VA pension rates for 2026 are set by the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR), effective December 1, 2025: $17,441 a year for a veteran with no dependents, $22,839 with one dependent, and $29,093 or $34,488 with aid and attendance. Your VA pension is the MAPR minus your countable yearly income, paid monthly. This VA pension rates calculator applies the current Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension tables and subtracts unreimbursed medical expenses the way VA does. It shows your yearly and monthly payment, including the aid and attendance and housebound rates.
VA pension is a needs-based benefit for wartime veterans and their survivors with limited income and net worth. It is different from VA disability compensation, which is paid for conditions caused or made worse by military service.
Include Social Security, retirement and your dependents' income.
Include Medicare premiums and qualifying care costs.
Yearly pension = MAPR - (yearly income - medical expenses above 5% of the MAPR)
Monthly payment = yearly pension / 12, rounded down to the whole dollar
VA bases your payment on the difference between your income for VA purposes and a limit Congress sets, the MAPR. Your income includes what you earn, Social Security, investment and retirement payments, and income your dependents receive. Unreimbursed medical expenses reduce that income, but only the part above 5 percent of the MAPR; that 5 percent is figured on the rate including family members but excluding any aid and attendance or housebound increase. Under VA's regulations, the monthly rate is the MAPR minus countable income divided by 12, and a result that is not a whole dollar is rounded down.
| Veteran's situation | Basic | Housebound | Aid and attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| No dependents | $17,441 | $21,313 | $29,093 |
| 1 dependent spouse or child | $22,839 | $26,710 | $34,488 |
| Each additional dependent | +$2,984 | +$2,984 | +$2,984 |
For two veterans married to each other, the MAPR is $22,839 if neither needs care, $26,710 if one is housebound, $30,580 if both are housebound, $34,488 if one needs aid and attendance, $38,350 if one is housebound and the other needs aid and attendance, and $46,143 if both need aid and attendance. Under 38 U.S.C. 1521, the couple's rate increases by the child amount for each child, so the calculator adds $2,984 per child.
| Surviving spouse's situation | Basic | Housebound | Aid and attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| No dependent child | $11,699 | $14,298 | $18,697 |
| 1 dependent child | $15,311 | $17,902 | $22,304 |
| Each additional child | +$2,984 | +$2,984 | +$2,984 |
A qualified surviving child with no eligible surviving spouse has a MAPR of $2,984. VA also lists higher aid and attendance rates for surviving spouses of Spanish-American War veterans. The medical expense threshold VA quotes is $872 for a veteran alone, $1,141 for a veteran with one dependent, $584 for a surviving spouse alone and $765 for a surviving spouse with one child.
Aid and attendance and housebound benefits are added to a monthly VA pension; they raise your MAPR. You may qualify for aid and attendance if you need another person to help with daily activities like bathing, feeding and dressing, you must stay in bed or spend a large portion of the day in bed because of illness, you are a nursing home patient because of the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability, or your eyesight is limited to 5/200 or less in both eyes. Housebound benefits are for a pensioner who spends most of the time at home because of a permanent disability. You cannot get aid and attendance and housebound benefits at the same time.
Veterans. You must not have a dishonorable discharge, and your yearly family income and net worth must be within the limits. You also need qualifying wartime service. If you started active duty before September 8, 1980, that means at least 90 days on active duty with at least 1 day during wartime. Enlisted service that started after September 7, 1980 generally requires 24 months or the full period you were called up for, again with at least 1 day during wartime. You must also be at least 65, have a permanent and total disability, be a nursing home patient for long-term care because of a disability, or receive Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income.
Survivors. A surviving spouse who has not remarried and whose income and net worth are within the limits may qualify if the veteran's wartime service meets the same tests. The spouse must also have lived with the veteran continuously from marriage until death, with separations for health, work or the veteran's misconduct allowed. An unmarried child may qualify if under 18, under 23 and in a VA-approved school, or unable to care for himself or herself because of a disability that began before 18.
Recognized wartime periods include World War II (December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946), the Korean conflict (June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955), the Vietnam War era (November 1, 1955 to May 7, 1975 for service in the Republic of Vietnam; August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975 otherwise), and the Gulf War (August 2, 1990 through a date not yet set).
From December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026, the net worth limit for Veterans Pension and Survivors Pension is $163,699. Net worth is your assets plus your yearly income for VA purposes; assets exclude your primary residence, your car and basic home items. VA's example: $121,000 in assets and $14,000 in income is a net worth of $135,000, under the limit. VA also reviews asset transfers made in the 3 years before you file. Giving away assets for less than fair market value when they would have put you over the limit can bring a penalty period of up to 5 years with no pension; VA's penalty period rate for veterans is $2,874.
Other income rules: you may exclude a working child's wages up to $16,100. For surviving spouses, VA lists a Survivor Benefit Plan minimum income annuity limitation of $11,699.
Because the pension is income-based, a one-time payment can reduce or stop it: VA adds nonrecurring countable income, such as an inheritance, to your yearly income for a 12-month period. If you have a service-connected condition, see our VA disability calculator. Surviving spouses can compare this benefit with VA DIC rates: VA pays whichever of DIC or Survivors Pension gives you more. For how a lump sum is treated for other benefits, see SSDI and SSI after a personal injury settlement.
Effective December 1, 2025, the MAPR is $17,441 a year for a veteran with no dependents, $22,839 with one dependent, $21,313 or $26,710 with housebound benefits, and $29,093 or $34,488 with aid and attendance. Each additional dependent adds $2,984.
The aid and attendance MAPR is $29,093 a year for a veteran alone, $34,488 for a veteran with one dependent, $18,697 for a surviving spouse alone and $22,304 for a surviving spouse with one child. Your pension is that amount minus countable income.
The MAPR for a surviving spouse is $11,699 with no dependent child, $15,311 with one child, $14,298 or $17,902 if housebound, and $18,697 or $22,304 with aid and attendance. Each additional child adds $2,984.
VA subtracts your countable yearly income from the MAPR and divides by 12. Under VA's rules, a monthly rate that is not a whole dollar is rounded down.
Yes. Unreimbursed medical expenses reduce income, but only the part above 5 percent of the MAPR, not counting aid and attendance or housebound increases: $872 for a veteran alone and $1,141 with one dependent in 2026.
$163,699 from December 1, 2025 to November 30, 2026. Net worth is your assets plus yearly income; your home, car and basic home items are not counted as assets.