Last verified: October 2026. Figures and rules are re-checked against primary sources.
What does the Auxiliary Grant pay toward assisted living in Virginia?
The Auxiliary Grant (AG) sets a monthly rate of $2,130 for 2026, effective January 1, 2026, up from $2,103 in 2025. The grant, paired with the resident's own income, goes to the facility for room, board and care. The resident keeps a personal needs allowance of $87 a month for personal spending.
The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) runs the program and published the 2026 rate in a November 10, 2025 letter to facility owners. Northern Virginia has a higher rate of $2,450 because of a regional differential, but that does not apply in Hampton Roads. Compare $2,130 with the $6,944 monthly assisted living median and you can see why facility participation is the hard part: the grant is a fraction of what most private-pay residents are charged, so a facility that accepts it takes a lower payment for the same care.
| Item | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| AG monthly rate (Hampton Roads) | $2,130 |
| 2025 rate | $2,103 |
| Personal needs allowance | $87 a month |
| Countable resources, individual | under $2,000 |
| Countable resources, couple | under $3,000 |
Who is eligible for the Auxiliary Grant in Hampton Roads?
To qualify, a person must receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or be 65 or older, blind or disabled, with monthly income below the AG rate plus the personal needs allowance. Countable resources must be under $2,000 for one person or $3,000 for a couple, and the applicant needs 90 days of Virginia residence.
A close-relative exception can waive the 90-day rule. The person must also live in a qualified assisted living facility, adult foster home or AG supportive housing setting that accepts the grant. Eligibility is decided by the local department of social services in the city or county where the person lived before entering the facility, which matters for a parent moving from Newport News to a Chesapeake community.
How do you apply for the Auxiliary Grant through your local DSS?
Apply by filing the AG application with the local department of social services (DSS) in the locality where your parent lived before the move. The usual order is to apply for SSI, request a functional assessment, then file the AG application. DSS has 45 days to process it once filed.
The functional assessment is the Uniform Assessment Instrument, which you request through the local DSS or the community services board. Our UAI guide explains what it measures. Gather bank statements, the Social Security award letter and proof of residence before you call. Start early, because 45 days is a long wait when a hospital discharge is days away.
Does every assisted living facility in Virginia accept the Auxiliary Grant?
No. Not every assisted living facility accepts Auxiliary Grant residents, and the facility must agree before the grant can be paid there. Some communities in Hampton Roads take private-pay residents only, and others hold a small number of AG beds. The only way to know is to ask each one directly, before you tour.
Ask three things: whether the facility accepts AG at all, whether a bed is open now, and whether a resident who spends down to AG after moving in as a private-pay resident may stay. That last question is where families get hurt. Browse the assisted living directory to build a call list, and tell each community your parent's payer status up front.
What happens to Social Security income when someone gets the Auxiliary Grant?
The resident's monthly income is applied toward the facility's AG rate, and the grant makes up the difference. The resident keeps the $87 personal needs allowance. In practice, a parent with a modest Social Security check and a small pension signs most of it over to the facility each month.
This is why the grant rarely suits a family hoping to keep a spouse's income intact. For married couples where the other spouse stays home, nursing facility Medicaid has separate protections described on our nursing home Medicaid page. Confirm how your own income would be counted with the DSS worker, since we cannot see your parent's full finances from here. Ask the worker to put the countable-income calculation in writing so you can check it against the award letter.
What other help exists if the Auxiliary Grant does not fit?
If an assisted living facility will not accept the grant, the realistic options are a participating facility farther away, care at home with the <a href="/costs/ccc-plus-waiver/">CCC Plus Waiver</a>, or a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) center if one serves your ZIP code.
Veterans and surviving spouses should check VA Aid and Attendance, which can add monthly income. The Auxiliary Grant is a safety net, not a plan, and a conversation with an advisor early can keep a family from running out of private funds before the grant begins.
| The grant works when | The grant falls short when | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly rate | The facility accepts the $2,130 Hampton Roads rate for 2026 | The community's price sits well above the grant amount |
| Income | Income stays below the grant rate plus the $87 allowance | Income exceeds the rate plus the personal needs allowance |
| Savings | Countable resources are under $2,000 for one person | Resources top $3,000 for a couple, or $2,000 for one |
| Residency | The applicant has lived in Virginia at least 90 days | A recent arrival has no close-relative exception |
| Facility choice | A qualified assisted living facility agrees to take the grant | The family's first-choice community does not accept it |
