My 90 year old mother is in a nursing home. The state takes her pension and most of social security. Must she still file a tax return?

[Phillip1]

It depends. 

If the pension and taxable social security total more than 11,700 dollars, she would have to file a tax return. She will only have taxable social security if the pension plus half of her total social security income are greater than 25,000 dollars.