Aid & Attendance: the VA help that’s free to apply for, and the middlemen who charge for it

Aid & Attendance is extra money added to a VA pension for wartime veterans, or their surviving spouses, who need help with daily life or live in a nursing home. It can help pay for a caregiver or assisted living. For families in the gray area, it can make the difference.

It is also a magnet for middlemen. Families get pitched seminars, “benefits consultants” and planners who promise to help them qualify, sometimes by selling an annuity or setting up a trust, and charge for it.

The help is free

Kootenai County Veterans Services helps veterans file for VA benefits at no charge. Call 208-446-1090. Veterans service organizations like the American Legion, the VFW and the DAV also help file claims for free.

The rules on fees

VA-accredited agents and attorneys may not charge for help with a first claim. They can charge only after the VA makes a decision, for help with an appeal. Anyone charging to fill out your first application, or who is not accredited by the VA, is a red flag.

Watch the look-back

The VA looks back three years at money moved to qualify for a pension. Buying an annuity or moving savings into a trust to get under the limit can lead to a penalty of up to five years with no pension. A planner who sells you that product may not mention it.

Before you sign anything

Ask: Are you accredited by the VA? Are you charging me to file? Are you selling me an insurance product? Then call the county veterans service officer first.

Part of Kcounty.Media’s series on senior care in Kootenai County. Every number was checked against Medicare, Idaho or VA sources on Nov. 8, 2026. Rules change, and Medicare Advantage plans can work differently; when in doubt, call SHIBA at 800-247-4422 for free Medicare help.

The writer has worked in hospice, assisted living, skilled nursing and a retirement home, and was once marketing director for two for-profit hospices in the region.