2021 VA protected disability and death pension rates
You may be eligible for protected rates if you began receiving VA disability or death pension payments before December 31, 1978, and you haven’t elected to change to the current, improved pension program. This means you’ll be able to continue receiving payments at the rates under the old program as well as a cost-of-living increase. Find out if you’re eligible, and view 2021 rates.
You can choose to receive improved pension benefits
On this page
- How we determine if you’re eligible for protected rates
- Section 306 disability pension rates
- Section 306 death pension rates
- Section 306 survivor benefit plan annuity limitation
- Old law disability pension rates
- Old law death pension rates
- Old law survivor benefit plan annuity limitation
- Past rates
- More VA pension resources
How we determine if you’re eligible for protected rates
To qualify for protected rates, your yearly income for 2020 must be at or below a certain amount. This is called the income limit. We count as income any money you earn in a year, including your salary, investment and retirement payments, and any income from your dependents. Some expenses, like non-reimbursable medical expenses (paid medical expenses not covered by your insurance provider), may work in your favor to reduce your countable income.
We base your income limit on:
- The specific pension benefits you’re eligible to receive (including added amounts for Aid and Attendance), and
- Whether or not you have eligible dependents, and
- Your yearly income
Eligible dependents
Eligible dependents may include your spouse. We recognize same-sex and common-law marriages.
Dependents may also include any biological, step, or adopted children you may have who are unmarried and meet at least one of the requirements listed below.
At least one of these must be true for a dependent child. The child is unmarried and:
- Is under 18 years old, or
- Is between 18 and 23 years old and enrolled in a qualifying school full time, or
- Was seriously disabled before age 18 and is unable to care for themselves
Section 306 disability pension rates
Effective December 1, 2020
This non-service-connected pension program was available from July 1, 1960, through December 31, 1978.
| Pension benefit | 2020 yearly income limit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pension benefit | Basic monthly payment for a Veteran only (no spouse or dependent children) | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $15,845 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Pension benefit | Special Aid and Attendance allowance, if your income is more than $15,845 | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $16,415 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Pension benefit | Hospital reduction rate for Special Aid and Attendance, if you’re hospitalized on or after January 1, 2020 | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $16,415 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
Note: The hospital reduction rate is a reduced rate of Special Aid and Attendance that we pay if you’re hospitalized and meet certain requirements.
Read the full Title 38 regulations for hospital reduction rates
| Pension benefit | 2020 yearly income limit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pension benefit | Basic monthly payment for a Veteran with a spouse or one or more dependent children | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $21,298 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Pension benefit | Special Aid and Attendance allowance, if your income is more than $21,298 | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $21,866 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Pension benefit | Hospital reduction rates for Special Aid and Attendance, if you’re hospitalized on or after January 1, 2020 | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $21,866 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
Notes:
- The hospital reduction rate is a reduced rate of Special Aid and Attendance that we pay if you’re hospitalized and meet certain requirements.
Read the full Title 38 regulations for hospital reduction rates - If you’re married, we also include some of your spouse’s income when we determine if your yearly income is at or below the income limit. The current Section 306 disability pension spouse income exclusion limit is $5,060. This means that we won’t include the first $5,060 of your spouse’s yearly income, but we’ll include any amount above this unless you provide evidence that you don’t have access to this income or that including it would cause you financial hardship.
Read the full Title 38 regulations for the spouse income exclusion
Section 306 disability pension monthly payments
If you qualify for a protected rate, we’ll pay you the monthly payment amount you were entitled to on December 31, 1978, plus a cost-of-living increase each year. The cost-of-living increase for this year is 1.3%.
Section 306 death pension rates
Effective December 1, 2020
This non-service-connected pension program was available from July 1, 1960, through December 31, 1978.
| Survivor status | 2020 yearly income limit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Survivor status | Surviving spouse alone (no dependent children) | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $15,845 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Survivor status | Surviving spouse with one or more dependent children | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $21,298 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Survivor status | Each surviving dependent child, if the Veteran has no surviving spouse | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $12,956 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
Section 306 death pension monthly payments
If you qualify for a protected rate, we’ll pay you the monthly payment amount you were entitled to on December 31, 1978, plus a cost-of-living increase each year. The cost-of-living increase for this year is 1.3%.
Section 306 survivor benefit plan annuity limitation
Effective December 1, 2020
An annuity is a fixed sum of money paid to the plan’s beneficiary each year. If you’re part of a Section 306 survivor benefit plan (also called the “minimum income widow” provision), we’ll pay you up to $9,344 this year. This rate includes a 1.3% cost-of-living increase.
Old law disability pension rates
Effective December 1, 2020
This non-service-connected pension program was available before July 1, 1960.
| Veteran status | 2020 yearly income limit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran status | Veteran alone (no spouse or dependent children) | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $13,875 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Veteran status | Veteran with a spouse or one or more dependent children | 2020 yearly income limit | Your yearly income must be $19,997 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Pension benefit | Monthly payment (in U.S. $) |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pension benefit | Basic Veteran pension |
Monthly payment (in U.S. $) |
66.15 |
| Pension benefit | Pension for Veteran with 10 years of service or who is at least 65 years old |
Monthly payment (in U.S. $) |
78.75 |
| Pension benefit | Aid and Attendance (if entitled) |
Monthly payment (in U.S. $) |
135.45 |
| Pension benefit | Housebound allowance (if entitled) |
Monthly payment (in U.S. $) |
100.00 |
Note: The rates listed above include a 1.3% cost-of-living increase for this year.
Old law death pension rates
Effective December 1, 2020
This non-service-connected pension program was available before July 1, 1960.
| Survivor status | 2020 income limit | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Survivor status | Surviving spouse alone (no children) | 2020 income limit | Your yearly income must be $13,875 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Survivor status | Each surviving dependent child, when the Veteran has no surviving spouse | 2020 income limit | Your yearly income must be $13,875 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
| Survivor status | Surviving spouse with one or more children | 2020 income limit | Your yearly income must be $19,997 or less to continue receiving this benefit. |
Old law death pension monthly payments
If you’re eligible for the protected rate for the old law death pension, we’ll pay the rate you were entitled to on December 31, 1978, plus a cost-of-living increase each year. The cost-of-living increase for this year is 1.3%.
Old law survivor benefit plan annuity limitation
Effective December 1, 2020
An annuity is a fixed sum of money paid to the plan’s beneficiary each year. If you’re the beneficiary of an old law death pension survivor benefit plan (also called the “minimum income widow” provision), we’ll pay you up to $9,344 for the year. This includes a 1.6% cost-of-living increase for this year.
Past rates
View protected pension rates from past years:
2020 rates (effective December 1, 2019)
2019 rates (effective December 1, 2018)
2018 rates (effective December 1, 2017)