The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a new regulation intended to speed up the delivery of survivors’ benefits. Starting February 23, the VA will pay the higher of two possible benefits—Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) or Survivors Pension—without waiting to process both claims separately.
Previously, survivors seeking these benefits faced a longer process because the VA was required to make formal decisions on each benefit individually. The change aims to simplify this process by awarding the higher benefit upfront, which is usually DIC.
“This commonsense change streamlines the survivors claims process, reduces administrative burdens, and delivers quicker decisions to beneficiaries during challenging times,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins.
DIC is a tax-free monthly payment for eligible surviving spouses, children, and parents of service members who died in the line of duty or veterans who died from service-connected injuries or illnesses. Survivors Pension provides tax-free monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans who meet specific income and net worth requirements set by Congress.
There are some exceptions where Survivors Pension may be more beneficial than DIC. This applies if the claimant is a veteran’s surviving spouse with no dependents, resides in a nursing home, and is receiving or has applied for Medicaid. In such cases, Survivors Pension will be awarded instead of DIC.
For further information about these changes or assistance with claims, individuals can contact the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-1000.
