VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits

VA Survivors Pension offers monthly tax-free payments to qualified unmarried surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans, subject to income and net worth limits set by Congress. May be supplemented by Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits if the survivor needs help with daily activities or is housebound.

Last checked Jun 1, 2026

ESAP is a simpler way to get Basic Food for households where every member is 60 or older or an adult with a disability and no one has earned income. It is not a separate benefit. Your Basic Food amount is the same, but two things change. First, you are approved for 36 months instead of 12. Second, you do not have to do a renewal interview or the usual mid-period check-ins during that time. ESAP is decided only when you first apply and when you renew. A household already on Basic Food cannot switch into ESAP in the middle of a certification period. Reporting is lighter too: you only have to report if your household income goes over 130% of the federal poverty level or if you have large gambling or lottery winnings. If your household stops qualifying for ESAP during the period, for example a member who is not elderly or disabled moves in, or someone starts earning wages, you keep Basic Food for the rest of the 36 months but go back to the regular check-ins. The state's benefit system sets the ESAP status automatically.

Last checked Jun 17, 2026

Extra Help, also called the Part D Low-Income Subsidy, lowers what a Medicare beneficiary pays for prescription drug coverage. It can cover the Part D premium, the deductible, and the per-prescription copays, and it removes the Part D late-enrollment penalty and opens a special enrollment window to change plans. Recent federal changes folded the old partial subsidy into the full subsidy, so most people who qualify now receive the full benefit. People already enrolled in Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or a Medicare Savings Program are deemed automatically eligible and do not need to file a separate Extra Help application.

Last checked Jun 1, 2026

Medicare Savings Programs are Medicaid-funded and run by Washington. They help people who have Medicare pay their Part A premium, their Part B premium, or both, and (for the QMB tier) their out-of-pocket costs too. Washington sets aside the first $20 of unearned income, which is income not from working, and, unlike many states, uses no asset test, so you are not asked to prove your bank balances or other resources. There are four tiers, each with its own income limit and benefits. If you are in a Medicare Savings Program, you are also signed up automatically for Extra Help (the Low-Income Subsidy) that lowers Medicare Part D drug costs.

Last checked Jun 17, 2026