§ 3.263 - Corpus of estate; net worth.

§ 3.263 Corpus of estate; net worth.

(a) General. The following rules are for application in determining the corpus of estate of a parent where dependency is a factor under § 3.250, and the net worth of a veteran, surviving spouse, or child where pension is subject to Pub. L. 86-211 (73 Stat. 432) under § 3.252(b). Only the estate of the parent, in claims based on dependency, or the estate of the veteran, surviving spouse, or child-claimant in claims for pension, will be considered. In the absence of contradictory information, the claimant's statement as to ownership and estimate of value will be accepted.

(b) Definition. Corpus of estate and net worth mean the market value, less mortgages or other encumbrances, of all real and personal property owned by the claimant except the claimant's dwelling (single-family unit) including a reasonable lot area, and personal effects suitable to and consistent with the claimant's reasonable mode of life.

(c) Ownership. See § 3.262(k).

(d) Evaluation. In determining whether some part of the claimant's estate should be consumed for his or her maintenance, consideration will be given to the amount of the claimant's income, together with the following factors: whether the property can be readily converted into cash at no substantial sacrifice; ability to dispose of property as limited by community property laws; life expectancy; number of dependents who meet the requirements of § 3.250(b)(2); potential rate of depletion, including unusual medical expenses under the principles outlined in § 3.262(l) for the claimant and his or her dependents.

(e) Agent Orange settlement payments. There shall be excluded VA will exclude from the corpus of estate or net worth of a claimant any payment made from the Agent Orange Settlement Fund or any other fund established pursuant to the settlement in the In re Agent Orange product liability litigation, M.D.L. No. 381 (E.D.N.Y.). (January 1, 1989)

(Authority: Pub. L. 101-201, 103 Stat. 1795)

(f) Restitution to individuals of Japanese ancestry. Effective August 10, 1988, for the purposes of section 306 pension and parents' death compensation, there shall be excluded from the corpus of estate or net worth of a claimant any payment made as restitution under Public Law 100-383 to individuals of Japanese ancestry who were interned, evacuated, or relocated during the period December 7, 1941, through June 30, 1946, pursuant to any law, Executive order, Presidential proclamation, directive, or other official action respecting these individuals.

(Authority: Sec. 105, Pub. L. 100-383; 102 Stat. 905; Sec. 6. Pub. L. 102-371; 106 Stat. 1167, 1168)

(g) Monetary allowance under 38 U.S.C. chapter 18 for certain individuals who are children of Vietnam veterans or children of veterans with covered service in Korea. There shall be excluded from the corpus of estate or net worth of a claimant any allowance paid under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. chapter 18 to or for an individual who is a child of a Vietnam veteran or a child of a veteran with covered service in Korea.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1833(c))

(h) Victims of Crime Act. There shall be excluded from the corpus of estate or net worth of a claimant any amounts received as compensation under the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 unless the total amount of assistance received from all federally funded programs is sufficient to fully compensate the claimant for losses suffered as a result of the crime.

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 10602(c))

(i) Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card and Transitional Assistance Program. There shall be excluded from the corpus of estate or net worth of a claimant payments received under the Medicare transitional assistance program and any savings associated with the Medicare prescription drug discount card.

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any amount designated by statute as not countable as a resource. See § 3.279.

(Authority: 42 U.S.C. 1395w-141(g)(6))

Cross References:

Reductions and discontinuances; dependency. See § 3.500(h). Material change in income, net worth or change in status. See § 3.660. Income and net worth questionnaires. See § 3.661.

[28 FR 33, Jan. 1, 1963, as amended at 39 FR 28527, Aug. 8, 1974; 44 FR 45936, Aug. 6, 1979; 57 FR 59299, Dec. 15, 1992; 58 FR 33767, June 21, 1993; 62 FR 51279, Sept. 30, 1997; 67 FR 49587, July 31, 2002; 68 FR 60852, Oct. 24, 2003; 70 FR 15591, Mar. 28, 2005; 76 FR 4248, Jan. 25, 2011; 83 FR 47269, Sept. 18, 2018]