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weheritage Asked January 2020

VA assisted living benefits, any advice?

I'm on my 93 year old father's bank accounts and have been there for 20 + years. He is now in assisted living and we are applying for VA benefits. If I reduce the account balance will that trigger a look back for the VA?

lealonnie1 Jan 2020
Sorry..........disregard the link I posted........it looks OLD!! Definitely check with your VA representative or Elder Atty about the rules that are in effect as of 2020.

Isthisrealyreal Jan 2020
If it is his money it should be used for his care. Don't hide it, that is not okay.

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worriedinCali Jan 2020
I wouldn’t do anything without speaking to someone at the VA or an attorney because the VA actually made major changes in 2018 and there will be a lookback of 3 years, very much like the Medicaid lookback.

lealonnie1 Jan 2020
Here's an article worthy of a look-see:

https://www.alabamaelderlawyer.com/2013/02/look-back-period-va-aid-attendance/

According to this article, there is no look back in Alabama for Aid & Attendance benefits.

In order for my father to qualify for VA Aid & Attendance benefits, he had to have under a certain amount of money in the bank to BEGIN with. I can't remember what it was though. I want to say $50K but this was 2014, so that number may have changed.

If there is no look back, as there wasn't for my dad, you can transfer out as much money as necessary to get him below the threshold to qualify for A&A benefits.

Good luck..........these benefits have been a GODSEND for my parents; dad passed in 2015 but mom still receives survivor benefits to be used for her Memory Care Assisted Living

lkdrymom Jan 2020
I believe that VA benefits now do a look back.

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