VA Pension Claims

VA pension benefits are available to some wartime Veterans and their survivors. Pension benefits are needs-based and your “countable” family income must fall below the yearly limit set by law. There is a net worth limitation that must be met. Veterans must have at least 90 days of active duty, including one day during a wartime period.

Eligibility for Veterans Pension

VA Survivors Pension

Eligible Wartime Periods for Pension Benefits

Eligibility for Veterans Pension

The Veterans Pension program provides monthly payments to wartime Veterans who meet certain age or disability requirements, and who have income and net worth within certain limits.

Am I eligible for Veterans Pension benefits?

You may be eligible for the Veterans Pension program if you meet these requirements.

Both of these must be true:

You didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, and
Your yearly family income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress. Your net worth includes all personal property you own (except your house, your car, and most home furnishings), minus any debt you owe. Your net worth includes the net worth of your spouse.

And at least one of these must be true about your service:

You started on active duty before September 8, 1980, and you served at least 90 days on active duty with at least 1 day during wartime, or
You started on active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980, and served at least 24 months or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions) with at least 1 day during wartime, or
You were an officer and started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and you hadn’t previously served on active duty for at least 24 months

And at least one of these must be true:

You’re at least 65 years old, or
You have a permanent and total disability, or
You’re a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or
You’re getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income

VA Survivors Pension

A VA Survivors Pension offers monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime Veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits set by Congress.

Am I eligible for a VA Survivors Pension as a surviving spouse?

You may be eligible for this benefit if you haven’t remarried after the Veteran’s death, and if the deceased Veteran didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge and their service meets at least one of these requirements.

At least one of these must be true:

The Veteran entered active duty on or before September 7, 1980, and served at least 90 days on active military service, with at least 1 day during a covered wartime period, or
The Veteran entered active duty after September 7, 1980, and served at least 24 months or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions), with at least 1 day during a covered wartime period or
The Veteran was an officer and started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and hadn’t previously served on active duty for at least 24 months

And this must be true for you:

Your yearly family income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress. Your net worth equals the value of everything you own (except your house, your car, and most home furnishings), minus any debt you owe.

Am I eligible for a VA Survivors Pension as the child of a deceased wartime Veteran?

You may be eligible for this benefit if you’re unmarried and you meet at least one of these requirements.

At least one of these must be true:

You’re under age 18, or
You’re under age 23 and attending a VA-approved school, or
You’re unable to care for yourself due to a disability that happened before age 18

Eligible Wartime Periods for Pension Benefits

What wartime periods do you recognize for pension benefits?

Under current law, we recognize these wartime periods to decide eligibility for pension benefits:

Mexican Border period (May 9, 1916, to April 5, 1917, for Veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders, or in adjacent waters)
World War I (April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918)
World War II (December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946)
Korean conflict (June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955)
Vietnam War era for Veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam (November 1, 1955, to May 7, 1975)
Vietnam War era for Veterans who served outside the Republic of Vietnam (August 5, 1964, to May 7, 1975)
Gulf War (August 2, 1990, through a future date to be set by law or presidential proclamation)

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