Glossary
MAPR (Maximum Annual Pension Rate)
The yearly income limit Congress sets for VA pension, which also decides how much pension is paid.
MAPR stands for Maximum Annual Pension Rate, and it is usually said as the four letters. It is the yearly limit Congress sets for the Department of Veterans Affairs pension paid to wartime veterans and surviving spouses with limited income. It does two jobs at once. It is the ceiling that decides whether you qualify, and it is the figure the payment is calculated from: VA pays the difference between your countable income and your MAPR, spread across twelve monthly payments. Your MAPR depends on how many dependents you have and on whether you qualify for Housebound or Aid and Attendance benefits, which raise it. The rates are adjusted each year for cost-of-living increases, in step with Social Security. This matters to you because certain costs, especially unreimbursed medical expenses, can be deducted from countable income, which can bring an income that looks too high back under the limit. There is also a separate net worth limit that applies alongside it.