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Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits - Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) payments may be available for surviving spouses who have not remarried, surviving spouses who remarry after attaining age 57, unmarried children under 18, helpless children, those between 18 and 23 if attending a VA-approved school, and low-income parents of deceased service members or veterans.

For survivors to be eligible, the deceased must have died from (1) a disease or injury incurred or aggravated while on active duty or active duty for training; (2) an injury incurred or aggravated in line of duty while on inactive duty training; or (3) a disability compensable by VA. Death cannot be the result of willful misconduct. If a spouse remarries, eligibility for benefits may be restored if the marriage is terminated later by death, annulment, or divorce.

NOTE: This restoration policy has been in effect since 1998, but VA officials are concerned that widows or widowers may overlook this benefit if a subsequent marriage ends years later.

DIC payments also may be authorized for survivors of veterans who were totally service-connected disabled when they died, even though their service-connected disabilities did not cause their deaths. The survivor qualifies if: (1) the veteran was continuously rated totally disabled for a period of 10 or more years immediately preceding death; or (2) the veteran was so rated for a period of at least five years from the date of military discharge; or (3) the veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999, and who was continuously rated totally disabled for a period of at least one year immediately preceding death. Payments under this provision are subject to offset by the amount received from judicial proceedings brought on account of the veteran's death. The discharge must have been under conditions other than dishonorable.

DIC Payments to Surviving Spouse

Surviving spouses of veterans who died after Jan. 1, 1993, receive a basic rate, plus additional payments for dependent children, for the aid and attendance of another person if they are patients in a nursing home or require the regular assistance of another person, or if they are permanently housebound. Surviving spouses of veterans who died prior to Jan. 1, 1993, receive an amount based on the deceased’s military pay grade. Tables with monthly compensation rates are shown in the "Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits - Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Amount" topic.

DIC Payments to Parents and Children

The monthly payment for parents of deceased veterans depends upon their income. There are additional DIC payments for dependent children. A child may be eligible if there is no surviving spouse, and the child is unmarried and under age 18, or if the child is between the age of 18 and 23 and attending school.

Special Allowances

Surviving spouses and parents receiving DIC may be granted a special allowance to pay for aid and attendance by another person if they are patients in a nursing home or require the regular assistance of another person. Surviving spouses receiving DIC may be granted a housebound special allowance if they are permanently housebound.

Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors

Survivors of veterans who died of service-connected causes incurred or aggravated prior to Aug. 13, 1981, may be eligible for special benefits. This benefit is similar to the benefits for students and surviving spouses with children between ages 16 and 18 that were eliminated from Social Security benefits. The benefits are payable in addition to any other benefits to which the family may be entitled. The amount of the benefit is based on information provided by the Social Security Administration.

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