What Benefits Do Veterans Spouses Get - Several VA benefits are available to spouses of disabled veterans, including disability benefits, health care, education and training, employment services, insurance coverage, and survivor benefits.
VA provides additional monthly compensation for qualified dependents of veterans with a total disability of 30 percent or more. Eligible dependents include:
What Benefits Do Veterans Spouses Get
The amount of additional compensation varies depending on the dependency. CCK's 2022 VA Disability Compensation Table helps veterans and their dependents determine the amount of monthly disability compensation they are entitled to. Disabled veterans whose spouses need constant support and visitation may receive even more compensation.
Home Care Benefits For Veterans & Surviving Spouses
VA also provides health insurance coverage for spouses of totally disabled veterans under the Civilian Health and Medical Program, or CHAMPVA. For spouses to be eligible, a disabled veteran must meet one of the following criteria:
Importantly, spouses of disabled veterans cannot qualify for TRICARE (the health care program for active duty military personnel, retirees and their families) to qualify for CHAMPVA. CHAMPVA benefits are also available to spouses aged 65 and over if certain requirements are met.
With CHAMPVA, spouses of disabled veterans are reimbursed for certain services and supplies (ie, when VA deems them medically necessary and obtained from an authorized provider). Examples of covered services include:
In fact, CHAMPVA covers the cost of any medical care deemed necessary for the relative's physical and mental well-being. This benefit is very valuable considering the high cost of medical care. CHAMPVA can make a big difference for families of disabled veterans, especially spouses.
Va Dependent Benefits
VA also offers spousal benefits through the Family Caregiver Comprehensive Assistance or Caregiver program. The Caregiver Program was originally established in 2011 to provide benefits to caregivers (such as spouses or relatives who quit their jobs to provide full-time care for a veteran due to the degree or nature of their disability).
The program provides caregivers with a monthly stipend, medical training, health benefits and time off. Other benefits offered under the Caregiver Program include:
To be eligible for the Caregiver program, a veteran must have suffered a serious injury that affects their daily activities. Examples of serious injuries can include traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or the loss of a limb. A veteran also:
In June 2019, the VA Mission Act (ie, the VA Internal Systems Maintenance and Integrated External Networks Strengthening Act) was fully implemented. The $52 billion bill aims to overhaul veterans' access to private health care, including Medicare benefits nationwide.
Benefits For Spouses Of Deceased Veterans
The MISSIONS Act said the Caregiver Assistance Program would be extended to pre-9/11 veterans. The expansion of benefits to include eligible veterans of all years of service was to be implemented over several years, primarily in two phases:
Dependent Education Assistance (DEA), also known as Chapter 35 benefits, offers education and training opportunities to eligible spouses of certain disabled veterans.
DEA recognizes that a veteran's death or disability may leave their dependents without the resources they need to invest in education or vocational training. It also recognizes that a veteran's next of kin may have access to such resources if the veteran did not die due to a service-related condition or was severely disabled due to military service.
DEA benefits can be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, and more. In addition, spouses can receive compensation for part-time courses. In some cases, there is also correction, defect and repetition training.
Va Benefits For Dependents Of Disabled Veterans
In order for spouses of veterans to qualify for DEA AND spousal benefits, the veteran or service member must:
Through the DEA program, spouses of disabled veterans can receive up to 45 months of education benefits if they began using DEA before August 1, 2018. If they started the program on or after that date, they now have 36 months to take advantage of these benefits.
When the DEA goes into effect, dependents generally have 10 years from the date of the veteran's death or the date the DEA benefits are granted to use the benefits provided. There are certain circumstances where a dependent will have 20 years to use DEA benefits; however, this usually occurs when a veteran dies while on active duty. The most common scenario covers a period of 10 years from the date of death or benefit.
In some cases, veterans will see language in VA decisions such as "Chapter 35 DEA/CHAMPVA established for dependents." Here, the VA issued a DEA because the veteran has a permanent and total disability. However, before DEA benefits can be distributed, the veteran or their spouse must complete a special application (VA Form 22-5490) and submit it to their local field office.
Veterans' Surviving Spouses May Be Entitled To Va Pension
Dependency and Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free, monthly benefit paid to surviving spouses of veterans whose death was directly related to military service or a service-related condition. To receive the DIC VA spousal death benefit, veterans and service members must meet one of the VA criteria:
To prove eligibility for DIC, a spouse must establish a service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, meaning that the veteran's service-connected disability was a primary or contributing cause of their passing.
Spouses of disabled veterans are generally eligible for DIC benefits if they were married to the veteran at least one year before the veteran's death. In some cases, certain surviving spouses may be eligible for additional DIC benefits if any of the following criteria are met:
Importantly, DIC has its own exclusive rates, which increase annually with the cost of living. As of December 1, 2021, the flat DIC benefit amount is $1,437.65 per month.
Do Spouses Of Deceased Veterans Get Benefits?
When spouses apply for DIC benefits, they must file VA Form 21P-534EZ, Application for Dependency and Compensation, Accrued Benefits and Survivor's Pension. In addition to this form, certain evidence must also be provided to support the claim. The VA will likely ask the spouses for documents and information about their family history, such as:
If the cause of death is related to one of the veteran's service-connected conditions, it should be very easy for the VA to issue benefits. Otherwise, survivors may seek evidence showing that a service-related condition caused the death. Here, the primary cause of death does not have to be a service-related condition, as long as another service-related condition at least contributed to the veteran's transition. Contributing causes of death are not always listed on death certificates.
Survivors can collect medical evidence from the time of the veteran's death to help complete a claim. For example, say an elderly veteran suffered a blunt force trauma to the head listed on the death certificate after falling and passing out in a nursing home. The veteran was on active duty at the time of his death due to a knee ailment that caused him to fall frequently. This indicates that there was a connection between the veteran's service-connected knee condition (ie, a contributing cause) and his death, even though his death certificate listed his knee condition as the cause of death. not shown as In these cases, it may be helpful to obtain a medical report from a private physician to convince the VA that a service-connected condition played a role in the veteran's death.
If the veteran dies of a non-service-related condition, the spouse can provide DIC. In this case, the spouse can file a claim for service connection due to the veteran's death and the VA will go through the normal standard review process. During this process, the VA considers whether the veteran's disability is truly service-connected.
Va Veterans Benefits & Grants For Walk In Tubs
If a veteran's surviving spouse files a claim for DIC benefits within one year of the veteran's death, the effective date is the veteran's date of death. However, if they apply outside of the one-year period, the effective date will be the date of receipt of the application. Therefore, it is important to file a DIC claim within one year of the veteran's death if possible.
If the veteran's claim or appeal is pending at the time of their passing, the surviving spouse may be substituted for the pending claim as a claimant. If the service connection is subsequently provided, the surviving spouse will receive benefits accrued up to the time of the veteran's death (ie, the retroactive payment they would have received had the veteran been alive).
To determine eligibility for VA benefits, the VA must look at the evidence in the veteran's file at the time of death. According to the VA, benefits received include:
To apply for imputed benefits, survivors must file the same form used for DIC benefits, VA Form 21P-534EZ.
Aid And Attendance Benefit
A survivor's pension, also known as a death pension, is a tax-free VA benefit for the surviving spouse of a deceased military veteran. According to the VA website, to be eligible for spousal survivor benefits, a disabled veteran must meet the following requirements:
Importantly, survivors must meet the income threshold to be eligible. In particular,
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