A family caregiver for a "qualifying" veteran may receive financial compensation.

Your loved one served in the military.

Your loved one now requires the assistance of a caregiver.

Perhaps this is due to age.

Maybe it is the result of an combat injury.

Whatever the cause, you have taken on the responsibility of caregiver.

According to a recent AARP article titled “Can I Get Paid to Be a Caregiver for a Family Member?,” you may be eligible for financial compensation for serving as a family caregiver for a veteran.

What are these benefits?

Some veteran benefits provide financial aid to a family caregiver.

Veteran Directed Care. 

This program is similar to the Medicaid self-directed care program.

With this plan, veterans can manage their own long-term supports and services.

Not all states allow access to Veteran Directed Care.

Only in 37 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico is this benefit an option.

Missouri is a participating state, but Kansas is not.

To qualify, veterans must be enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration health care system.

These individuals must also require the level of care provided by a nursing home but choose to live at home.

A monthly stipend allows veterans to use the funds flexibly and prioritize specific good and services.

The veteran may chose to pay for the services of a capable family member caregiver.

Aid and Attendance (A&A) Benefits. 

These benefits are designed to supplement military pension.

The purpose is specifically for paying a caregiver.

To qualify a veteran must satisfy at least one of the following criteria.

The veteran must need assistance performing daily activities like bathing, dressing, or eating.

The veteran must be confined to a bed as a result of disability.

The veteran must require nursing home care due to mental or physical incapacity.

The veteran must have eyesight less than 5/200 in both eyes with corrective lenses.

If the veteran who qualified for this benefit dies, the surviving spouse may also be eligible to receive this benefit.

Housebound Benefits.

These benefits are available for veterans who are substantially confined to their homes as a result of permanent disability.

A veteran will apply for these benefits through the same application process as the A&A benefits.

A veteran cannot receive both benefits concurrently.

Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.

This benefit provides a monthly payment to family members who serve as caregivers for veterans who sustained a traumatic injury in active service on or after September 11, 1991.

The caregiver must be an spouse, adult child, stepfamily member, full time housemate, or extended family member.

The veteran must require assistance with daily living, protection, or supervision.

With the help of any of these veteran benefits, family caregivers may be better equipped to support their loved ones who sacrificed for all of us.

Reference: AARP (May 15, 2020) “Can I Get Paid to Be a Caregiver for a Family Member?”