Dependency
and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
payments may be available for surviving spouses who have not remarried, unmarried children
under 18, helpless children, those between 18 and 23 if attending a VA-approved school,
and low-income parents of deceased servicemembers or veterans. To be eligible, the
deceased must have died from: (1) a disease or injury incurred or aggravated while on
active duty or active duty for training; (2) an injury incurred or aggravated in line of
duty while on inactive duty training; or (3) a disability compensable by VA. Death cannot
be the result of willful misconduct. If a spouse remarries, eligibility for benefits may
be restored if the marriage is terminated later by death or divorce.
DIC payments also may be authorized for survivors
of veterans who were totally service-connected disabled at time of death but whose deaths
were not the result of their service-connected disability. The survivor qualifies if: (1)
the veteran was continuously rated totally disabled for a period of 10 or more years
immediately preceding death; (2) the veteran was so rated for a period of at least five
years from the date of military discharge; or (3) the veteran was a former prisoner of war
who died after September 30, 1999, and who was continuously rated totally disabled for a
period of at least one year immediately preceding death. Payments under this provision are
subject to offset by the amount received from judicial proceedings brought on account of
the veteran’s death. The discharge must have been under conditions other than
dishonorable.
DIC Payments to Surviving Spouse
Surviving spouses of veterans who died after Jan.
1, 1993, receive $881 a month. For a spouse entitled to DIC based on the veteran’s
death prior to Jan. 1, 1993, the amount paid is $881 or an amount based on the
veteran’s pay grade as given in the table on page 72.
DIC Payments to Parents and Children
The monthly payment for parents of deceased
veterans depends upon their income. There are additional DIC payments for dependent
children. A child may be eligible if there is no surviving spouse, and the child is
unmarried and under age 18, or if the child is between the ages of 18 and 23 and attending
school.
Spina Bifida Allowance
Spina bifida patients who are children of Vietnam
veterans are eligible for vocational training, health care, and a monthly allowance.
Contact a VA regional office to apply for medical treatment or benefits payments. The
monthly allowance is set at three levels, depending upon the degree of disability suffered
by the child. The three levels are based on neurological manifestations that define the
severity of disability: impairment of the functioning of the extremities, impairment of
bowel or bladder function, and impairment of intellectual functioning.
Special Allowances
Surviving spouses and parents receiving DIC may
be granted a special allowance to pay for aid and attendance by another person if they are
patients in a nursing home or require the regular assistance of another person. Surviving
spouses receiving DIC may be granted a housebound special allowance if they are
permanently house-bound.
Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors
Survivors of veterans who died of
service-connected causes incurred or aggravated prior to Aug. 13, 1981, may be eligible
for special benefits. This benefit is similar to the benefits for students and surviving
spouses with children between ages 16 and 18 that were eliminated from Social Security
benefits. The benefits are payable in addition to any other benefits to which the family
may be entitled. The amount of the benefit is based on information provided by the Social
Security Administration.
Death Pension
Pensions based on need are available for
surviving spouses and unmarried children of deceased veterans with wartime service.
Spouses must not have remarried and children must
be under age 18, or under age 23 if attending a VA-approved school. Pension is not payable
to those with estates large enough to provide maintenance. The veteran must have been
discharged under conditions other than dishonorable and must have had 90 days or more of
active military service, at least one day of which was during a period of war, or a
service-connected disability justifying discharge for disability. If the veteran died in
service but not in line of duty, benefits may be payable if the veteran had completed at
least two years of honorable service. Children who became incapable of self-support
because of a disability before age 18 may be eligible for a pension as long as the
condition exists, unless the child marries or the child’s income exceeds the
applicable limit. A surviving spouse may be entitled to higher income limitations or
additional benefits if living in a nursing home, in need of aid and attendance by another
person or permanently housebound.
The Improved Pension program provides a monthly
payment to bring an eligible person’s income to a support level established by law.
The payment is reduced by the annual income from other sources such as Social Security
paid to the surviving spouse or dependent children. Medical expenses may be deducted from
the income ceiling. Pension is not payable to those who have assets that can be used to
provide adequate maintenance.
Dependents’ Education
Educational assistance benefits are available to
spouses who have not remarried and children of: (1) veterans who died or are permanently
and totally disabled as the result of a disability arising from active military service;
(2) veterans who died from any cause while rated permanently and totally disabled from
service-connected disability; (3) servicemembers listed for more than 90 days as currently
missing in action or captured in line of duty by a hostile force; (4) servicemembers
listed for more than 90 days as currently detained or interned by a foreign government or
power. The termination of a surviving spouse’s remarriage — by death, divorce,
or ceasing to live with another person as that person’s spouse — will reinstate
Dependents’ Educational Assistance benefits to the surviving spouse.
Benefits may be awarded for pursuit of associate,
bachelor or grad-uate degrees at colleges and universities — including independent
study, cooperative training and study abroad programs. Courses leading to a certificate or
diploma from business, technical or vocational schools also may be taken. Benefits may be
awarded for apprenticeships, on-job training programs and farm cooperative courses.
Benefits for correspondence courses under certain conditions are available to spouses
only. Secondary-school programs may be pursued if the individual is not a high-school
graduate. An individual with a deficiency in a subject may receive tutorial assistance
benefits if enrolled halftime or more. Deficiency, refresher and other training also may
be available.
Monthly Payments
Payments are made monthly. The rate is $485 a
month for full-time school attendance, with lesser amounts for part-time training. A
person may receive educational assistance for full-time training for up to 45 months or
the equivalent in part-time training. Payments to a spouse end 10 years from the date the
individual is found eligible or from the date of the death of the veteran. VA may grant an
extension. Children generally must be between the ages of 18 and 26 to receive education
benefits, though extensions may be granted.
Work-Study
Participants must train at the three-quarter or
full-time rate. They may be paid in advance 40 percent of the amount specified in the
work-study agreement or an amount equal to 50 times the applicable minimum wage, whichever
is less. Participants under the supervision of a VA employee may provide outreach
services, prepare and process VA paperwork, and work at a VA medical facility or perform
other approved activities.
Counseling Services
VA may provide counseling services to help an
eligible dependent pursue an educational or vocational objective.
Special Benefits
An eligible child over age 14 with a physical or
mental disability that impairs pursuit of an educational program may receive special
restorative training to lessen or overcome that impairment. This training may include
speech and voice correction, language retraining, lip reading, auditory training, Braille
reading and writing, and similar programs. Specialized vocational training also is
available to an eligible spouse or child over age 14 who is handicapped by a physical or
mental disability that prevents pursuit of an educational program.
Spina
Bifida Assistance
A child with spina bifida, who is parented by a
Vietnam veteran, can receive vocational training to guide the child, parent or guardian in
choosing a vocational training program. VA also will provide up to 24 months of training
to achieve a vocational goal.
Educational Loans
Loans are available to spouses who qualify for
educational assistance. Spouses who have passed their 10-year period of eligibility may be
eligible for an educational loan. During the first two years after the end of their
eligibility period, they may borrow up to $2,500 per academic year to continue a full-time
course leading to a college degree or to a professional or vocational objective which
requires at least six months to complete. VA may waive the six-month requirement. Loans
are based on financial need.
Home Loan Guaranties
A VA loan guaranty to acquire a home may be
available to an unremarried spouse of a veteran or servicemember who died as a result of
service-connected disabilities, or to a spouse of a servicemember who has been officially
listed as missing in action or as a prisoner of war for more than 90 days. Spouses of
those listed as prisoners of war or missing in action are limited to one loan.
Montgomery GI Bill Death Benefit
VA will pay a special Montgomery GI Bill death
benefit to a designated survivor in the event of the service-connected death of an
individual while on active duty or within one year after discharge or release. The
deceased must either have been entitled to educational assistance under the Montgomery GI
Bill program or a participant in the program who would have been so entitled but for the
high school diploma or length-of-service requirement. The amount paid will be equal to the
participant’s actual military pay reduction less any education benefits paid.
For more information, contact:
Carteret County Veterans Services Officer
3710-B John Platt Drive
Morehead City, NC 28557
Tel: 1-252-728-8440
FAX: 1-252-728-8582
