VA Pension

Needs-based monthly payment for a wartime veteran with limited income who is 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled.

Also called: veterans pension, improved pension, VA pension.

For: Veteran or service member.

Where it applies

Applies in states and territories.

Federal

VA pension is separate from disability compensation. It is based on wartime service, discharge, and limited income and net worth. A veteran is not paid both pension and compensation for the same period in the usual case. VA looks at which benefit fits. Age 65 or older can meet the disability part of the test. Younger veterans may qualify if they are permanently and totally disabled, a patient in a nursing home, or receiving Social Security disability or Supplemental Security Income. Housebound status and Aid and Attendance can raise the amount. Maximum Annual Pension Rates, effective December 1, 2025 Veteran with no dependents: $17,441 a year Veteran with 1 dependent: $22,839 a year Each additional dependent: $2,984 a year VA pays the difference between countable income and the MAPR, in monthly installments. Unreimbursed medical expenses above 5% of the MAPR are deducted from income. The net worth limit from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026, is $163,699, counting assets and yearly income together, and assets given away for less than they were worth during the look-back period can bring a penalty period of up to five years. Aid and Attendance and Housebound raise the MAPR; they have their own entry.

Thresholds

Thresholds for VA Pension
Gate	Rule
Income and net worth	Pension is needs-based. Countable income must fall under the MAPR ($17,441 for a veteran alone from December 1, 2025) and net worth under $163,699.

Documents the source lists

What the official source lists for an application, and where to get each document. It is a reference read from the source, not a full list of what the office may ask for; check with the office or an accredited representative before you apply. Needed means the source asks for it; Helps means the source calls it optional or says it speeds things up.

Needed Your Social Security number
Where to get it Your Social Security card. Social Security replaces a lost card.
Listed by VA, How to apply for a VA pension as a Veteran read 2026-10-10
Needed Your VA file number
If you have one.
Where to get it Earlier letters from VA show it.
Listed by VA, How to apply for a VA pension as a Veteran read 2026-10-10
Needed Your military, marital, work and dependents’ history
Where to get it Your own records; your DD214 holds the service dates.
Listed by VA, How to apply for a VA pension as a Veteran read 2026-10-10
Needed Household gross monthly income, the value of household assets, and unreimbursed medical expenses
Where to get it Pay stubs, W-2 and 1099 forms, tax returns and benefit award statements for the year asked about.
Listed by VA, How to apply for a VA pension as a Veteran read 2026-10-10
Needed Medical records
If you are under 65.
Where to get it The doctors and hospitals that gave the care. VA’s own records come from your VA facility’s release of information office or My HealtheVet.
Listed by VA, How to apply for a VA pension as a Veteran read 2026-10-10
Needed Application for Pension (VA Form 21P-527EZ)
If you apply on paper.
Where to get it Download it from VA.gov, or ask a VA regional office or an accredited representative for a copy.
Listed by VA, How to apply for a VA pension as a Veteran read 2026-10-10

Figures

Each figure is dated with the day it was read. A local figure moves whenever the statute or the local ordinance does, so confirm it with the office that grants it before you rely on it. Statute verified gives the day the weekly section check last found the statute standing on the legislature’s own code site; a figure without it rests on a statute the check does not read yet.

Dated figures for VA Pension
Figure	Amount	Read from
MAPR, veteran with no dependents, effective December 1, 2025	$17,441 a year38 U.S.C. 1521(b)	Veterans pension ratesRead 2026-10-08
Net worth limit, December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026	$163,69938 C.F.R. 3.274	Veterans pension ratesRead 2026-10-08

Sources

VA pension eligibilityOfficial
Veterans pension ratesOfficial

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-08.

What changed then:

Eligibility rule “Income and net worth” now reads: “Pension is needs-based. Countable income must fall under the MAPR ($17,441 for a veteran alone from December 1, 2025) and net worth under $163,699.”
New figure: MAPR, veteran with no dependents, effective December 1, 2025, $17,441 a year.
New figure: Net worth limit, December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026, $163,699.
And 2 more changes.

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Disclaimer

VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.