VA Survivors Pension
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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.
Who qualifies
What it covers
Cost
How to apply
How to apply
File an Intent to File first
This locks in your effective date while you gather documents, which protects months of back pay.
- Survivors Pension on VA.gov Open
- Free filing help from Washington veterans service officers 1-800-562-2308
- VA benefits hotline 1-800-827-1000
- Form 21P-534EZ Open
- Nearest VA regional office Open
Documents to gather
- The veteran's discharge papers (DD-214 or equivalent)
- The veteran's death certificate
- Marriage certificate
- Income records for you and your household
- Asset and net worth information
- Records of unreimbursed medical and care costs
- Form 21-2680, completed by a physician
- Form 21-0779, nursing home information
Worth knowing
Surviving spouses often do not know that a needs-based pension follows the veteran's wartime service. This is one of the most under-claimed benefits for this group.
Remarrying after the veteran's death ends your eligibility. Survivors frequently do not learn this until after the fact.
The net worth limit is $163,699 for the period December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026. Net worth means assets plus annual income, and your primary residence is excluded. It changes every December 1.
There is a 3 year lookback on assets given away or sold below value, and a transfer can create a penalty of up to 5 years of ineligibility.
Unreimbursed medical and care costs reduce countable income. In-home care, assisted living, and nursing home costs all count.
Aid and Attendance and Housebound are increases added on top of the Survivors Pension, not standalone benefits, and you cannot receive both.
Filing is free through a county or state veterans service officer. Be wary of paid advisers who charge fees or steer assets into financial products to help you qualify.
See your next step, the documents you will need, and how to apply. Save it to your account to track your progress.
Where to go from here
VA Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits
$2,424 to $2,874/moVA Aid and Attendance (A&A) and Housebound benefits are monthly payments added to a qualifying veteran's or survivor's VA pension. You cannot get both at the same time. Aid and Attendance is for those who need another person's help with daily activities, are bedridden, are in a nursing home because of a disability, or have severely limited eyesight. Housebound is for those who spend most of their time at home because of a permanent disability.
Last checked Jun 1, 2026
Elderly Simplified Application Project (ESAP)
$50 to $546/moESAP 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
Medicare Part D Extra Help (Low-Income Subsidy)
$5,700/yrExtra 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 Program (MSP)
$203 to $400/moMedicare 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
Not sure this one fits your situation? Your local Area Agency on Aging can check what you qualify for and point you to the right programs, for free. No one will sell your information, and no one will cold-call you.
Source www.va.gov/pension/survivors-pension/
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