Below, our friends from Gregory M. Rada, Attorney at Law provides a straightforward look at the main programs and who may be eligible.
What Families Can Receive When A Veteran Passes
When a veteran dies, their monthly VA disability payment stops, but that is not the end of the VA’s commitment to the family. Surviving spouses, dependent children, and—in certain circumstances—parents can qualify for a separate package of benefits that provide ongoing income, health coverage, education funding, and help with burial costs. What follows is an updated overview of the main programs, key eligibility rules, and practical tips for claiming each benefit—without diving into specific dollar amounts that change from year to year.
Dependency And Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
DIC is the flagship survivor benefit. It is a tax-free monthly payment available when the veteran’s death was service-connected or the veteran held a 100 percent rating (schedular or TDIU) for a qualifying period before death.
- Base payment: The VA sets a standard rate for surviving spouses and updates it each January with a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
- Add-ons: Extra amounts are available if the veteran was rated totally disabled for the eight years preceding death (the “8-year rule”), for each child under 18, and if the spouse requires Aid and Attendance.
- Eligibility: A spouse generally qualifies if they were married to the veteran for at least one year, had a child with the veteran, or married within 15 years of the service that caused the fatal condition. Unmarried children may receive DIC until age 18 (or to 23 if pursuing full-time education). Parents may qualify if they were financially dependent and meet VA income limits.
Survivors Pension (Death Pension)
Also known as the VA Survivors Pension, this program assists low-income survivors when the veteran’s death is not service-connected but the veteran served during a wartime period under honorable conditions.
- Income and net-worth test: Each year the VA publishes a Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR). Survivors must have countable income below this figure, and total assets must fall under a net-worth ceiling that is adjusted annually for inflation.
- Medical expense deductions: Out-of-pocket medical, long-term-care, and in-home attendant costs can be subtracted from income, so careful recordkeeping can be the difference between qualifying and being denied.
- Housebound and Aid-and-Attendance tiers: Higher payment levels exist if the surviving spouse is housebound or needs daily assistance with activities of living.
Health Care And Education Benefits
- CHAMPVA: A cost-sharing health plan for eligible spouses and children who are not entitled to TRICARE. It covers most inpatient and outpatient services after a modest deductible and coinsurance.
- Education programs: Two options help survivors pay for college or vocational training.
- Chapter 35 Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) pays a monthly stipend for up to 45 months of training. Spouses typically have ten years to use the benefit (twenty if the veteran died on active duty), while children can use it between ages 18 and 26.
- Fry Scholarship: Provides up to 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill–style benefits—tuition, housing allowance, and a book stipend. Children become eligible on the veteran’s date of death; spouses have 15 years to use the award.
Additional Benefits Worth Knowing
- Burial and memorial: VA reimburses eligible survivors for some burial, funeral, and transportation expenses through a burial allowance. The amount depends on whether the death was service-connected, whether the vet died in a VA facility, and where the burial takes place.
- Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP): Retired veterans who elected SBP create an annuity for their families. Since 2023, survivors may receive the full SBP payment and DIC simultaneously without an offset.
- VA home-loan guaranty: Surviving spouses who receive DIC—or whose spouse died on active duty or from a service-connected cause—can obtain VA-backed mortgages with no down payment and no funding fee.
- Commissary and exchange privileges: Widows and widowers who receive DIC retain lifetime access to on-base shopping facilities.
- State and local perks: Many states offer property-tax abatements, tuition waivers, or license-fee exemptions to surviving spouses and children. Check your state’s Department of Veterans Affairs website for details.
How—And When—To Apply
Most benefits require formal applications. File within one year of the veteran’s death to preserve retroactive payments back to the month after death; claims filed later are paid only from the application date.
- VA Form 21-534EZ covers both DIC and Survivors Pension—submitting it once triggers VA to adjudicate whichever benefit applies.
- CHAMPVA uses VA Form 10-10d.
- Education benefits are claimed online through VA.gov or by paper VA Form 22-5490.
- Attach supporting documents—death certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificates, and the veteran’s final rating decision—to expedite processing.
Help For VA Survivor Benefits
VA survivor benefits can replace lost income, secure healthcare, fund education, guarantee a favorable home loan, and ease funeral expenses at a difficult time. No single program meets every need, and many families qualify for more than one. If you are uncertain where to begin—or if your initial claim is denied—consult a veterans disability lawyer, representative, or Veterans Service Organization. A can provide legal guidance and help you assemble evidence, navigate VA’s rules, and claim every benefit your family has earned through the veteran’s service and sacrifice.