An Aid and Attendance claim is not a single form. It is a packet, and each page asks someone to sign a statement that VA will read as written. Treat the packet the way you would treat a quote or a contract: the words on the page are what the reviewer sees, and the family's intentions do not change what a signature says.1

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What the application certifies

The pension application, VA Form 21P-527EZ, asks about the veteran's service, household, income, and assets, and it carries the request for Aid and Attendance. The signature certifies that the answers are true and complete.2 Before signing, check every figure against the paper it came from: the bank statement, the benefit letter, the deed or the lease. A number copied from memory is a claim you may have to defend later.

What the physician form says

VA Form 21-2680 is completed by a physician, and it describes what the veteran can and cannot do without help.3 The family does not write the answers for the doctor. When the office returns the completed form, read it against your application. If the form describes a different daily life than the one on the 527EZ, the packet has a conflict, and conflicts slow claims more often than missing pages do.

What the income and asset statement commits to

VA Form 21P-0969, the Income and Asset Statement, lists income by source and assets by value.4 Every line is a number that can later be checked. Add the income sources yourself before the sheet is signed, write down where each value came from, and keep that worksheet with your copy of the packet.

Dependents, releases, and representatives

If a spouse or dependent lives in the household, VA Form 21-686c declares that status.5 VA Form 21-4142 authorizes VA to request private medical records from the providers named on it.6 VA Form 21-22 appoints a representative to act for the veteran.7 Each one is a grant of permission. Sign only the releases that name the providers you expect, and write down which provider each release covers.

Before anything is signed

Ask three questions. Whose signature is required on each page? Which answer changes if a balance changes? Which page will a reviewer read first? Copy each page as it is signed, label the copy with its form number, and keep the copies together. A family that can show what it signed, and on which page, is in a stronger position than one that has to rebuild the packet after a letter arrives.

Every footnote points to a VA.gov page. The desk's method for checking those pages is explained in How We Write This Briefing.

Notes

  1. VA pension page on Aid and Attendance and Housebound benefits
  2. VA forms finder, for VA Form 21P-527EZ
  3. VA forms finder, for VA Form 21-2680
  4. VA forms finder, for VA Form 21P-0969
  5. VA forms finder, for VA Form 21-686c
  6. VA forms finder, for VA Form 21-4142
  7. VA page on getting help from an accredited representative, for VA Form 21-22