Is the home where a veteran and spouse reside included in the corpus of their estate for improved pension purposes?

The home where a veteran and spouse reside is not considered part of their estate for improved pension purposes. This reflects the intention of the pension program to provide support to veterans and their families, allowing them to remain in their primary residence without impacting their eligibility for pension benefits. The asset exclusion of the home recognizes the need for stability and security for veterans, ensuring that they are not penalized for owning their place of residence when applying for benefits.

The focus of the improved pension is on providing financial assistance to those who need it, and including the home in the asset calculation would undermine that goal. Instead, the program considers a set of other financial assets, which might affect eligibility differently.

In terms of the other options, while some might suggest that the value of the home or its sale could impact eligibility, the established guidelines maintain that the home itself is excluded from the corpus of the estate for the purpose of determining improved pension benefits.