Senior Veterans Benefits Program (SVBP)

Who We Are

The Contra Costa County Senior Veterans Benefits Program (SVBP) is a coalition of public and private agencies dedicated to stopping the financial exploitation of our aging Veterans and their families. Pension poaching scams are morally and ethically wrong, as well as an illegal practice. This form of elder financial abuse threatens the health, safety, and financial freedom of thousands of elderly Veterans across the county.

Mission

The purpose of the Senior Veterans Benefits Program (SVBP) is to eliminate the financial abuse of aging Veterans. Our hope is to reach this vulnerable population before the financial predators do.

Project Goals (EPES):

•    Educate the public on VA benefits

•    Protect vulnerable Veterans

•    Enhance the quality of life for aging Veteran

•    Stop-scammers

What an Aid & Attendance scam looks like
Financial predators target medium to high wealth Veterans giving seminars proclaiming every Veteran is entitled to Aid & Attendance, this is NOT TRUE. They insist that to be qualified for federal Aid & Attendance benefits, Veterans need to look “poor on paper” and sell products such as unsuitable deferred annuities and irrevocable living trusts calling it “Veteran-friendly estate planning”. This banks them large commissions, freezes a Veterans wealth, and puts an overwhelming burden on the Veteran and family to pay for needed care.

Who is eligible for the VA Disability Pension?
The Disability Pension program is for low-income Veterans with 90 days of service (1 day during war era), 65 years old or totally and permanently disabled. The current qualifying pension limit is $129,094. Often the predator will not submit the proper VA Form because they are not accredited to do so and vanish with a Veteran's life savings.

What is Aid & Attendance It is a Special Monthly Pension (SMP) as part of the VA Disability Pension program. Aid and Attendance requires medical documentation for the need of others for daily self-care functions, also commonly known as ADLs (Activities of Daily Living). Some examples:

  • Assistance with going to the bathroom
  • Assistance with medication management
  • Assistance with keeping oneself clean
  • Assistance to protect oneself from the hazards of their living environment
    • If the house caught on fire would the individual be able to escape?