Survivors & Family Benefits

Who this page is for

Consider Harold, 75, a Marine corporal who served in Vietnam. The VA rated him 100 percent for life eleven years ago, after thirty years of work on his claim. Twice, he paid people who were not authorized to help with VA claims, and lost money both times. He does not trust computers.

Harold does not come to a page like this one for himself. His granddaughter just married a Marine. His son-in-law is getting out of the service after eight years. Harold opens the page on a tablet because the screen is larger, and reads slowly. He reads the sources at the top of the page. He reads the part that says the site does not file claims, does not charge fees, and is built to be brought into an appointment with a County Veterans Service Officer, not to replace one. He sits with that.

Then he reads about monthly payments for surviving spouses, about health coverage for some family members, about the program that helps family caregivers of seriously injured veterans. He is not writing down what a monthly payment might be. He is writing down what might be true for his granddaughter if something happened to her husband, and what might be true for his son-in-law as he leaves the service. He takes notes in a spiral notebook.

If you are here for someone in your family rather than for yourself, the tools above work the same way. The eligibility questions are conservative. The references cite the law. Nothing on this page commits you to a claim, to a conversation, or to a decision you are not ready to make.

What survivor benefits are

Survivor and dependent benefits are federal programs administered by VA for qualifying family members of veterans who died from a service-related condition, who died while serving on active duty or on active or inactive duty for training, or who were rated permanently and totally disabled from service-connected conditions at the time of death. These benefits exist as a separate framework from the veteran's own compensation and are anchored in 38 U.S.C. Chapter 13[src] and the VA family and caregiver benefits index at VA.gov[src].

The core programs families may encounter include Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a monthly tax-free payment for eligible survivors; CHAMPVA, a healthcare program for certain dependents and survivors; the Survivors' Pension, a needs-based monthly payment for low-income surviving spouses and children of wartime veterans; Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), which is covered in more depth on the education benefits page; the VA Home Loan, which may be available to certain surviving spouses; burial and memorial benefits, including headstones, markers, Presidential Memorial Certificates, burial flags, and interment in VA national cemeteries; and the separate SGLI-to-VGLI conversionwindow that applies to a service member's own Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance coverage.

Who may qualify for DIC

DIC is the VA's monthly tax-free payment for eligible survivors of a veteran or service member who died in qualifying circumstances. The statutory authority is 38 U.S.C. § 1310[src], and the implementing definitions for spouses and children are at 38 CFR § 3.5[src]. DIC is not automatic. A survivor must file VA Form 21P-534EZ and provide supporting evidence.

Eligible survivors

A surviving spousemay be eligible if they were married to the veteran at the time of the veteran's death and meet the marriage-duration rules, generally married for at least one year, or had a child together, or married within 15 years of the service that caused or aggravated the condition leading to death. A surviving child may be eligible if unmarried and under 18, under 23 while attending an approved school, or determined to be helplessly disabled before age 18. Dependent parentsof the veteran may also qualify for Parents' DIC based on income thresholds and dependency on the veteran for support.

Qualifying cause of death

DIC may be payable when the veteran died on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training; when the veteran died from a service-connected disability; or, under 38 U.S.C. § 1318[src], when the veteran was rated totally disabled from service-connected conditions for at least ten years immediately before death, for at least five years from release from active duty, or for at least one year if the veteran was a former prisoner of war. The Section 1318 pathway is sometimes called the “10-year rule” and can establish DIC eligibility even when the veteran did not die from the service-connected condition itself.

Traps that cost families benefits

Remarriage. Under Public Law 108-183, a surviving spouse who remarries on or after age 55 does not lose DIC eligibility. Remarriage before age 55 can disqualify in most cases, and separate rules apply for remarriage at later ages and for survivors of combat-related deaths, survivors considering remarriage should confirm the current rules with an accredited representative before filing. SBP-DIC offset. For decades, surviving spouses who received both the DoD Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity and DIC had their SBP reduced by the DIC amount. Recent legislation phased out this offset, and eligible surviving spouses may now receive both SBP and DIC in full. Application is required.DIC is never paid automatically, even when VA already has the veteran's file and a 100 percent rating on record, the survivor must submit VA Form 21P-534EZ to open the claim.

CHAMPVA compared to TRICARE

CHAMPVA, the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, is a healthcare benefit for eligible dependents and survivors. It is authorized at 38 U.S.C. § 1781[src] and described for the public at VA.gov/health-care/family-caregiver-benefits/champva[src].

CHAMPVA may cover dependents and survivors of a veteran rated permanently and totally disabled from service-connected conditions, a veteran who died from a service-connected condition, a veteran who was permanently and totally disabled from service-connected conditions at the time of death, and certain service members who died in the line of duty. Most medically necessary care is covered, subject to copays, deductibles, and cost-shares published by VA.

CHAMPVA is notTRICARE. TRICARE is a Department of Defense program for active-duty service members, retirees, and their families; CHAMPVA is a VA program for specific categories of veterans' dependents and survivors. A person who is eligible for TRICARE is generally not eligible for CHAMPVA at the same time. CHAMPVA also does not cover dependents of a living veteran whose rating is below 100 percent permanent and total, a common source of confusion in family planning conversations.

Survivors' Pension

Survivors' Pension is a needs-based monthly payment for surviving spouses and children of wartime veterans who have not remarried and whose household income and net worth fall below thresholds set annually by Congress. The authority is at 38 U.S.C. Chapter 15[src], and the program is explained at VA.gov/pension/survivors-pension[src].

Survivors' Pension is distinct from DIC. DIC eligibility turns on the cause of the veteran's death and the veteran's rating history; Survivors' Pension eligibility turns on the survivor's financial need and the veteran's wartime service. A surviving spouse who does not qualify for DIC may still qualify for Pension, and a surviving spouse over the Pension income limit may still qualify for DIC. Aid and Attendance and Housebound allowances may increase the payment for survivors who need regular help with activities of daily living or who are substantially confined to the home.

Burial and memorial benefits

Eligible veterans, and in most cases their spouses and dependent children, may be interred in a VA national cemetery at no cost to the family. Memorial benefits may include a government-furnished headstone or marker, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, a United States burial flag, and military funeral honors arranged through the Department of Defense. The authorities are at 38 U.S.C. § 2301 et seq.[src], and the public index lives at VA.gov/burials-memorials[src].

A partial burial allowance may be payable in certain non-service-connected deaths, and a transportation allowance may apply in some cases where the veteran died while in a VA facility or en route to one. Headstones and markers are requested on VA Form 40-1330, and burial and plot allowances are requested on VA Form 21P-530EZ. National cemetery scheduling is handled separately from the claim process.

Where to get help

DIC, Survivors' Pension, and CHAMPVA claims are handled at no cost by VA-accredited representatives. A County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO), a state VSO, or an accredited national organization representative can prepare and submit the claim, gather supporting evidence, and represent the survivor at every stage of the process. The official accreditation directory is at VA.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation[src]. The VA National Call Center for benefits questions is 1-800-827-1000. CHAMPVA questions go to 1-800-733-8387, and the National Cemetery Scheduling Office is 1-800-535-1117.

This site is not VA-accredited and does not file claims, give legal advice, or make eligibility determinations. The tools above are decision-support only. Eligibility for every program on this page is determined by VA based on the full record.