VA Pension with Aid and Attendance 101: Official Dates of War

As you know, the Pension with Aid and Attendance benefit can offer substantial income to help veterans and their surviving spouses pay for long-term care. This benefit, however, is only for wartime veterans.  More specifically, a veteran must have served for at least 90 days of active duty, must have a discharge that is other-than dishonorable, and must have served at least one day during wartime.  This does not mean that the veteran had to have had any combat experience—their service could have been stateside for the duration of their service, but at least one day of their active duty must have occurred during an official period of war.

So what are the official dates of war? 

The official Dates for Periods of War According to Code of Federal Regulations, Title 38, Part 3.2:

Mexican Border: May 9, 1916 to April 5, 1917

World War I: April 6, 1917 to November 11, 1918; April 1,1920 if served in Russia

World War II: December 7, 1941 to December 31, 1946

Korean War: June 27, 1950 to January 31, 1955

Vietnam War: August 5, 1964 to May 7, 1975; February 28, 1961 if served in Vietnam

Persian Gulf War: August 2, 1990 to [date not yet determined]

As we shared in our October newsletter, the VA has implemented some new rules for the VA Pension with Aid and Attendance benefit. To find out more, click here and call us at (404) 843-0121. The Certified Elder Law Attorneys at Hurley Elder Care Law can devise a strategy to allow veterans or a surviving spouse to qualify for the benefit.