What Is The Survivors Pension With Aid And Attendance
The Survivors Pension is a tax-free monetary benefit from the VA. If youre a surviving spouse of a deceased veteran with wartime service, and your income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress, you may be able to get this benefit. If you need help with your daily activities, you may qualify for additional Aid and Attendance funds.
The maximum Survivors Pension with additional Aid and Attendance funds is up to $1,433 per month.
What Is A Va Survivors Pension
VA survivors pensions are payments made to spouses and dependents of deceased veterans. However, if you have remarried or earn an income higher than the eligibility limits set by Congress, you may not qualify.
Like the DIC benefits, survivors pension payments are made monthly. The amounts may also change depending on the rates set by Congress.
Since the survivors pension benefit is only available to spouses of vets who served during specific wartime periods, it is vital to confirm if your partner was in this category. Contact VA for more information about their deployment history if you are unsure.
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Does The Va Pay For Assisted Living Room And Board
No the VA does not pay for assisted living costs like room and board. However, there may be other ways to utilize VA benefits and programs to help cover the cost of assisted living.
The Expanding Veterans Options for Long Term Care Act would direct the VA to operate a pilot program to provide assisted living services to veterans who qualify. While this bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate in May 2022, it hasnt yet been signed into law.
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Va Dic Benefits For Dependent Children
Dependent children must meet certain requirements to receive DIC benefits. These qualifications are very similar to those for a veteran claiming a dependent child.
Below is a breakdown of when a dependent child may be eligible for DIC benefits:
- The dependent child is under the age of 18 or
- The dependent child is between the ages of 18 and 23 and attending a VA approved school or
- The dependent child was considered permanently incapacitated before turning 18 and
- The dependent child is unmarried.
Eligibility For Children Of Vietnam Veterans
Depending on the birth defect, children of Vietnam veterans must meet several requirements to receive benefits.
For Spina Bifida
VA benefits apply to all forms and manifestations of spina bifida, except spina bifida occulta. To receive benefits for spina bifida, the childs biological mother or father must have served in:
- The Republic of Vietnam or in Thailand for any length of time between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, OR
- A unit in or near the DMZ for any length of time between September 1, 1967, and August 31, 1971
AND the child must have been:
- Diagnosed with a form of spina bifida other than spina bifida occulta, AND
- Conceived after the parent first entered the Republic of Vietnam, Thailand, or the DMZ during the qualifying time periods listed above.
Unlike claimants for other VA disability benefits, a claimant for spina bifida benefits will not have to undergo a VA medical examination unless the spina bifida diagnosis is suspect. If a potential claimant has a diagnosis of spina bifida occulta, it may be helpful to seek another medical opinion.
For Other Birth Defects
According to the VA, children of Vietnam veterans with the following birth defects may be eligible for benefits:
- Cleft lip and cleft palate
- Congenital heart disease
- Hirschprungs disease
- Hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis
- Undescended testicle
- Williams syndrome
To be eligible for benefits, children with the above birth defects must meet the following criteria:
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Am I Eligible For A Va Survivors Pension As The Child Of A Deceased Wartime Veteran
You may be eligible for this benefit if youre unmarried and you meet at least one of these requirements.
At least one of these must be true:
- Youre under age 18, or
- Youre under age 23 and attending a VA-approved school, or
- Youre unable to care for yourself due to a disability that happened before age 18
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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Death Gratuity For Military Widows And Widowers Of Veterans Who Died While On Active Duty As A Result Of A Service
If your spouse died while on active duty or within 120 days of separation due to a service-connected injury or illness, you may be eligible for a one-time death gratuity payment of $100,000.
These payments are typically made automatically by your spouses last military command. If it isnt, you can complete an application through the VA to receive this benefit.
How Much Money Do Widows Of Veterans Make
You may be eligible if:
- the deceased veteran was discharged from service under other than dishonorable conditions, AND
- they served 24 months or more of active duty with at least 1 day during wartime. AND
- you are the un-remarried surviving spouse or unmarried child of the deceased veteran, AND
- you have a COMBINED net worth and income of $138,489 or less
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Who Qualifies For Va Survivor Benefits
The VA has criteria in place to determine who a veterans surviving spouse is and who can qualify for VA survivor benefits. There are several requirements that spouses of veterans must meet to be eligible for DIC. The requirements are as follows:
- A surviving spouse must have married a service member who died on active duty, active duty training, or inactive duty training, or
- Married the deceased Veteran before January 1, 1957, or
- Married the veteran at least one year before the veterans passing, or
- Had a child with the veteran and lived with the Veteran until their death. It is important to note that during the marriage, there must be no separations unless the surviving spouse was not responsible for the separation.
A surviving spouse must have married a veteran who died due to a service-connected injury or disease, and the marriage must have begun within 15 years of the veterans discharge in which caused the disability.
There is also a strict criterion for remarried surviving spouses. Usually, a remarried spouse is not eligible for DIC benefits however, in some cases, eligibility would depend on the date of remarriage. Spouses who remarry after age 57 and remarried on or after December 16, 2003, can still be eligible to receive DIC benefits.
Many Women Are Overlooked When It Comes To Va Benefits
Its unfortunate but we often overlook the fact that wartime veterans are eligible for VA benefits even though they were not injured during service. Many dont realize that you didnt have to serve in combat or overseas to qualify for what is called the Aid and Attendance benefit. You can imagine if veterans themselves are unaware of the Aid and Attendance benefit, how many widows of qualifying veterans are also unaware that they qualify?
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How To Apply For Dependency And Indemnity Compensation
Surviving dependents can apply for VA DIC benefits online using VAs website or print and submit Form 21-534 to VA.
In this instance, be sure to include supporting documentation proving you meet the criteria for DIC, such as the veterans death certificate to indicate cause of death, a marriage certificate, any prior divorce decrees, birth certificates, and school transcripts. Submitting this evidence with the initial application for DIC can help speed up the adjudication process.
When filing Form 21-534, you will find that there is a specific question regarding whether you are seeking service connection for the cause of death. If the veteran did not pass away from a service-connected condition, you will want to make sure that you answer this question appropriately.
If your spouse was killed on active duty or while conducting a training exercise, VA will assign a Casualty Assistance Officer to file for surviving spouse benefits on your behalf.
Burial Services & Cemeteries
What are Burial Benefits?
Effective July 7, 2014: VA is changing its monetary burial benefits regulations to simplify the program and pay eligible survivors more quickly and efficiently. These regulations will authorize VA to pay, without a written application, most eligible surviving spouses basic monetary burial benefits at the maximum amount authorized in law through automated systems rather than reimbursing them for actual costs incurred.
- Under the current regulations, VA pays for burial and funeral expenses on a reimbursement basis, which requires survivors to submit receipts for relatively small one-time payments that VA generally pays at the maximum amount permitted by law.
- The new burial regulations will permit VA to pay, at a flat rate, burial and plot or interment allowances thereby enabling VA to automate payment of burial benefits to most eligible surviving spouses and more efficiently process other burial benefit claims.
- The burial allowance for a non-service-connected death is $300, and $2,000 for a death connected to military service.
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Will Your Spouse Receive Your Va Disability When You Die
Losing a spouse is never easy. Having a security net to provide compensation after the passing of a loved one eases this burden. If youre a recipient of Veterans disability benefits, you might be wondering whether these continue to your spouse when you die.
Jump ahead to these sections:
The good news is many surviving military spouses receive Veterans disability compensation. This benefit is known as Dependency and Indemnity Compensation . Its a monthly benefit intended to assist military spouses and dependents financially in this time of need. However, certain conditions are necessary for this benefit to apply. In this guide, well break down DIC and how to qualify.
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If My Husband Was A Veteran Should I Get Accrued Benefits
You might be eligible to receive benefits through an accrued benefits claim if you meet the right criteria. It isnt always the best claim for all situations, but it becomes the right claim if:
- Your claim was pending at the time of death, but all of the documentation was in the hands of the VA. This is possible because it takes a long time to get a claim resolved. If the VA hasnt made a decision yet and the veteran dies before the decision is made, an accrued claim might be the right option.
- The beneficiary of the claim died before the check was awarded. This sounds rare, but it happens more than youd think. If a husband veteran died and the wife dies before the check for his claim is sent, the dependent children or even the dependent parents would work on the claim.
- If there are no next of kin or beneficiaries and a person dies before the benefits were paid, it can even go to whoever was the last person that paid for the veterans medical care. That person would then be regarded as the responsible guardian and beneficiary of the veteran.
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What Does The Va Cover For Assisted Living
While the VA doesnt directly pay assisted living bills for a veteran, their spouse, or for a surviving spouse, an individual can choose to use the money provided through VA assistance for assisted living expenses. For example, a veteran who receives a monetary VA benefit can choose to use that money toward any costs related to their long-term care, whether its used for room and board, extra transportation, or specialized medical care related to a new injury.
Create A Plan Together
Last but not least, work together to create a plan. Now that you know how much compensation comes with these benefits, you can plan for the future. Do some math to budget just how much your spouse needs for monthly expenses. How will these benefits fit into their financial needs and goals? What dependents need care?
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The Dependency And Indemnity Compensation
The Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is a great resource for a widow, considering that they will receive a monthly compensation to help pay for the portion of their living expenses that would have been covered by their spouse. This compensation is valued to about $1100 per month for those who qualify for this benefit.
Va Benefits For Dependent Parents Of Veterans
For a parent to receive benefits as dependents or as a surviving parent, they have to meet two requirements. First, they have to have a parental relationship to the veteran. Second, the VA considers their financial situation. If the veteran is trying to get additional compensation for their parents, the parents have to be financially dependent on the veteran. If the parents are attempting to get DIC benefits, they have to meet the income eligibility requirements.
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Va Home Loan Guaranty
If your spouse was a veteran or service member who died because of a service-connected disability or is listed as MIA or POW, you may be eligible to receive a VA home loan.
You must be either unmarried or remarried after the age of 57 to be eligible. VA loans can be used to buy, build, improve, or refinance a home.
The VA also has programs in place that can help you avoid foreclosure if youre having trouble making mortgage payments or have fallen behind on payments after the death of your military spouse.
Veterans Burial Benefits And Death Benefits At Private Cemeteries
Family members of some vets buried in private cemeteries may be able to get a veterans death benefit, or burial allowance. Eligible vets include those who received a VA pension or disability compensation when they were alive. The burial allowance can help pay for burial, funeral, and transportation costs.
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Basic Allowance For Housing Benefits
The VA has a housing safety net for widows and widowers of active duty military spouses that lasts for an entire calendar year upon their death.
If your military spouse died while you were living in government housing, you have the option of either staying in that housing for a full year or relocating to another private home and receiving one year of Basic Housing Allowance .
Benefit Guides
Aid And Attendance For Long Term Care
Aid and Attendance is available for those who need the aid and attendance of another person for their routine daily living activities on a permanent basis. Often as women age, they need assistance with activities of daily living such as: dressing, bathing, help using the bathroom, meal preparation, laundry and more. This type of assistance is considered custodial care even though the need for custodial care is often caused by a medical condition such as congenital heart failure, arthritis, diabetes, etc. When custodial care is needed permanently, health insurance such as Medicare will not cover the cost. On-going custodial care is considered long-term care. Fortunately, the VAs Aid and Attendance benefit can help with the cost of long term care.
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Do Woods And Woods Charge Widows For Dic
If you have not yet filed an application for DIC benefits for widows, we can help. Woods & Woods never charges widows for help with their application. If you obtain DIC benefits for widows on the initial application you owe Woods & Woods nothing. We are proud to report we have helped thousands of veterans and widows obtain VA disability benefits through their application at no cost. But the VA isnt always fair and they dont approve the majority of claims forcing veterans and widows to appeal you probably already know this from other friends who applied and were turned down.
Family Care Giver Stipend
What is Family Care Giver Support?
The VA values your commitment to care for the Veteran in your family. They have provided additional support and services to help you care for the Veteran you love and for yourself.
Under the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, additional VA services are now available to seriously injured post-9/11 Veterans and their Family Caregivers through a new program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. VA is now accepting applications for these services. For more information click here.
The law will provide additional assistance to primary Family Caregivers of eligible post-9/11 Veterans and Service members. Services for this group include:
- Monthly stipend
- Travel expenses
- Access to health care insurance
- Mental health services and counseling
- Comprehensive VA Caregiver training provided by Easter Seals
Whos Eligible?
If the Veteran is enrolled in VA health care benefits and requires at least six months of continuous supervision or assistance with performing basic functions of everyday life due to a serious injury or mental disorder incurred or aggravated in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, then they are entitled to Family Care Giver Support.
How do I Apply?
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