
http://www.realtytrac.com/MarketTrends/NewsLetter.aspx?guid=131bd355-1b69-4bd1-99cd-2f0c9a936810

Real Estate Cyber Space Tips
http://www.REcyber.com/cybertips/r11627

Why is it that we forget?

Financial Assistance For Elderly Veterans and Their Widows is a Well Kept SecreBy Sonja Kobrin

Ask an elderly Veteran if they are aware they may be eligible for a pension from the Veteran’s Administration and they will tell you “I’m not eligible because I was not injured in the War.” This is a common misconception which keeps many Veterans from tapping into a benefit they well earned by serving our country. The fact is elderly, disabled Veterans and their widows may very well qualify for large sums of money, but they have to apply for the funds. There are several Veteran pensions, but the pension designed to help elderly Veterans and Veteran’s Widows pay for costly Home Health Care, Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home fees (if the Veteran is not covered by Medicaid) is called Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance. The pension can pay a married Veteran up to $1,949.00 per month, an unmarried Veteran up to $1,644.00 per month and a Veteran’s Widow can receive up to $1,056.00 per month. The amount one receives is based upon their medical expenses and their current financial and medical status. The pension is paid by check directly to the Veteran or Veteran’s Widow every month as long as they meet the criteria.

The Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance is the government’s best kept secret. I cannot tell you how many seniors have told me that they called Veterans Affairs and were actually told that this pension does not exist or that they do not qualify. For thirteen years, I have assisted Veterans and Veteran’s Widows in obtaining these funds - they really do exist.

To get the maximum pension amount, a Veteran must qualify medically and financially and must have served their country for at least one day during “War Time”. Also the Veteran must have been honorably discharged. Every case is considered individually. If a Veteran or Veteran’s Widow feels they may qualify, they can apply for the pension. The pension can take many months to actually be approved. The average waiting period is three to eight months. The first check will be retroactive to the month the application arrived at the Veterans’ Affairs, therefore the first check may be for thousands of dollars. Subsequent checks will arrive monthly for the approved amount. This pension money can mean the difference between affording adequate care for an aging Veteran/ Widow or having no care at all.

As with any governmental program, success is all in the paperwork. The pension application is many pages long and some of it is in essay form. It is the exact wording used in the essay areas that mean the difference between approval and denial. Also, Veteran’s Affairs does not tell Veterans about all the supporting documents that they would like to see. The better the medical and financial records, the better the chances are of approval. Including the right medical forms signed by a doctor is very important for approval. Also typical of governmental red tape is the frustrating lack of communication. Once the application is filed and in the process of being reviewed, it is nearly impossible to get an update or check on the status of the application unless the Veteran/ Widow make the call themselves. For most of our clients, they are too ill or too confused to make a call like that.

In a perfect world, financial assistance for those who qualify should be easily accessible and easy to get. But the reality is that government agencies are inherently complicated and their application processes are never self explanatory or simple. Ignorance of the rules is no excuse and no one will tell you the rules. The rules are written in a handbook, but the Veterans Affairs is not allowed to give them to you. Seasoned Eldercare professionals can often navigate these processes for you. They may charge for their services, but to attempt to do it yourself and have your application denied, will cost much more money. The Department of Veterans’ Affairs supposedly employs staff to help Veterans and their Widows apply for these pensions for free, but it is these very people who have told so many seniors that they do not qualify, when in fact they could qualify if they made one small change. Perhaps Veteran’s Affairs is afraid that if they made it easy for every Veteran to apply, the pension fund would go broke. Given that War Time includes the Gulf War Era which began in 1990 and has not ended yet, I anticipate the pension fund will one day be either broke or impossible to get. For now, the money is very much available and attainable.

Here are the Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance eligibility criteria for the year 2008.

1) Veteran served in the Military for at least one day during War Time or had a spouse who served at that time. Spouses are people whom you never divorced.

2) Honorably Discharged from the Military.

3) Currently has medical or psychological condition which make the Veteran or Veteran widow dependent on the aid or assistance of a non- family member in order to meet their daily care needs or they reside in an Assisted Living Facility or Nursing Home ( not on Medicaid). This claim must be supported by physician signed forms, financial data and medical records.

4) Veteran Financial Criteria: Have assets in their own name below $80,000 (if married) or below $50,000 (if single). The car and house does not count as an asset. Annual income below $19,736,.00 (if single) or $ 23,396.00 (if married) after all medical expenses such as insurance premiums/copays, assisted living facility fees, paid caregiver salary, medications, medical transportation/ supplies, certain housing expenses, etc.

5) Veteran Widow Financial Criteria: Assets below $50,000 and income less than $12,681 per year (after medical expenses listed above).

6) Note: Income figures are AFTER MEDICAL EXPENSES. VA may require someone of advanced age to have fewer assets than quoted above. We have seen this when applicants are near 100 years old.

In many cases, if a person has a paid care giver, such as a nurse’s aide, or they pay an assisted living facility, or they pay out of pocket for a nursing home, those expenses impact so greatly on a person’s net income, that they will meet the criteria for the income level.

If a Veteran or Veteran Widow has cash assets above the limit, they are allowed to place those assets into certain investments in order to have them “sheltered”. This sheltering does not have a penalty or “look back period” associated with it. Proper asset sheltering for Special Monthly Pension with Aid and Attendance should be done under the supervision of an elder care professional or attorney well versed in Medicaid planning because one could easily ruin the chances of ever getting Medicaid if the V.A. pension planning was done incorrectly.

With a little professional planning, many Veterans and Veteran Widows can receive pensions that make a significant difference in the amount of care they receive. After all, the reason for this particular pension is to assure that a Veteran or Veteran Widow does not live in a substandard environment in their old age. It takes a little work to apply for this pension, but anything worth having usually does.

Geriatric Care Managers and Elder Health Care Professionals Committed To Providing Senior Care Management, Guardianship, and Long Term Care Planning. Also can call toll free at V.I.P. Care management, inc. 1-877-588-5158.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sonja_Kobrin
http://EzineArticles.com/?Financial-Assistance-For-Elderly-Veterans-and-Their-Widows-is-a-Well-Kept-Secret&id=3470434

Thinking about buying a home but don’t know where to start? Why not start by reading the home buyer hand book that we have provided below. It is a great place to start to get the information you need. When you’re ready, we would love to help you find and finance a new home.

I just ran across a new link that I wanted to share– http://www.kiplinger.com/reports/military-families/ There is a report that you can download that has a lot of useful information. Also, I have a link to the IRS as well. http://www.irs.gov/publications/p3/index.html Don’t forget, if you are serving outside the US for 90 days between December 31st 2008 and May 1st 2010 you will have an extra year to qualify for the tax credit. Call us for more details or if you’d like to begin the home buying or mortgage qualifying process.