VA Benefits Calculators for Senior Veterans
Five free calculators for VA pension, Aid & Attendance, disability compensation, Survivors Pension and burial benefits, using official VA rate tables.
Older veterans and surviving spouses can qualify for more than disability compensation. The two main programs, disability compensation and VA pension, follow different rules. Many veterans who would qualify for pension never apply, because they assume every VA benefit requires a service-connected condition.
Disability Compensation: Rated, Not Means-Tested
VA disability compensation is based on a combined rating for service-connected conditions. Income does not affect it. Ratings for several conditions are combined with the VA's own method and are not added together, so a 70% and a 50% rating come to 90%. The VA Disability Compensation Estimator applies that method. It does not calculate two things that depend on the facts of a case: the bilateral factor for disabilities in paired limbs, and TDIU, which can pay the 100% rate at a lower combined rating. Both are covered in our explainer.
VA Pension and Aid & Attendance: Needs-Based Help
VA pension is a needs-based benefit for wartime veterans with limited income and net worth. It does not require a service-connected disability. Aid & Attendance is a higher pension rate for veterans or surviving spouses who need help with daily activities or live in a nursing home, and many who qualify never claim it. Use the VA Pension Eligibility Calculator and the Aid & Attendance Benefit Estimator together, because Aid & Attendance is paid as part of pension. When you are ready to apply, our step-by-step guide covers the form, how to protect your back pay, and the VA's 36-month look-back on asset transfers. Our MAPR explainer covers the three pension rates and the medical expense deduction.
Surviving Spouses
A surviving spouse may qualify for Survivors Pension, which is needs-based, or for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), which is paid when the veteran's death was service-connected. The two have different tests, so check both. The Survivors Pension Eligibility Checker works out which applies. Two rule changes also matter: since 2023, a military retiree's survivor receives the SBP annuity and DIC in full, and remarrying at 55 or older no longer ends DIC. Our explainer covers both.
Burial Benefits
Separate from pension, compensation, and survivor benefits, the VA also provides burial-related support: a burial allowance toward funeral costs, a plot/interment allowance, and a headstone or marker benefit. The exact amount and filing deadline depend on whether the death was service-connected, and whether the veteran is buried in a national cemetery or a private one. The VA Burial Benefits Checker walks through which pieces apply.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between VA disability compensation and VA pension?
Disability compensation is paid based on a service-connected disability rating and isn't means-tested. VA pension is a needs-based benefit for wartime veterans with limited income and net worth, regardless of whether their disability is service-connected.
What is Aid and Attendance?
Aid and Attendance is a higher monthly pension amount for veterans or surviving spouses who need help with daily activities, are bedridden, or are in a nursing home. It helps with the cost of that care.
Can a surviving spouse get VA benefits?
Yes. Surviving spouses of veterans may qualify for Survivors Pension (a needs-based benefit similar to VA pension) or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), which is paid when the veteran's death was service-connected. The two have different eligibility rules and are not the same benefit.
Does the VA help pay for a veteran's burial?
Yes. VA burial benefits include a burial allowance (up to $2,000 for a service-connected death, or up to $1,032 otherwise), a separate plot allowance if not buried in a national cemetery, and a headstone or marker benefit. Burial space itself is always free in a VA national cemetery or Arlington.
This page is for general educational purposes and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. See our Data Sources page for how we source figures.