Death Benefits For Veterans Spouse

Death Benefits For Survivors Of Veterans

• You are paying for the veteran’s burial and funeral costs.

• No other organization will reimburse you.

You must be the surviving spouse, legal partner, child, parent, or executor/administrator of the veteran’s estate. The veteran:

• Must not have received a dishonorable discharge

• Must have died under one of several certain circumstances, such as they:

• Were receiving a veterans pension or compensation

• Had a claim open for compensation or pension

• Died while receiving VA care

These examples are not a complete list.

For more information, contact the VA or call them at .

Whats A Survivor Benefit Plan

The Survivor Benefit Program is a voluntary annuity program that service members may buy as a retirement benefit for their family members. An annuity is a monthly payment received for life. Depending on their military service, members may use this program to buy a Survivor Benefit Plan or Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan .

We dont manage this program. Its managed by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service at the Department of Defense.

If Youre The Surviving Spouse Of A Veteran

Your monthly payment rate is: $1,437.66Effective December 1, 2021

You may also be eligible for added amounts based on certain factors. Find any descriptions in the table below that are true for you. Add the amount listed in the Added monthly amount column of each description to your monthly payment. This is your total monthly payment.

Added amounts for surviving spouses

Effective December 1, 2021

Example of how to calculate your DIC payment

If you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran, your monthly rate would start at $1,437.66.

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Next Steps For Getting A Va

Applying for your COE is only one part of the process for getting a VA-backed home loan. Your next steps will depend on the type of loan youre looking to getand on the private bank or mortgage company thats serving as your lender.

The lender will request a VA appraisal of the house. An appraisal estimates the houses market value at the time of inspection. An appraisal isn’t a home inspection or a guaranty of value.

The lender reviews the appraisal, your credit information, and your income, then decides if they should accept your loan application.

If they decide to accept your application, the lender will work with you to select a title company to close on the house.

Eligibility For Death Pension

A surviving spouse is eligible at any time until remarriage, whereas a surviving child is only eligible if he or she is:

• less than 18 years old,
• under the age of 23 and attending a school approved by the VA, or
• had a injury or illness prior to age 18 that caused a permanent disability such that the child cannot support himself or herself.

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What Is Helpless According To The Va

The last option is what the VA calls a helpless child. This is the veterans biological child, adopted child, or stepchild who is permanently incapable of self-support before they turn 18, either because of a physical or mental disability.

The one claiming benefits for the helpless child should submit medical or psychiatric reports and lay evidence to show the child had the incapacity before turning 18 and qualifies as a helpless child. Once the child is considered a helpless child, they remain under that status as long as they are not married, employed, or capable of self-support.

The veterans child must be either younger than 18, or between the ages of 18 and 23 if they are pursuing a course of education or training at an approved educational institution. The VA determines what educational institutions are approved, usually a permanent organization that offers courses of instruction to a group of students who meet its enrollment criteria, meaning schools, colleges, academies, seminaries, technical institutes, and universities.

A home school program only counts as an approved educational institution if it operates in compliance with state attendance laws. Schools outside the US may be approved if the program is offered by an institution recognized as standard and accredited.

Now that we have covered who may receive benefits in addition to the veteran, we will next look at what benefits are available to these qualifying individuals.

The Program Of Comprehensive Assistance For Family Caregivers

This program offers support and services for family caregivers of eligible Veterans who were seriously injured in the line of duty during certain time periods and meet other eligibility requirements. Services for eligible participants may include a financial stipend, access to health insurance, mental health counseling, caregiver training, and respite care.Learn more about eligibility for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers and how to apply

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How Do Burial Benefits For Spouses Work

The National Cemetery Administration determines which veterans are eligible for burial in one of the 136 national cemeteries in the country.

The organization looks at each unique situation to determine eligibility.

Its worth noting that no burial benefits are given for the following situations:

• Veterans who received a dishonorable discharge
• Divorced spouses
• Most adult children of veterans
• Parents, siblings, and other relatives of a veteran, even if they are dependents
• Anyone convicted of subversive activities or capital crimes

How To Claim Burial Benefits For A Veterans Spouse

While gravesites in national cemeteries cannot be reserved in advance, you can see if the veteran is eligible for burial prior to death. For this reason, families are encouraged to have a frank discussion with their loved ones regarding their preferences. Additionally, they should consider preparing by discussing cemetery options, collecting the veterans military discharge papers, and contacting the cemetery where burial is desired.

When the spouse of the veteran dies, and you have already determined that the individual is eligible to be buried in a national cemetery, then the survivors can call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117 at the time of death to request burial.

In some cases, the eligibility may be reviewed again at the time of death if the laws and circumstances have changed since the family was awarded the pre-need letter. Once final approval is given, the national cemetery staff will cover all the details.

If you did not fill out the pre-eligibility paperwork before the death, you will need to complete some additional steps before the burial in the national cemetery can be scheduled. This process can be done by the survivors or the funeral home staff.

Here are the steps you need to take to schedule a burial in a national cemetery for the spouse of a military veteran.

» MORE:

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Surviving Eligible Child Of A Veteran When The Veteran Doesnt Have A Surviving Spouse Whos Eligible For Dic

Well base your payment amount on the number of the Veterans eligible surviving children. You’re an eligible child if you meet at least one of the requirements listed below.

At least one of these must be true:

• You’re under 18, or
• You’re between 18 and 23 and in a VA-approved school program, or
• You’re permanently unable to support yourself due to a disability that happened before age 18

Monthly payment rates

Added amounts

• For each additional eligible child in a family of 10 or more children, add $216.54.
• For each helpless child over 18, add $356.16 to your monthly rate above. This will be your total monthly payment. For example, if there are 2 eligible surviving children, and one of them is a helpless child, the rate for that child would be $792.78 .

What Kind Of Burial Benefits Can I Get

If youre eligible, you may receive these benefits:

• VA burial allowance for burial and funeral costs
• VA plot or interment allowance for the cost of the plot or interment
• VA transportation reimbursement for the cost of transporting the Veterans remains to the final resting place

Note: You’ll need to pay for these services or other costs first before you apply for an allowance.

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As A Surviving Spouse Do I Need To File A Claim For Burial Costs

No, you dont need to file a claim as a surviving spouse, as long as youre listed as the Veterans spouse on the Veterans profile. When we receive notice of the Veterans death, we automatically pay a set amount to those eligible surviving spouses to help pay for the plot, the cost of interment, or transportation of the remains to the cemetery.

Active Duty Families Surviving Spouse Benefits

Military spouses who want to make sure they won’t have any financial problems if their active duty veteran spouse dies should be aware of the available death benefits. To qualify for death gratuity, a surviving spouse must generally be married to the service member for at least one year before death or have children with that person.

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How Much Is The Va Death Benefit

• Veteran: If a veteran who dies was not either in a VA hospital or a victim of a service-related death, the benefit is $300 for funeral expenses and another $796 for interment .
• VA Hospital: If the veteran died while in a veterans hospital, the death benefit is $796.
• Service-Related Death: A veteran who dies in a service-related death is eligible for $2,000

Whats A Penalty Period

A penalty period is a length of time when a survivor isnt eligible for pension benefits, because they transferred assets for less than fair market value during the look-back period. This may apply if those transferred assets would’ve caused the survivor’s net worth to be over the limit mentioned above. However, not every asset transfer is subject to this penalty.

If we determine you’re subject to a pension penalty, we wouldn’t pay pension benefits during the penalty period.

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Preparing In Advance For Burial In A Va National Cemetery

Gravesites in VA national cemeteries cannot be reserved in advance however, reservations made prior to 1962 will be honored. Families are encouraged to prepare in advance by discussing cemetery options, collecting the Veterans military information including discharge papers, and by contacting the cemetery where burial is desired.

Requests for burial in a VA national cemetery cannot be made via the Internet. No special forms are required when requesting burial in a VA national cemetery. The person making burial arrangements should have their funeral home contact the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at the time of need. Scheduling can be done seven days a week for interments on Mondays through Fridays.

To schedule a burial: Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117.

If possible, the following information concerning the deceased should be provided when the cemetery is first contacted:

• Full name and military rank
• Branch of service

Survivors And Dependents Educational Assistance Program

The VA also offers educational benefits through the Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance program, which was established in the GI Bill. This program provides education assistance to eligible dependents of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service-connected disability.

The VA determines whether a disabled veterans disability rating makes their dependent children and spouses eligible for these types of benefits.

Keep in mind that the VA considers character of discharge when awarding certain benefits, such as VA home loans, education benefits, and pension benefits. There is generally not a character of discharge requirement to apply for life insurance. If you were discharged under dishonorable conditions, its important to look into the VA requirements.

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Is There A Time Limit For Filing

You must file a claim for a non-service-connected burial allowance within 2 years after the Veterans burial or cremation. If a Veterans discharge was changed after death from dishonorable to another status, you must file for an allowance claim within 2 years after the discharge update.

Theres no time limit to file for a service-connected burial, plot, or interment allowance.

Requirement Of Wartime Service

What counts as wartime service for the purpose of the death pension requirements? If the veteran served on or prior to September 7, 1980, the full period of service must have been at least 90 days without at least one day during wartime for survivors to be eligible for the pension.

Veterans who went on active duty after September 7, 1980 must have served a full 24 months or the full period of service, and also have served at least one day during wartime.

Many times veterans and their families believe the veteran’s service qualifies as wartime, but the VA has strictly defined only certain periods as wartime.

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Are There Programs That Provide Surviving Family Members With Monthly Payments

Yes. Below are two programs administered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that provides monthly assistance to some survivors.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is for the surviving spouses of military members who die while in service or from a service connected disability. It provides a monthly payment regardless of the spouses income from other sources. The amount is higher if there are additional dependents or if the spouse is disabled and/or housebound. In some cases, the parents of deceased military and disabled veterans may also receive DIC.

Death Pension

Death Pension is for exceptionally low income surviving spouses and under age surviving children of deceased veterans with war time service. A surviving spouse with no children would need to have income of less than $624.84 per month to be eligible. They would receive enough assistance to raise their income to this level. The level is higher depending on the number of dependents.

Applications for both programs can be made directly to the VA. We recommend, however, that applications be made with the assistance of an accredited veteran service officer.

• VA Nationwide Benefits Number to Request an Application – 827-1000
• American Legion Veteran Service Officer – 296-5166
• Disabled American Veterans Veteran Service Officer – 296-5167
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Veteran Service Officer – 296-5168
• State of Vermont Veteran Service Officer Program – 666-9844

Are There Educational Programs For Survivors

Yes. The programs below may be of assistance to surviving spouses and children.

Dependents Education Assistance

This VA program is available to some spouses or children of military members who died or were permanently and totally disabled as a result of a service connected injury or condition. The program operates much like the Montgomery GI Bill, and must be used within 10 years of the date of eligibility for the program. Applications can be made directly to the VA or through a veteran service officer. Questions about the program can be directed to the VA or to the Education Consultant at the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs.

• VA Nationwide Benefits Number to Request an Application – 827-1000
• American Legion Veteran Service Officer – 296-5166
• Disabled American Veterans Veteran Service Officer – 296-5167
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Veteran Service Officer – 296-5168
• State of Vermont Veteran Service Officer Program – 666-9844
• Education Consultant at the Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs – 828-1082

Armed Services Scholarship

• Vermont National Guard Education Office – 338-3346
• Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs – 666-9844
• Vermont Office of Veterans Affairs – 828-3379

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