​

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

​

DIC is a tax-free monetary benefit  for veterans' survivors who must meet the following criteria. The veteran must have
1) died on Active Duty- payable to a surviving spouse, dependent child, or parent of Service member
2) died from their service connected disability- payable to survivors of Veterans who died from their 100% service-connected disability,
3) died while receiving their service connected disability-Veterans who died while already receiving 100% service connected disability or are 100%disability for ten years.

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

• was married to a military Service member who died on active duty, 

• married the Veteran before January 1, 1957, 

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

• 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 (The surviving spouse is eligible to receive 40% of the spouse's 100% for the rest of  his/her life.) */**

*  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.
** if your second marriage ends in divorce or death, you may still be eligible to reapply for DIC. 

Unlike VA pension application, there is NO financial qualification for Disability or DIC; however, it is up to the VA-certified attorney to consider which direction would be better for the survivor. Sometimes the VA pension is the best option.  

​