Does anyone know how to help us get the appropriate amount of Veterans' benefits for my mom who is a widow of a WWII veteran?

I live in Ohio My husband was a World War II Vet. He die August 2012. I m receiving 719.00 a month and I'm 59 year old. If I work they will take away my widow benefits. I m on a very strict budget. When my husband was alive and sick I was getting aide and attendance of 937.00 plus he was receiving his social security of 1,150.00 . I m grateful but 719.00 does not go far Rent Food Car Insurance Gas Car maintenance. I feel that I should be able to work and also receive benefits. I will be 60 in November and I can claim Widow Social Security of 1,200.00 a month plus I can work. I m look forwarded to being 60 at that time I will no longer receive VA Widow Benefit and I'll be able to collect more money per month and be able to work and earn. I feel VA Administration should look into given more to the widows and family's or at least let them work and collect their VA Benefits until the widow can get back in the grove of losing her husband and getting employment.

Contact your local VA Administration Office to find out. My mother who is also the widow of a veteran receives assistance.

My Father Died in 2014, served in WWII, can my mother who is 90 get a widows pension? She does receive SSI but is still struggling. I need to know who to go to and if she can get this widows penison

ti's a shame that the va keep these programs so secretive,it could have helped many from struggling and being and financial distressed
.we have funds to take care of care of our heroes yet we rather spend it on taking care of the zeroes.where are our priorities and do the right thing attitude ,make them take care of our hereo's and their families.

That (200.00) is all that my mother was able to get also. Her monthly Va pension ( widow pension) increased that amount. VA's explanation was that she was already getting a large pension and the 200.00 extra would put her at the max. that is allowed. Is your mother receiving a widow pension check?

VA Aid & Attendance is the program you need to apply for. There are Veterans Service Offices in most counties in the state I live in (NC) that can assist with the paperwork you need, probably a 10-10EZ - application for health benefits and the 21-2680 application for aid and attendance. You will also need your Father's service record. Keep receipts for everything pertaining to medical even aspirin as it will count toward expenses that will be considered against income. Also, state the need for Assistance in Daily Living Activities (ADL) including assistance with bathing. Your mom will then have to be seen by a VA physician she will not have to change to VA physicians permanently but she will need to be evaluated in order to apply. I have heard many people have had success after contacting their senator's office. This is a lengthy process, sometimes a year or more but you just have to be persistent. Best wishes to you and your family.

Call 1-800-827-1000 the VA in Washington, D.C. and got through the telephone prompt until you get to Disability Pension benefits. Ask the rep. that you want to help your mother apply for the Aid and Attendance pension program for widows of veterans. Get the forms - find a Veteran Affairs office closest to you and see if they can help you complete the paperwork. do NOT send the VA original forms but send good copies of all documents. Send them through the Post Office - Certified - Signature requested upon delivery. Stay with it - ASK, SEEK and KNOCK until you get answers or start to receive the benefit for your mother.

I went to the local VA office, went in asking about VFW or Am L...thought that I might join so I could meet some local folks as I am new here taking care of my Dad and his wife. WELL let me tell you about a wonderful lady, a much decorated Stf Sgt(?) from the Gulf wars. She is awesome!!! Come to find out my folks do not qualify for cash right now as their income is too high. But he is going in for audio and visual evaluations hopefully he can get some hearing aids!! Glasses will be nice too. In a couple of years they will qualify as their income will drop, then they can pay me for taking care of them and it is a claimable item
Even better I found out that because I am a widow of a VN vet who died because of a cancer now associated with Agent Orange I qualify for assistance too!!! Now how great is that! I have been living on SS survivor benefits with no insurance. I was not happy to find out that I could have gotten this many years ago....such is life. Now it has been a long wait, I am still waiting, but they do go back to the date of application. Keep all expense records!! OTC medication Rx , doctor or other medical expenses....even equipment purchased for the patient. Think mileage to/from dr etc can be claimed as well...better too much rather than not enough. If you can't get help locally at the VA then call a senator or congressman for help...if I don't get an answer soon I will be calling Adam West for help!! Good luck and let us know what works for you!~

If you need help, go to the top of the food chain instead of starting at the bottom. My cousin couldn't get an appeal hearing, so I called his senator's office. It took a few phone calls, but they finally contacted him and he got the appeal hearing. He got his disability. He had already gone to his congressional representative, but nothing was happening and he was about ready to give up.

Sometimes you have to pick up their fight because the bureaucracy can strip the strength right out of you. That's why I say go to the top of the food chain. They're the ones who have the contacts, while also being the ones who have the most to lose if they don't do their best to assist you.

With my dad, I called the only senator in his state whose name I could remember. I'd forgotten that that particular senator was the chairman of the Armed Services Committee at the time. Within a matter of a few hours, what we needed was set in motion.

And when it was all said and done and my old soldier father had gone home to the Lord, Sam Nunn walked on water as far as I was concerned. He and his staffers went above and beyond to assist us. It's been over twenty years and I still remember their names and sing their praises.

I applied for this benefit on my Mom's behalf about a year ago and was.successful on the first try. It took 5 mos. but the award was retroactive to the month of her application. However, she was already living in an assisted living facility, had SS income only and cash assets.that were dwindling quickly. She receives the maximum award of $1094/mo. Now we have decided to move her into our home with whatever additional home care she may require and I understand it is much more difficult to document her expenses in the home and I will need to resubmit her expenses at that time. It is very important to answer every question on the VA forms and be able to document any information submitted. Depending on where you live there should be a VA representative (not the local VA services officer) who can help you. I was able to find ours.through the local senior center. Best of luck to you!

Contact the VA and ask for a mediator or someone to intervene and assist you. They are really good about that. If they cannot help you, contact your local Congressional Representative to see if they can assist you.