Summary of VA Dependents’ 

VA supports and Survivors’ Benefits

Servicemembers’ 

and Veterans’ 

families
VA honors the sacrifices of 

Servicemembers’ and Veterans’ 

dependents and survivors 

through many benefit programs, 

which may be available to a 

surviving spouse, dependent 

child(ren), and/or parent(s).

Dependents’ and survivors’ benefit programs 

include the following: 

» Dependency and Indemnity Compensation 

(DIC) — a monthly tax-free benefit paid to a 

surviving spouse, including additional payments 

for dependent children. Parents’ DIC is paid to 

surviving parents based on financial need

» Survivors’ Pension — a monthly income based 

tax-free benefit payable to a surviving spouse 

and/or child(ren) of a deceased Veteran with 

wartime service

Access Your VA Benefits

Go to eBenefits at www.ebenefits.va.gov, 

your one-stop shop to learn about and apply 

for your benefits.

» The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the 

Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) — 

a benefit that provides reimbursement for most 

medical expenses to certain surviving spouses 

and dependents of Veterans with permanent and 

total service-connected disabilities who are not 

eligible for TRICARE

» Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program 

(DEA) — a benefit that provides assistance 

to obtain a degree and pursue other eligible 

education and training

» Home Loans — a benefit that may be used to 

help purchase, construct, or improve a home. 

It may also be used to refinance a mortgage

» Burial — a benefit that includes furnishing 

a headstone, marker, or medallion, a burial 

allowance, a Presidential Memorial Certificate, 

and an American flag to drape over the 

deceased’s casket, as well as the option of burial 

in a VA national cemetery
DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY 

COMPENSATION 

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is 

a monthly tax-free benefit provided to an eligible 

surviving spouse, dependent child(ren), and/or 

parent(s) of a deceased Servicemember or Veteran. 

You may be eligible for DIC benefits if you are a 

surviving spouse, dependent child, or parent of a:

» Servicemember who died while on active duty or 

training, OR

» Veteran who died as a result of a service-related 

disability, OR

» Veteran who was receiving or entitled to receive 

VA compensation for a service-connected 

disability that was rated as totally disabling:

› for at least 10 years immediately preceding 

death, OR

› since the Veteran’s release from active 

duty and for at least five years immediately 

preceding death, OR

› for at least one year immediately preceding 

death if the Veteran was a former prisoner of 

war (POW)

Spouse. Your eligibility as a recognized surviving 

spouse requires that you:

» Were validly married to the Veteran before 

January 1, 1957, OR

» Were married to 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

» Were married to the Veteran for at least one year 

prior to the Veteran’s death, OR

» Had a child with the Veteran, AND

» Cohabited with the Veteran continuously until 

the Veteran’s death, AND

» Are not remarried, however, surviving spouses 

who remarry on or after December 16, 2003, 

and are 57 or older can continue receiving DIC

DIC provides a basic payment rate plus additional 

allowances for each dependent child, as well as 

Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits. 

The Aid and Attendance benefit is paid in addition 

to your monthly compensation amount under any 

of the following conditions: 

» You require help in performing daily functions, 

which may include bathing, eating, or dressing

» You are bedridden

» You are in a nursing home

» Your eyesight is limited to a corrected 5/200 

visual acuity or less in both eyes

Dependent Children. You may be eligible for DlC 

benefits if you are not included in your surviving 

parent’s DIC benefit, are not married, and are 

younger than 18 or between ages 18 and 23, 

if attending school. Certain adult children who 

become seriously disabled prior to age 18 may also 

be entitled to DlC.

Parents. Parents’ DIC is an income-based monthly 

tax-free benefit, and may be available if your child 

was a Servicemember or Veteran who died from 

a service-related cause and you were financially 

dependent on him or her.

DIC provides a basic payment rate plus additional 

allowances for each dependent child, as well as 

Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits. 

The Aid and Attendance benefit is paid in addition 

to your monthly compensation amount under any 

of the following conditions stated above. 

The Housebound benefit is paid in addition to 

your monthly DIC amount if a permanent disability 

substantially prevents you from leaving your 

immediate dwelling. 

You may also be entitled to an additional allowance 

if you have a dependent child under the age of 18 

in your household.
SURVIVORS’ PENSION

Survivors’ Pension is a tax-free needs-based benefit 

paid to an un-remarried surviving spouse and/or 

unmarried child(ren) of a deceased wartime Veteran. 

You must have an income below a yearly limit set by 

Congress to be eligible for pension benefits.

You may be eligible if you are the surviving spouse 

or dependent child of a Veteran who:

» Received a discharge from service under 

conditions other than dishonorable, AND

» Served at least 90 days of active military service 

with at least one day during a wartime period 

(the 90-day active service requirement does 

not apply to Veterans with a service-connected 

disability justifying discharge from the military), OR

» Served at least 24 months, or the full period 

for which the Veteran was called or ordered to 

active duty (with some exceptions), with at least 

one day during a wartime period if the Veteran 

entered active duty after September 7, 1980

Dependent children may be eligible for Survivors’ 

Pension if they are permanently incapable of 

self-support due to a disability incurred before age 

18, are not married, and are younger than 18 or 

between ages 18 and 23, if attending school. 

Surviving spouses may be eligible for Survivors’ 

Pension if they continuously lived with the Veteran 

from the date of marriage until the Veteran’s death 

and have not remarried, with certain exceptions.

THE CIVILIAN HEALTH AND MEDICAL 

PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF 

VETERANS AFFAIRS (CHAMPVA)

The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the 

Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) shares 

the cost of most health care services and supplies 

with unmarried surviving spouses and children 

who are not eligible for TRICARE. To be eligible, 

you must be the spouse or child of a Veteran who:

» Is permanently and totally disabled due to 

a service-connected disability, OR

» Died of a service-connected disability, OR

» Was permanently and totally disabled due to a 

service-connected disability at the time of death, OR

» Died during active duty (not due to own 

personal misconduct) 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING BENEFITS

Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA). 

Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) 

provides assistance for degree and certificate 

programs, apprenticeships, correspondence 

courses, On-the-Job Training (OJT), and other 

programs. You may be eligible for DEA benefits 

if you are the spouse or child of a:

» Veteran who died or is permanently and totally 

disabled as the result of a service-connected 

disability, OR

» Veteran who died from any cause while a 

permanent and total service-connected disability 

existed, OR

» Servicemember who died during active military 

service, OR

» Servicemember missing in action or captured 

in the line of duty by a hostile force, OR

» Servicemember forcibly detained or interned 

in the line of duty by a foreign government or 

power, OR

If you remarried after the Veteran’s death

and your marriage ended in death, divorce, 

or annulment, your eligibility for VA benefits 

may be restored. If you remarried at age 57 

or older, or at age 55 or older for CHAMPVA 

entitlement, you generally retain eligibility 

to DIC, home loan guaranty, and education 

training benefits.
» Servicemember who is hospitalized or receiving 

outpatient treatment for a permanent and total 

service-connected disability and is likely to be 

discharged for that disability

The program offers up to 45 months of education 

benefits. Children generally must use the benefit 

between the ages of 18 and 26. If you are a 

spouse, benefits generally end 10 years from 

the date VA finds you eligible. If VA rated the 

Veteran permanently and totally disabled with an 

effective date of three years from discharge, or if 

the Servicemember died on active duty, a spouse 

will be eligible for benefits for 20 years from the 

effective date of the rating or date of death.

Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry 

Scholarship. The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John 

David Fry Scholarship provides children with 

financial support for tuition and fees, books and 

supplies, and housing. You may be eligible for up to 

36 months of Fry Scholarship benefits if you are the 

child of a Servicemember who died during active 

duty after September 10, 2001. You must use your 

benefits between your 18th and 33rd birthdays. 

You may still be eligible if you are married.

You are not eligible for Fry Scholarship benefits 

if you are serving or have served in the Armed 

Forces and are eligible for benefits under the 

Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty, Montgomery 

GI Bill-Selected Reserve, and/or the Reserve 

Educational Assistance Program (REAP), unless 

you relinquish your eligibility to those benefits. 

If you are also eligible to receive Dependents’ 

Educational Assistance Program (DEA) benefits, 

you may not use both benefit programs at the 

same time. You may use up to a total of 48 months 

of benefits between the two programs. 

HOME LOAN GUARANTY

VA-guaranteed loans are provided by private 

lenders, such as banks and mortgage companies, 

and not by VA directly. 

Certificate of Eligibility. You must present a 

Certificate of Eligibility (COE) from VA that verifies 

your spouse’s military service to the lender to 

qualify for a VA-backed loan. The easiest way 

to obtain a COE is through eBenefits at 

www.ebenefits.va.gov.

There are many benefits that a VA home loan 

guaranty can provide. For example:

» VA home loans can be obtained even when 

you do not qualify for other loans

» VA home loans often have lower interest rates 

and closing costs than conventional loans

» You may not have to make a down payment 

or buy mortgage insurance 

» There are no fees if you pay off your VA home 

loan early

» VA Loan Technicians can work with you to 

explore all options to avoid foreclosure if 

you are having difficulty making payments

Counseling is available to help dependents 

determine career goals and how to best use 

their VA dependents’ education benefits. 

For dependents needing special assistance to 

accommodate a disability prior to or during the 

pursuit of vocational training, VA can provide 

assessment and rehabilitation planning to help 

identify suitable training programs and the 

resources available to succeed.
VA can also guarantee a portion of a loan made 

by a private lender, which may be used to: 

» Purchase, construct, or improve a home 

» Purchase a manufactured home and/or lot 

» Refinance your existing mortgage on a 

home that you personally occupy

You may be eligible for a VA home loan if you have a 

good credit score and sufficient income, and if you are:

» An unmarried surviving spouse of a Veteran who 

died of a service-connected disability, OR

» A surviving spouse of a Servicemember or a 

Veteran who died during active duty or of a 

service-connected disability, who remarried on 

or after December 16, 2003 at age 57 or older, OR

» A spouse of a Servicemember officially listed as 

either missing in action (MIA) or a prisoner of war 

(POW) for at least 90 days

If you obtained a VA home loan with your spouse 

prior to his or her death, you may be eligible to 

obtain a lower interest rate by refinancing your 

existing VA loan. VA home loan benefits do not 

expire and may be used anytime.

BURIAL BENEFITS 

VA understands that burial and funeral expenses 

can be a hardship for families of recently deceased 

Servicemembers and Veterans. VA provides the 

following burial and memorial benefits:

» Inscribed headstone or marker at any cemetery, 

or a medallion to affix to one that is privately 

purchased. Spouses and dependents are eligible 

for a headstone or marker if they are buried in a 

national cemetery, state Veterans’ cemetery, or 

military base cemetery

» Burial allowance to partially reimburse the burial 

and funeral costs of an eligible Veteran

» Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC), which 

is an engraved certificate, signed by the current 

president, to honor the memory of an honorably 

discharged deceased Veteran, provided to the 

next of kin and loved ones of a deceased Veteran

» American flag to drape the casket of a Veteran 

OTHER BENEFITS

There are additional benefits available to you, including:

Educational and Vocational Counseling – 

is available to help decide how best to use VA 

dependents’ educational assistance benefits. 

VA can also provide assessment and rehabilitation 

planning for dependents with disabilities to help 

identify the resources needed to achieve

a successful outcome.

Beneficiary Financial Counseling Service – 

is a personalized service offered to beneficiaries 

of SGLI and VGLI VA Life Insurance policies that 

can help you make smart financial decisions. 

Services include, but are not limited to, budgeting 

assistance, debt reduction assistance, and college/

retirement planning.

Bereavement Counseling – is a counseling service 

available at community-based Vet Centers to 

parents, spouses, and children of Servicemembers, 

National Guard members, and Reserve members 

who die in service.

Civil Service Preference – is a hiring preference for jobs 

within the Federal government. An unmarried surviving 

spouse of certain deceased Veterans may also qualify.

VA provides an eligibility certification upon request.

Eligible Veterans, as well as their qualifying 

spouses, children, and parents, may receive 

burial in a national cemetery. Go to 

www.cem.va.gov for more information on 

eligibility and requirements.
Commissary and Exchange Privileges – are 

provided by the Department of Defense to an unremarried surviving spouse of a Servicemember or 

Veteran who died during active duty, or due to a 

service-connected disability. Dependents are also 

eligible for privileges. VA provides an eligibility 

certificate upon request.

Summary of Benefits. The table below provides 

a broad overview of the eligibility requirements for 

Dependents’ and Survivors’ benefits. Use this table to 

determine the benefits that you might qualify for and 

seek out more information about eligibility criteria, 

as well as how to apply.

Eligibility Needs-based Service 

Requirement

Veteran died 

on active 

duty

Veteran died 

as a result 

of a serviceconnected 

disability

Veteran has 

a totally 

disabling 

serviceconnected 

disability

Veteran 

was totally 

disabled by 

a serviceconnected 

disability 

at time of 

death

DIC S,C 4 4 4

Parents’ DIC P 4 4 4

Survivors’ 

Pension S,C 4

90-days, at 

least one 

day during 

a wartime 

period

CHAMPVA S,C 4 4 4 4

DEA S,C 4 4 4 4

Fry 

Scholarship C Service after 

9/10/01 4

Home Loan S 4 4

Burial S,C,P 4 4 4

Key: S=Spouse, C=Child, P=Parent

VA adopted five core values that define “who we 

are,” our culture, and how we care for Veterans, 

their families, and other beneficiaries. The values 

are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, 

and Excellence (I-CARE).

I CARE

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans Benefits Administration

Washington, DC 20420

T 800-827-1000

www.va.gov/benefits

For More Information

For more information about disability 

compensation benefits, including 

eligibility, establishing a service-connected 

disability, and how to apply, please:

» Find links to VA benefits information and apply 

at www.ebenefits.va.gov

» Visit us at www.va.gov/benefits 

» Use IRIS, VA’s tool to find information and ask 

questions online at https://iris.custhelp.com

» Call us at 1-800-827-1000

» Visit the nearest VA regional office. To find the 

VA regional office nearest you, go to our website 

or call VA toll free at 1-800-827-1000 

Additional VA Benefits

Disabilities determined by VA to be related to 

your military service can lead to monthly nontaxable 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 (VSO) representative about 

Disability Compensation, Pension, Health Care, 

Caregiver Program, Vocational Rehabilitation and 

Employment Services, Educational Assistance, Home 

Loan Guaranty, Insurance, and/or Dependents’ 

and Survivors’ Benefits. You can search for a VSO 

representative online at www.ebenefits.va.gov. 

Thank you for your service. 

Now let us serve you.

VA PAM 21-12-2

September 2012