FAMILYVA program
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
Monthly tax-free benefit paid to surviving spouses, children, and dependent parents of servicemembers who died in the line of duty, or veterans who died from a service-connected condition. VA also pays it to a surviving spouse or child when the veteran was rated totally disabled from service for a set time before death (10 years, 5 years since discharge, or 1 year for a former POW).
Available to survivors of veterans who died from service-connected conditions or in the line of duty; a spouse or child also after a set time rated totally disabled
Example value
$1,699.36/moSurviving spouse base rateStep-by-step guide
What VA looks for: Death connected to service
- A death in service, or from a service-connected conditionThe service member died in the line of duty while on active duty or in training. Or a service-connected condition was the main or a contributing cause of the veteran's death. A contributing cause is one that contributed substantially or materially to the death, not one that only casually shared in it.
- A link to service for the fatal conditionIf VA had not already service connected the condition behind the death, the record needs to show two things. The condition began or got worse in service, and it caused or contributed to the death. Medical records or a medical opinion can show this, and in some cases so can statements from people who saw the symptoms.
- A surviving spouse or child under VA rulesA spouse who was married to the veteran at the death and lived with the veteran until then. The marriage lasted at least 1 year, or the couple had a child together. Or the marriage took place within 15 years after the end of the service period in which the fatal condition began or got worse. Or an unmarried child under 18, under 23 and in a VA-approved school, or disabled before 18 and unable to self-support.
Source: 38 CFR 3.5(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.312 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab); VA.gov: evidence for pension, DIC, or accrued benefits claims (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.1.B (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.50(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.53 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.54(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.57(a)(1) (opens in new tab)
Which kind of claim is this?
- Death connected to service
A monthly payment for a surviving spouse or child when a service member died in the line of duty, or a veteran died from a service-connected condition. VA looks for the cause of death, its link to service, and your relationship to the veteran.
Source: 38 CFR 3.5(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.312 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.54(c) (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.1.B (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.2.A (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
- Veteran rated totally disabled before death
DIC for a surviving spouse or child when the death itself was not connected to service. It applies if the veteran had a service-connected disability rated totally disabling for a set time before death. A total rating based on unemployability counts. The rule excludes a death caused by the veteran's own willful misconduct.
- A total rating held long enoughA service-connected disability rated totally disabling for at least 10 years just before death. Or rated that way since release from active duty and for at least 5 years just before death. For a former prisoner of war, the period is at least 1 year just before death. The rule also covers some cases where the rating was not being paid, such as when the veteran had not waived retired pay.
- Married at least 1 year, or a child togetherA surviving spouse married to the veteran for at least 1 year just before the death. A shorter marriage counts if a child was born of the marriage or to the couple before it. The 15-year marriage option does not apply under this rule.
Source: 38 CFR 3.22 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.22(d) (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.2.A (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab); M21-1 VII.i.2.D (opens in new tab)
- The 8-year added amount
An added monthly amount for a surviving spouse on DIC. The veteran held a total service-connected rating for the 8 years before death, and the spouse was married to the veteran for those same 8 years. It is added to the basic DIC rate.
- A total rating for the 8 years before deathA service-connected disability rated totally disabling, including a rating based on unemployability, for a continuous period of at least 8 years just before death. The rule also covers some cases where the rating was not being paid.
- Married for those same 8 yearsThe surviving spouse was married to the veteran for the whole 8-year period.
Source: 38 CFR 3.10(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.10(f) (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.4.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC rates for spouses and children (opens in new tab)
- Aid and Attendance or Housebound (added to DIC)
An added monthly amount for a surviving spouse on DIC who needs another person's regular help, or who is confined to home by a lasting disability. The Housebound amount applies only when the Aid and Attendance amount does not.
- At least one Aid and Attendance criterionNeeding another person's help with daily activities, having to stay in bed because of illness, being a nursing home patient, or the vision loss the rule describes. Help given by a relative still counts.
- Or confined to home by a lasting disabilitySubstantially confined to your home and its immediate grounds, or to a ward if you live in an institution, because of disability expected to last for life. No 100% rating is needed for this.
Source: 38 CFR 3.10(e) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.351 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.351(e) (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.2.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC rates for spouses and children (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-2680 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0779 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.352(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.352(c) (opens in new tab)
- Parents' DIC
A separate DIC benefit for a veteran's parents, filed on its own application, VA Form 21P-535. It is based on income. It needs a death in service, from a service-connected condition, or caused by VA care. The total rating rule above covers spouses and children, not parents. An added amount applies for a parent in a nursing home, or so helpless or blind as to need another person's regular help.
- A parent under VA rulesA biological or adoptive parent. Or a person who stood in the role of a parent for at least 1 year before the veteran entered active service, starting before the veteran turned 21.
- A death in service or from a service-connected conditionThe same death rule as for a spouse or child, above.
- Income under the limitParents' DIC is based on income. The monthly amount goes down as countable income goes up, and it stops above a limit set by law. A remarried parent living with a spouse counts the spouse's income too.
Source: 38 CFR 3.59 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.25 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.22 (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC rates for parents (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-535 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.5(a) (opens in new tab)
What to gather, and what it shows VA
| Document | What it shows | How VA gets it | Have it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Death certificate The official record of the veteran's death, listing the main cause of death and any contributing conditions. | The cause and date of death | A copy of the public record from the state or community where the death happened. The application asks for a copy with the claim unless the veteran died on active duty. If it lists the cause as pending, the application asks for the medical examiner to send VA evidence of the cause. | Yes |
| The veteran's DD214 The veteran's separation papers, showing service dates, type of service, and character of discharge. | The veteran's service dates and discharge | The application asks for a copy for every period of service. Its service section can be skipped if the veteran was getting VA compensation or pension at death. As next of kin, you can request a copy from the National Archives through eVetRecs or SF180, with a copy of the death certificate or a funeral home letter. | Yes |
| Service treatment and personnel records The veteran's medical and personnel records from service, including records a National Guard or Reserve unit holds. | What happened in service | VA will request the veteran's federal service records for you once you file. For Guard or Reserve service, the application asks you to send any records the unit holds, and to name the unit so VA can find them. | |
| The veteran's rating decisions VA decision letters that list the conditions VA service connected, their ratings, and when a total rating began. | What VA rated, and for how long | VA already holds them in the veteran's file. Copies from the veteran's papers can go to VA with the claim. | Yes |
| The veteran's VA medical records Records of the veteran's care at VA medical centers and clinics. | The conditions and care before the death | VA will request these for you once you file. The application asks you to list the VA medical centers where the veteran was treated, with dates. | |
| The veteran's private medical records Records from doctors and hospitals outside VA, including care near the end of life and any autopsy report. | The cause of death and how it developed | The application asks you to send relevant private records with the claim. For records you cannot get, name the provider and sign VA Forms 21-4142 and 21-4142a so VA can request them. BeneVets does not collect them. | |
| Medical opinion on the cause of death A written opinion from a doctor on whether a condition from service caused or contributed to the death. | A link between service and the death | Optional. A private doctor writes it, and it goes to VA. VA asks its own clinician for an opinion when the records do not settle the question, such as when the medical evidence conflicts. | |
| Statements from people who knew the veteran Written statements from family, friends, or others about symptoms they saw the veteran have, or about why you and the veteran lived apart for a time. | Symptoms and events others saw | VA Form 21-10210, Lay/Witness Statement, completed by the witness and sent to VA. When the record conflicts about a separation, VA asks for statements from two people about each separation. | |
| Marriage records Your marriage certificate, and records of how any earlier marriages of yours or the veteran's ended. | Your marriage to the veteran and how long it lasted | The application asks for your marital history and the veteran's. VA can accept your signed statement of the marriage. It asks for the records when you live outside the United States and its territories, or when the details conflict with other records. | Yes |
| Children's records Birth certificates or adoption papers for the veteran's children, and school records for a child at least 18 but under 23. | Which children count | The application lists each child. It asks for adoption papers or a revised birth certificate for an adopted child, and VA Form 21-674 for a child in school. It asks for a birth certificate if you live outside the United States and its territories. For a child disabled before 18, it asks for the child's medical records, which go to VA. | Yes |
| Aid and Attendance or Housebound forms VA Form 21-2680, completed by a physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist, or VA Form 21-0779 from a nursing home. | The daily help or confinement VA looks for | Your provider or the nursing home completes VA's form, and it goes to VA. VA does not generally examine survivors for this and decides on the medical evidence. BeneVets does not ask for its contents. | |
| Parents' application VA Form 21P-535, which asks about your relationship to the veteran, your marital history, your income and your spouse's, and any need for nursing home care or aid. | Your relationship to the veteran and your income | Complete it and send it to VA with a copy of the death certificate, unless the veteran died while serving. |
Records and statements go to VA. BeneVets never asks you to upload or type them here.
Steps, in order
- Tell VA about the death
Report the death to VA by phone, in person, or by mail. VA then stops any payments the veteran was getting, which helps survivors avoid debt from overpayments.
Source: VA.gov: report the death of a veteran (opens in new tab)
- Set your start date
Submit an intent to file on VA Form 21-0966, online, by phone, or by mail. Starting the online DIC application does not count as one. VA treats a complete application filed within 1 year as filed on the intent to file date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: your intent to file (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0966 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
- Get free help from a VSO
Free help: an accredited VSO can file this with you. Find one near you in the BeneVets VSO directory at Find an accredited VSO near you. VA also accredits attorneys and claims agents, who can charge fees only for work done after VA issues its initial decision on the claim.
Source: VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 14.636(c) (opens in new tab)
- Use the right application
A surviving spouse or child of a veteran uses VA Form 21P-534EZ. After a death on active duty, the military casualty assistance officer helps the spouse or child with VA Form 21P-534a. A parent uses VA Form 21P-535.
Source: VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534a (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-535 (opens in new tab)
- Get a death certificate that lists the cause
The application asks for a copy of the death certificate showing the main cause of death and any contributing conditions. If the certificate lists the cause as pending, ask the medical examiner to send VA evidence of the cause.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.211 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.312 (opens in new tab)
- Gather the veteran's service records
The application asks for the veteran's DD214 for every period of service, and any records a National Guard or Reserve unit holds. VA will request the federal service records for you once you file. As next of kin, you can request the DD214 through eVetRecs or SF180.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.159(c)(2) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab); Standard Form 180 (SF180) (opens in new tab)
- Find the veteran's VA decisions
Gather any VA decision letters in the veteran's papers. They show which conditions VA service connected and when a total rating began. VA also holds them in the veteran's file.
Source: 38 CFR 3.22 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.10(c) (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.1.B (opens in new tab)
- Name the veteran's medical records
List the VA medical centers where the veteran was treated, with dates, on the application. For private doctors and hospitals, send copies, or sign VA Forms 21-4142 and 21-4142a so VA can request them.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.159(c)(1) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.159(c)(2) (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-4142 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-4142a (opens in new tab)
- Ask for statements from people who saw the symptoms
People who saw the veteran's symptoms, or who know why you and the veteran lived apart for a time, can describe what they know on VA Form 21-10210.
Source: VA.gov: evidence for pension, DIC, or accrued benefits claims (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-10210 (opens in new tab); M21-1 VII.i.2.D (opens in new tab)
- Gather marriage and family records
The application asks for your marital history and the veteran's, whether you lived together until the death, and each child you are claiming for. If there is not enough room for every marriage, VA Form 21-4138 carries the rest.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-4138 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.53 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.54(c) (opens in new tab)
- Add the forms for Aid and Attendance or Housebound
If you need help with daily activities, or a lasting disability keeps you at home, have your provider complete VA Form 21-2680. If you live in a nursing home, an official there completes VA Form 21-0779.
Source: 38 CFR 3.10(e) (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-2680 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0779 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
- Have your bank details ready
VA Form 21P-534EZ asks for direct deposit details: the bank name, account type, account number, and routing number, because federal benefits are paid by electronic transfer. These details go on VA's form only. BeneVets does not collect them.
- File your application
File online, through VA's QuickSubmit tool, by mail to the Pension Intake Center, in person at a VA regional office, or with an accredited representative. A spouse's or child's application also counts as a claim for Survivors Pension and accrued benefits; a parent's counts for accrued benefits.
Source: VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.152(b) (opens in new tab)
- Answer VA's marital status checks
After an award, VA asks surviving spouses on DIC at times to verify their marital status. Answer on VA Form 21P-0537 or online when VA asks, and use the same form to report a change.
Source: VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-0537 (opens in new tab)
- Know your options after the decision
If you disagree with the decision, the review options are a Supplemental Claim (VA Form 20-0995), a Higher-Level Review (VA Form 20-0996), or a Board Appeal (VA Form 10182). A review filed within 1 year of the decision notice keeps the original effective date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.2500(h) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: decision reviews and appeals (opens in new tab); VA Form 20-0995 (opens in new tab); VA Form 20-0996 (opens in new tab); VA Form 10182 (opens in new tab)
Good to know
VA does not pay both for the same death. One claim counts as a claim for DIC, Survivors Pension, and accrued benefits. VA pays whichever benefit gives you more money, and that is usually DIC. The rules keep a narrow exception for some surviving spouses in Medicaid nursing homes, who get Survivors Pension instead.
Source: 38 CFR 3.5(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.152(b) (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.1.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC rates for spouses and children (opens in new tab)
If VA receives the claim within 1 year after the death, the start date is the first day of the month the veteran died. For a death in service, the year runs from the service department's first report of the death. Otherwise the start date is the date VA receives the claim, or an earlier intent to file date.
Source: 38 CFR 3.400(c)(1) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.400(c)(2) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
Remarriage at age 55 or older does not bar DIC, whatever the date of the remarriage. DIC restored under that rule is not paid for any period before January 5, 2021. A remarriage that ended by death, divorce, or annulment does not bar DIC either, unless VA finds fraud or collusion. Since January 2, 2025, living with a partner without marrying no longer bars survivor benefits.
Source: 38 CFR 3.55(a) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VII.i.2.E (opens in new tab)
A surviving spouse on DIC gets an added amount for each of the veteran's children under 18. A separate transitional amount is paid for the first 2 years of DIC while a child under 18 is on the award. A child 18 or older who is in school, or who was disabled before 18, applies for DIC with the child's own application.
Source: 38 CFR 3.10(e) (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.4.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC rates for spouses and children (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
VA can start DIC under the total rating rule without a claim for a surviving spouse who was on the veteran's award. It does this when its records at the death already show the rating history. Other DIC benefits still need a claim. When VA grants DIC for a death on or after December 16, 2016, it can pay the service-connected burial allowance to the surviving spouse without a separate claim. A burial benefits application, VA Form 21P-530EZ, does not count as a DIC claim.
Source: M21-1 XII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.1.B (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.2.A (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-530EZ (opens in new tab)
DIC can also be paid for a death caused by VA hospital care, medical or surgical treatment, or an exam. VA must have been at fault, or the result was not reasonably expected. It also covers a death that directly resulted from a VA vocational rehabilitation or compensated work therapy program. VA pays it as if the death were service connected.
Source: M21-1 XII.i.1.A (opens in new tab); VA.gov: evidence for pension, DIC, or accrued benefits claims (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
Since January 1, 2023, a survivor can get a full Survivor Benefit Plan payment and full DIC at the same time. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service runs the Survivor Benefit Plan, not VA.
Source: VA.gov: DIC rates for spouses and children (opens in new tab)
Accrued benefits are payments VA owed the veteran and had not paid at death. The same application covers them, and a claim for them must be filed within 1 year after the death. If the veteran had a claim or appeal pending, your claim also counts as a request to take it over, which has the same 1-year limit.
Source: 38 CFR 3.1000(c) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.1010 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: accrued benefits (opens in new tab)
If a DIC claim was denied before August 10, 2022, a new application can ask VA to look at it again under the PACT Act's wider rules. VA treats a new DIC application after an earlier denial as that request.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.1.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab)
BeneVets is informational and is not an accredited representative. Free help: an accredited VSO can work through VA benefits with you at no cost. Find an accredited VSO near you
Sources checked September 23, 2026: 38 CFR 3.5(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.5(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.10(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.10(e) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.10(f) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.12 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.22 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.22(d) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.25 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.50(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.53 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.54(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.55(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.57(a)(1) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.59 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.102 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.152(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.159(c)(1) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.159(c)(2) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.204(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.205(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.211 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.312 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.351 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.351(e) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.352(a) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.352(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.400(c)(1) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.400(c)(2) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.1000(c) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.1010 (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 3.2500(h) (opens in new tab), 38 CFR 14.636(c) (opens in new tab), M21-1 XII.i.1.A (opens in new tab), M21-1 XII.i.1.B (opens in new tab), M21-1 XII.i.2.A (opens in new tab), M21-1 XII.i.2.B (opens in new tab), M21-1 XII.i.4.B (opens in new tab), M21-1 VII.i.2.D (opens in new tab), M21-1 VII.i.2.E (opens in new tab), VA.gov: DIC for spouses, children, and parents (opens in new tab), VA.gov: DIC rates for spouses and children (opens in new tab), VA.gov: DIC rates for parents (opens in new tab), VA.gov: evidence for pension, DIC, or accrued benefits claims (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accrued benefits (opens in new tab), VA.gov: report the death of a veteran (opens in new tab), VA.gov: your intent to file (opens in new tab), VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab), VA.gov: accredited representatives (opens in new tab), VA.gov: decision reviews and appeals (opens in new tab), VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab), VA Form 21P-534a (opens in new tab), VA Form 21P-535 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21P-0537 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21P-530EZ (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-0966 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-674 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-4142 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-4142a (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-4138 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-10210 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-2680 (opens in new tab), VA Form 21-0779 (opens in new tab), VA Form 20-0995 (opens in new tab), VA Form 20-0996 (opens in new tab), VA Form 10182 (opens in new tab), Standard Form 180 (SF180) (opens in new tab)