FAMILYVA program

Survivors Pension (Death Pension)

Survivors Pension is a monthly payment for a surviving spouse or unmarried child of a wartime veteran, when the survivor's yearly family income and net worth are within limits set by Congress. The veteran's death does not need to be service connected. VA bases the payment on the difference between yearly income for VA purposes and the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR), and paid medical expenses that insurance does not cover can lower that income. The net worth limit is $163,699 from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026.

Surviving spouse or unmarried child of a wartime veteran; income and net worth within limits set by Congress; death need not be service connected

View on VA.gov

Example value

Up to $11,699/yrSurviving spouse, no dependents

Step-by-step guide

What VA looks for: Survivors Pension

The veteran's wartime serviceA discharge other than dishonorable, and at least 90 days of active duty with at least 1 day in a wartime period. Enlisted members who started after September 7, 1980, and officers who started after October 16, 1981, generally needed 24 months or the full period they were called to. Any length of wartime service counts if the veteran was discharged for a service-connected disability, or was getting compensation or retired pay for one at death.
Proof of the veteran's deathA death certificate or other official record of the death. The date of death also sets how early payments can start.
A marriage that meets VA rulesYou were married to the veteran at the death, lived together until then, and have not remarried. You were married at least 1 year, or had a child together. Or you married before the cutoff date for the veteran's war period, such as January 1, 2001 for the Gulf War. Living apart because of health, work, or the veteran's misconduct does not break the living together rule.
Or a child who meets VA rulesAn unmarried child of the veteran who is under 18, or under 23 and in a VA-approved school. Or one who became unable to self-support because of a disability before 18. A child who lives with a surviving spouse is generally included in the spouse's pension rather than paid separately.
Income and net worth within the limitsYearly countable income under the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR) for your household, and net worth under the limit VA publishes. A surviving spouse's net worth counts only the spouse's own assets, plus yearly income.

Which kind of claim is this?

Survivors Pension
A monthly payment for the surviving spouse or unmarried child of a veteran with wartime service. It depends on yearly income and net worth staying under limits set by law and VA regulation. VA looks for the veteran's service and death, your relationship to the veteran, and income and net worth within the limits.
Source: 38 CFR 3.3(b)(4) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.2 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.12a (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.50(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.54(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.57(a)(1) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Survivors Pension (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
Aid and Attendance (added to Survivors Pension)
A higher pension rate for a surviving spouse on Survivors Pension who meets at least one of four criteria. One: needs another person's help with daily activities such as bathing, feeding, or dressing. Two: must stay in bed because of illness. Three: is a nursing home patient because of mental or physical incapacity. Four: has corrected vision of 5/200 or less in both eyes, or a visual field of 5 degrees or less.
1. At least one Aid and Attendance criterionNeeding help with daily activities, having to stay in bed because of illness, living in a nursing home because of incapacity, or the vision loss the rule describes. Help given by a relative still counts.
Source: 38 CFR 3.351 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.352(a) (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.2.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Aid and Attendance and Housebound (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-2680 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0779 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.352(c) (opens in new tab)
Housebound (added to Survivors Pension)
A higher pension rate for a surviving spouse on Survivors Pension who is substantially confined to home by a disability that is reasonably certain to last for life. Unlike the rule for veterans, this rule has no 100% rating requirement. Housebound and Aid and Attendance are not paid at the same time.
1. 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.
Source: 38 CFR 3.351(f) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.351 (opens in new tab); M21-1 XII.i.2.B (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Aid and Attendance and Housebound (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-2680 (opens in new tab)

What to gather, and what it shows VA

Documents for this benefit: what each is, what it shows VA, and how VA gets it
Document	What it shows	How VA gets it	Have it?
Death certificate The official record of the veteran's death, showing the date and cause.	The death and its date	A copy of the public record from the state or community where the death happened. The application asks for a copy with the claim. Send a copy, not the original, because VA does not return documents.	Yes
The veteran's DD214 The veteran's separation papers, showing service dates, type of service, and character of discharge.	The veteran's wartime service 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
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	VA.gov lists your marriage certificate, or other proof of the marriage and how long it lasted, as a document to send to VA. The application also asks for your marital history and the veteran's.	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
Income records Statements for every source of income, such as Social Security award letters and retirement or annuity statements, for you and for any child of the veteran in your custody.	Your household's income	Each payer sends these. The amounts go in the income section of VA Form 21P-534EZ, and VA may ask for copies.	Yes
Bank and asset statements Recent bank and investment statements, and values for property other than your home. Also papers for anything you gave away, sold, or moved into an annuity or trust in recent years.	Your net worth, and any transfers VA reviews	Statements come from your bank, brokerage, or county records. The values go on VA Form 21P-534EZ, which asks about transfers in the three calendar years before this year. VA may ask for a tax return transcript, trust or annuity terms, or a recorded deed.	Yes
Income and asset statement VA Form 21P-0969, a detailed statement of income and assets.	Income and assets in more detail	Send it when VA asks for it, or when the application tells you to. The application names five or more income sources, larger assets, or marketable land beyond 2 acres around the home as reasons to send it.
Medical, last illness, and burial expenses The expense section of VA Form 21P-534EZ, or VA Form 21P-8416 if you need more space. It lists medical costs you paid and were not paid back for, and what you paid for the veteran's last illness and burial.	Costs that lower countable income	You total the costs from your own bills and receipts on VA's forms and send them to VA. Paid in-home care, assisted living, or adult day care needs the care worksheet in the application for each provider. BeneVets does not collect expense details.
Physician exam for Aid and Attendance or Housebound VA Form 21-2680, completed by a physician, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist.	The daily help or confinement VA looks for	Download it from VA.gov, give it to your provider, and send the completed form to VA. VA does not generally examine survivors for this and decides on the medical evidence. BeneVets does not ask for its contents.
Nursing home information VA Form 21-0779, with information from the nursing home or assisted living facility.	Care in a nursing home	An official of the facility completes VA's form, and the form goes to VA.
Statements about a separation Written statements from people who knew you and the veteran, about why you lived apart for a time.	Why you and the veteran lived apart	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.

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. VA treats a complete application filed within 1 year as filed on the intent to file date. A claim VA receives within 1 year after the death can start from the first day of the month the veteran died.
Source: 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.400(c)(3)(i) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: your intent to file (opens in new tab); VA Form 21-0966 (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: Survivors Pension (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 14.636(c) (opens in new tab)
Check the veteran's service
Check the veteran's service dates against VA's list of wartime periods and the length rules. The DD214 shows the dates and the character of discharge.
Source: 38 CFR 3.2 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.3(b)(4) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.12a (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Survivors Pension (opens in new tab)
Gather the death certificate and DD214
The application asks for a copy of the death certificate and the veteran's DD214 for every period of service. Send copies, not originals, because VA does not return documents. As next of kin, you can request the DD214 through eVetRecs or SF180.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); VA.gov: request your military service records (opens in new tab); Standard Form 180 (SF180) (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. Have the dates and places ready.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.53 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.54(a) (opens in new tab)
Total your yearly income
Total your yearly income from every source, and the income of any child of the veteran in your custody. VA Form 21P-534EZ asks for each source, the payer, and the gross monthly amount.
Source: 38 CFR 3.271(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.23(d)(5) (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
Total medical, last illness, and burial costs
List medical costs you paid and were not paid back for, and what you paid for the veteran's last illness and burial. They go in the expense section of the application, or on VA Form 21P-8416 if you need more space.
Source: 38 CFR 3.272(g) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.272(g)(2)(iii) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.272(h)(1) (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-8416 (opens in new tab)
Work out your net worth
Add your own assets, not counting your home, a family vehicle, or personal effects, to your yearly income after deductible expenses. Compare the total to the current limit on VA's Survivors Pension rates page.
Source: 38 CFR 3.274 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.274(c)(2) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.275(b)(1) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.275(b)(2) (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Survivors Pension rates (opens in new tab)
List recent transfers
List anything you gave away, sold for less than fair market value, or moved into an annuity or trust in the 36 months before you file. Gather the papers for each. The application asks about the three calendar years before this year.
Source: 38 CFR 3.276 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
Add the income and asset statement if asked
If the application or VA asks for it, complete VA Form 21P-0969 with the details of your income and assets.
Source: VA Form 21P-0969 (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (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 3.351 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.351(f) (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.
Source: VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)
File your application
File VA Form 21P-534EZ 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. The same application also counts as a claim for DIC and accrued benefits.
Source: VA.gov: Survivors Pension (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.152(b) (opens in new tab)
Report changes after an award
After an award, tell VA promptly about changes in income, net worth, marital status, nursing home status, or a child's school enrollment.
Source: 38 CFR 3.277(b) (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

DIC and Survivors Pension are not paid together

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)

Filing within 1 year of the death

If VA receives the claim within 1 year after the death, the start date is the first day of the month the veteran died. Otherwise it is the date VA receives the claim. An intent to file can hold an earlier date for 1 year while you finish the application.

Source: 38 CFR 3.400(c)(3)(i) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.155(b) (opens in new tab); VA Form 21P-534EZ (opens in new tab)

What counts as income

VA counts payments of any kind from any source as income unless a rule excludes them, over a 12-month period it calls the annualization period. For a surviving spouse, that generally includes income of the veteran's children in your custody. Medical costs you paid and were not paid back for lower countable income. Only the part above 5 percent of your household's MAPR counts, and that MAPR leaves out any Aid and Attendance or Housebound increase. What you paid for the veteran's last illness and burial, beyond any VA burial payment, is subtracted too. A lump sum from life insurance on the veteran is not counted as income.

Source: 38 CFR 3.271(a) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.23(d)(5) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.272(g)(2)(iii) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.272(h)(1) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.272(q) (opens in new tab)

Net worth and the 3-year look-back

Net worth is your assets plus your yearly income after deductible expenses. A surviving spouse counts only the spouse's own assets. Your home, a family vehicle, and personal effects such as appliances are not counted. VA reviews assets given away or sold for less than fair market value in the 36 months before a pension claim. If those assets would have put net worth over the limit, VA sets a penalty period of up to 5 years with no pension. Transfers before October 18, 2018 are not counted.

Source: 38 CFR 3.274 (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.274(c)(2) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.275(b)(1) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.275(b)(2) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.276 (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Survivors Pension rates (opens in new tab)

Remarriage

Survivors Pension is for a surviving spouse who has not remarried. A remarriage that later ends by death or divorce does not restore it, except in narrow cases such as a void or annulled marriage. The age 55 remarriage rule covers DIC, not Survivors Pension. Since January 2, 2025, living with a partner without marrying no longer bars survivor benefits.

Source: 38 CFR 3.50(b) (opens in new tab); 38 CFR 3.55(a) (opens in new tab); M21-1 VII.i.2.E (opens in new tab); VA.gov: Survivors Pension (opens in new tab)

Money VA owed the veteran

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)

Changes must be reported

Anyone who applies for or gets pension must promptly tell VA about changes that affect it. These include income, net worth, marital status, nursing home status, and the school enrollment of a child 18 or older.

Source: 38 CFR 3.277(b) (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