The Veterans Administration (VA) provides benefits to help support surviving spouses, children, and parents of veterans. These benefits offer financial assistance and aid to those who qualify, helping to ensure stability and access to necessary care.
Topics on this page
- What are Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Benefits?
- Decision Reviews and Appeals
- Sources of Law
What are Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Benefits?
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monetary benefit payable to a surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service member whose death was attributable to active duty, service-connected disability, or VA medical treatment.
Eligibility
The eligibility requirements for DIC vary depending on whether you are a surviving spouse, surviving child, or a parent of the veteran.
As a surviving spouse:
You may be eligible for DIC benefits if you meet these requirements.
1 of these must be true:
- You lived with the Veteran or service member without a break until their death, or
- If you’re separated, you weren’t at fault for the separation.
And 1 of these must be true:
- You married the Veteran or service member within 15 years of their discharge from the period of military service during which the qualifying illness or injury started or got worse, or
- You were married to the Veteran or service member for at least 1 year, or
- You had a child with the Veteran or service member.
NOTE: If you remarried, you may be eligible for DIC benefits if:
- You remarried on or after December 16, 2003, and you were 57 years of age or older at the time you remarried, or
- You remarried on or after January 5, 2021, and you were 55 years of age or older at the time you remarried.
As a surviving child:
You may be eligible for DIC benefits if all of the following are true:
- You are not married
- You are not included on the surviving spouse’s compensation
- You are under the age of 18 (or under the age of 23 if attending school)
NOTE: If you were adopted out of the Veteran’s or service member’s family, but meet all other eligibility criteria, you still qualify for compensation.
As a surviving parent:
You may be eligible for DIC benefits if both of the following are true:
- You are the biological, adoptive, or foster parent of the Veteran or service member, and
- Your income is below a certain amount (Check the parents DIC rate table)
NOTE: A foster parent is defined as someone who served in the role of a parent to the Veteran or service member before their last entry into active service.
Applying
You can apply for DIC benefits in the following ways:
- Use the QuickSubmit tool through AccessVA to upload your form online.
-
Mail your completed form to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Pension Intake Center
PO Box 5365
Janesville, WI 53547-5365 - Apply in person at a VA regional office.
If you need assistance completing the application, you can work with an accredited attorney, claims agent, or Veterans Service Organization (VSO) representative to get help applying for Survivors Pension benefits. Learn more about getting help from a VA accredited representative of VSO.
The application you need to complete depends on your survivor status:
Surviving spouse or child of a service member who died while on active duty
- Your military casualty assistance officer will help you to complete an Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits by a Surviving Spouse or Child (VA Form 21P-534a). The officer will help you mail the form to the correct VA regional office.
Surviving spouse or child of a Veteran
- Complete Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits (VA Form 21P-534EZ).
Surviving parent
- Complete an Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation by Parent(s) (VA Form 21P-535).
Decision Reviews and Appeals
If you disagree with a VA benefit decision, you can choose from 3 decision review options to continue your case:
Supplemental Claim
If you have new evidence relevant to your claim that was not considered in the decision, you can file a Supplemental Claim. A reviewer will examine the new evidence (such as medical records) and decide if this evidence changes the decision. You can file a Supplemental Claim by completing VA Form 20-0995 or submitting your claim through the VA's online system.
Higher-Level Review
If you do not have new evidence, but believe there was an error in your case, you can request a Higher-Level Review. A higher-level reviewer will review the original decision using the same evidence as before. Higher-level reviewers cannot consider any new evidence. You can request an optional, one-time, informal conference with a higher-level reviewer to identify specific errors in the case. Requesting an informal conference may delay the review. To request a Higher-Level Review, complete VA Form 20-0996 or submit your claim through the VA's online system.
Board Appeal
If you would like a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals to review your case, you can request a Board Appeal. You can only request a Board Appeal after an initial claim, a Supplemental Claim decision, or a Higher-Level Review decision. When you submit your request, you will need to request the type of review you want from the Board:
- Direct Review - you do not want to submit evidence or have a hearing
- Evidence Submission - you want to submit additional evidence without a hearing
- Hearing - you want to have a hearing with a Veterans Law Judge (with or without new evidence)
You can request a Board Appeal by completing VA Form 10182 or submitting your claim through the VA's online system.
Learn more about Board Appeals and how to request a review.