DEPENDENTS AND SURVIVORS

DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION (DIC)

Disabilities determined by VA to be related to your military service can lead to monthly non-taxable compensation, enrollment in the 

VA health care system, a 10-point hiring preference for federal employment and other important benefits. Ask your VA 

representative or Veterans Service Organization representative about Disability Compensation, Pension, Health Care, Caregiver 

Program, Career Services, Educational Assistance, Home Loan Guaranty, Insurance and/or Dependents and Survivors’ Benefits.

What is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation?

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of: 

• Servicemembers who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty

training, OR

• Veterans whose death resulted from a service-connected injury or disease, OR

• Veterans whose death resulted from a non-service-connected injury or disease, and who were

totally disabled from their service-connected disabilities for

o at least 10 years immediately preceding their death, OR

o since the Veteran’s release from active duty and for at least five years immediately

preceding death, OR

o at least one year immediately preceding death if the Veteran was a former prisoner of

war who died after September 30, 1999.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

SURVING SPOUSE

You may be eligible for DIC benefits if you are a surviving spouse who:

• was married to a military Servicemember who died on active duty, active duty for training, or

inactive duty training, OR

• married the Veteran before January 1, 1957, OR

• married the Veteran within 15 years of discharge from the period of military service in which

the disease or injury that caused the Veteran’s death began or was aggravated, OR

• was married to the Veteran for at least one year, OR

• had a child with the Veteran, AND

• cohabited with the Veteran continuously until the Veteran’s death or, if separated, was not at

fault for the separation, AND

• is not currently remarried.*

You may be eligible to continue receiving DIC benefits if you remarried on or after 

December 16, 2003, and were at least 57 years of age. 
Pension and Fiduciary- March 2016

SURVIVING CHILD 

You may be eligible for DIC if you are the surviving child of a military Servicemember who died in the 

line of duty or a Veteran whose death resulted from a service-connected injury or disease. 

Additionally, you must be:

• unmarried AND

• under age 18, or between the ages of 18 and 23 and attending school.*

Certain helpless adult children may be entitled to DIC. Please call the toll-free number 1-800-827-

1000 for the eligibility requirements.

PARENTS

You may be eligible for DIC if you are the surviving parent of a military Servicemember who died in 

the line of duty or a Veteran whose death resulted from a service-connected injury or disease. Find 

additional information regarding Parents’ DIC.

HOW MUCH DOES VA PAY? 

• Benefit rate tables for surviving spouses and children

• Benefit rate tables for parents

HOW CAN YOU APPLY?

You may apply for DIC benefits by filling out 

• VA Form 21-534EZ or VA Form 21-534, Application for DIC, Death Pension and Accrued

Benefits by a Surviving Spouse or Child, or

• VA Form 21-535, Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation by Parent(s),

The completed form should be mailed to the Pension Management Center that serves your state and 

has jurisdiction over your claim. If you do not know which PMC has jurisdiction over your claim, you 

may submit your request to the VA regional office closest to your current residence. A directory of VA 

regional offices is available at Directory of VA Regional Offices.