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Are National Guard Members Eligible for VA Assisted Living Benefits?
Date Updated: July 26, 2024
Written by:
Rachel Lustbader is a writer and editor with a background in healthcare and technology. Her work has been published on websites including HealthCare.com, BiteSizeBio.com, BetterHelp.com, Caring.com, and PayingforSeniorCare.com. She studied health science and public health at Boston University.
Both of Rachel’s grandmothers had very positive experiences in senior living communities, and Rachel saw firsthand the impact that kind, committed caregivers and community managers can have on seniors’ and their family members’ lives. With her work at Caring, Rachel hopes to help other families find communities, caregivers, and at-home products that benefit elderly loved ones and make life less stressful for family caregivers
No, National Guard members aren’t eligible for VA assisted living benefits unless they meet active service requirements. Although no VA benefits specifically cover assisted living, some pay for practical support services for veterans who need help with day-to-day activities. While many VA benefits are available for National Guard members, including those related to education and disability, benefits associated with assisted living require active service.
Aid and Attendance and relevant VA programs
The VA Aid and Attendance benefit provides supplemental income on top of a VA pension or survivor pension. Eligibility criteria include needing help with daily activities, having limited vision, living in a nursing home or being bedbound most of the time. Seniors must also meet income and asset limits and have active service status, which has varying criteria depending on when an individual enlisted or became an officer.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers several relevant programs under the umbrella of VA Health Care. These include Veteran Directed Care and Community Residential Care. However, eligibility for VA Health Care benefits also requires active service.
Active service for National Guard members
Although Section 305 of the Jeff Miller and Richard Blumenthal Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2016 gives some people in the National Guard honorary veteran status, it doesn’t create benefit entitlement. However, members of the National Guard may gain active service in two ways, enabling them to apply for assisted living benefits — assuming they also meet other criteria.
First, the U.S. president may call National Guard members to serve under U.S. Code Title 10. This includes serving in overseas wars with pay from the federal government. Second, members may be called to help with national emergencies under U.S. Code Title 32. If a person is injured on duty and meets disability criteria, they gain active service status.