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★New · 2026 Edition · Updated October 2026

You earned these benefits. Here’s how to claim every one.

VA disability pay, the wartime pension, Aid & Attendance, health care and what your spouse gets if you die first — in plain English, with the 2026 numbers, forms and deadlines.

★ FOR VETERANS, SPOUSES & SURVIVORS ★
The Veteran’s Benefits Playbook — 2026 Edition2026 EDITION

The Veteran’s Benefits Playbook

16 chapters · 10 tools · 64 pages
  • What VA disability pays in 2026 — up to $3,938.58 a month, tax-free — and how “VA math” works
  • It’s not too late: hearing loss, PACT Act & Agent Orange claims after 60
  • Aid & Attendance: how care bills can turn into up to $2,874 a month
  • What your spouse gets if you die first — DIC from $1,699.36 a month
  • The Intent to File that can protect months of back pay
$19.99
One-time · instant PDF
Get the Veteran’s Playbook — $19.99
By buying, you agree to our Terms & Disclaimer.
Whether you’ve never filed — or you’re a spouse planning ahead.
Robert
Hi, I’m Robert — from the Robert Retires channel on YouTube. This is an instant PDF — read it tonight on any phone, tablet or computer, or print the checklists for your next VA appointment.
$3,938.58
VA disability pay at 100%, per month in 2026 — tax-free
1 year
How long an Intent to File holds your back-pay date
$29,093
Yearly pension with Aid & Attendance, single veteran
$0
What accredited help may charge for a first claim
✓ Updated with 2026 VA rates ✓ Every number checked against official sources ✓ No law firm, no “claims consultant” ✓ Plain English

If this sounds like you…

You served. Nobody handed you the map. This book does.

What’s inside

16 chapters. Every benefit. The exact next step.

Each chapter opens with the short answer, then gives you the 2026 numbers, the trap to avoid and the exact words to say to VA, your doctor or your service officer.

01

Part OneBefore You File

  1. 01Who qualifies — and the papers you need first (including the DD-214)
  2. 02The Intent to File: lock in your back pay
  3. 03Free help, paid help — and the “claim sharks”
02

Part TwoDisability Compensation

  1. 04How VA disability pay works in 2026
  2. 05It’s not too late: claims that show up after 60
  3. 06The C&P exam and the evidence that wins
  4. 07If VA says no: your three ways to fight back
  5. 08TDIU, “permanent & total” and rating protections
03

Part ThreePension & Paying for Care

  1. 09The wartime pension and Aid & Attendance
  2. 10VA nursing homes, care at home & help for caregivers
04

Part FourYour Health Care

  1. 11VA health care after 60: enrolling, copays & community care
  2. 12VA, Medicare & TRICARE For Life: making them work together
05

Part FiveFamily, Survivors & Legacy

  1. 13When a veteran dies: DIC & survivor benefits
  2. 14Burial & memorial benefits
  3. 15Insurance, home loans, grants & state tax breaks
  4. 16Protect your benefits: scams, debts & fiduciaries
10

Print & useTools, checklists & worksheets

  1. ✓The Veteran Benefits Check — find your chapters first
  2. ✓Paperwork checklist · Claim tracker with your deadlines
  3. ✓Symptom & “worst day” journal for your C&P exam
  4. ✓Lay & buddy statement planner · Which review lane?
  5. ✓Pension & Aid and Attendance worksheet
  6. ✓The survivor’s first 90 days · Your service & benefits record
  7. ✓Phone & website directory · 2026 VA numbers at a glance

Get the Veteran’s Playbook — $19.99

By buying, you agree to our Terms & Disclaimer.

See exactly what you’re getting.

The short answer first. Then the real 2026 numbers, worked examples and what to do. Three real pages from the book:

Chapter 4: How VA disability pay works in 2026
2026 disability pay & “VA math”
Chapter 9: Pension rates and an Aid and Attendance example
Pension & Aid and Attendance, worked out
Chapter 13: When a veteran dies — DIC and survivor benefits
What a surviving spouse receives

← Swipe to see more pages →

What one missed step can cost.

Filing without an Intent to File first
~$3,087
back pay lost in the book’s 30% example
Missing the one-year review window at 50%
~$13,600
a year of back pay gone
The Veteran’s Benefits Playbook
$19.99
one-time · yours to keep

If it helps you avoid even one of these mistakes, it pays for itself many times over.

Honest by design

Nobody here wants a cut of your back pay.

★

Not a law firm or “consultant”

No fees on your claim, no contracts and no share of your benefits. This book explains — free accredited service officers do the filing.

★

For the whole family

Written for veterans 60 and older, spouses and survivors — including what to do in the first 90 days after a death.

★

Every number sourced

2026 VA rates and rules checked against VA, federal law and regulations, with the official sources listed in the back.

Who wrote this book.

Robert

Robert

Creator of the “Robert Retires” YouTube channel

Every week on my channel, I take one confusing money rule and explain it in plain English — the way someone should have explained it to me.

Veterans’ benefits are some of the most valuable — and most confusing — money anyone over 60 can be owed. Veterans and their spouses often find out late, or not at all. So I put it all in one place: what each benefit pays in 2026, how to claim it, the deadlines that cost money, and where to get free, accredited help.

No law firm, no fees on your claim and no upsells inside. Just the map.

— Robert

The Veteran’s Benefits Playbook 2026

Every VA benefit older veterans, spouses & survivors have earned — and how to claim it

The Veteran’s Benefits Playbook
  • 16 chapters, each with the short answer first
  • 10 printable tools — checklists, a claim tracker & worksheets
  • Your 2026 VA numbers on one tear-out page
  • Worked examples with real 2026 rates
  • The exact words to say to VA, your doctor & your service officer
  • Instant PDF — phone, tablet, computer or print
$19.99
One-time payment · no subscription
Get the Veteran’s Playbook — $19.99
By buying, you agree to our Terms & Disclaimer.
🔒 Secure checkout through Gumroad⚡ Instant download✓ One-time payment

Digital product — an instant-download PDF you read on any phone, tablet, or computer; nothing is shipped. A general educational guide, not legal or financial advice. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Your questions, answered.

I’m over 70 and never filed a claim. Is it too late?

No. There’s no deadline and no age limit for a first disability claim, and many service-related conditions — hearing loss, heart and lung disease, diabetes, some cancers — show up decades later. Chapter 5 covers them, and Chapter 2 shows how to protect your back pay before you start.

Will this book file my claim for me?

No — and you shouldn’t pay anyone to file a first claim. The book explains each benefit, the evidence that matters and the deadlines, and gives you checklists and a tracker. Then it points you to free, VA-accredited service officers who file claims at no cost.

VA turned me down years ago. Does this help?

Yes. Many rules have changed since — especially under the PACT Act. Chapter 7 explains the three ways to ask VA to look again, and Chapter 5 lists the conditions VA now presumes are connected to service.

I’m a spouse or a widow. Is this for me?

Very much so. Chapter 13 covers DIC, Survivors Pension and the one-year deadline; Chapter 14 covers burial benefits; and Tool 8 is a step-by-step checklist for the first 90 days. Chapter 9 explains the pension that can help pay for a parent’s or spouse’s care.

Is this the same as The U.S. Senior Survival Playbook?

No — it’s a different book. The Playbook covers Social Security, Medicare, taxes, Medicaid and pensions, with one chapter on VA pension. This book covers VA benefits in depth: disability pay, claims and appeals, pension, health care, caregivers, survivors and burial.

Are you connected with the VA?

No. This is an independent guide. It isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, any branch of service or any veterans organization — and it doesn’t sell legal or claims services.

Can I print the checklists?

Yes. The 10 tools are designed to print on regular letter paper — including the claim tracker and the record your family will need if something happens to you.

Do I need to be good with computers?

Not at all. After you buy, you get a simple link to download your book as a PDF. You can read it on any phone, tablet, or computer — or print it. If you can open an email, you can use this.

Is this a subscription?

No. It’s a one-time payment and the book is yours to keep. Nothing is recurring.

Will you call me or share my information?

Never. We only use your email to deliver your book and, if you’d like, to let you know when it’s updated. We never ask for your phone number, and we never sell your information to anyone.

Is this legal advice?

No — it’s plain-English education to help you understand your benefits and what to ask. VA rates change every December 1 and rules can change by law, so always confirm your own situation with VA, an accredited representative or a qualified professional. Sources are listed in the book.

More from Robert Retires

Other plain-English books for U.S. retirees

The U.S. Senior Survival PlaybookSALEThe U.S. Senior Survival PlaybookSocial Security, Medicare, taxes, Medicaid & your pension.On sale — $12.99 $25 →See the book — $25 → The Retiree’s Home Money PlaybookSALEThe Retiree’s Home Money PlaybookYour mortgage, home equity, reverse mortgages & protecting the house.On sale — $12.99 $25 →See the book — $25 →

Outside the U.S.? See the editions for the UK, Canada and Australia.