I am trying to help my MIL get VA widow benefits. My FIL, a WW II vet, died almost 30 years ago and my MIL has been living off her social security check and she has managed to keep the life insurance in savings my FIL had which is about 50K.
From what I am reading on the VA site, she will qualify for benefits on her income if the savings doesn't make her ineligible. They won't give a set amount as far as assets other than to say "not a unusually large amount". She owns her home but that does not have to be included in assets. I always assumed she would have already been drawing a check had she been entitled to it but I found out that one of her friends told her she could not have any money in the bank at all, which is false, so she never even tried to to apply. She only draws a little over $950 social security but has over $200 a month in medicine co-pays which can be taken off her income. She also has a $50 a month oxygen co-pays that can be taken off plus her regular doctor bills.
Anyway, I am a mess trying to figure this out and if anyone here can help me I would really really appreciate it. Just any info you might have or if you have a family member that is drawing a widows pension, can you please tell me what I need to do to get the ball rolling. She is 83 years old and is housebound and it will be up to me to get this thing moving.
I was just messing around on the VA site last night and started reading and was floored when I found out she has a good chance to qualify for some help.
She is a very frugal woman and how she has made it all these years is beyond me but she has and done ok. I pay her bills for her so I know her financial situation and she manages to have a little left every month and never goes into her savings...not even for property taxes or home insurance although it's getting harder with high power bills and her meds going up.
I would appreciate any help anyone can give me. Thanks.