VA Benefits Cost-of-Living Increase
Congress recently approved a 2% cost-of-living increase in the maximum annual pension rate for service pension and death pension benefits.
Maximum Annual Pension Rates for the Service Pension are as follows:
| Annually | Monthly | |
| Service Pension | $13,166 | $1,097 |
| w/ Dependent | $17,241 | $1,437 |
| Pension w/ Housebound Allowance | $16,089 | $1,341 |
| w/ Dependent | $20,166 | $1,681 |
| Pension with Aid & Attendance Allowance | $21,962 | $1,830 |
| w/ Dependent | $26,036 | $2,170 |
Maximum Annual Pension Rates for the Death Pension (pension for surviving spouses of veterans) are as follows:
| Annually | Monthly | |
| Service Pension | $8,830 | $736 |
| Pension w/ Housebound Allowance | $10,792 | $899 |
| Pension with Aid & Attendance Allowance | $14,113 | $1,176 |
The increase is effective December 1, 2017 and will be reflected in benefit payments beginning in January 2018.
Jeff is Certified as an Elder Law Attorney (CELA) by the National Elder Law Foundation, a distinction held by only a handful of lawyers in Indiana. For almost 20 years, he has focused on elder law, estate planning, long-term care planning, Medicaid planning, Veterans Affairs benefits planning, special needs planning, guardianships, and estate administration.