VA Benefits for Spouses of Disabled Veterans: A Comprehensive Guide

CCK Law: Our Vital Role in Veterans Law

Spouses of disabled veterans may be eligible for a wide range of VA and related benefits, including extra monthly disability compensation, DIC, Survivors Pension, healthcare through CHAMPVA or TRICARE, education and career assistance, home loan guarantees, and caregiver support. These benefits come with strict eligibility rules and deadlines that can be hard to navigate.

This article explains what benefits are available, who qualifies, and how to apply, with links to detailed resources. It also explains how legal help can assist when VA denies these benefits.

Key points of this article include:

• There are multiple financial benefits available to the spouses of disabled veterans. This includes the additional disability compensation VA provides for veterans with dependents, as well as separate forms of payment like Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC).
• The spouses and dependents of disabled veterans may also gain access to valuable healthcare benefits like CHAMPVA or TRICARE medical coverage, among various others.
• Educational and career assistance is also often available to the spouses and dependents of disabled veterans. These usually take the form of scholarships or other financial aid like Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA).

What Financial Benefits Are Available to Spouses of Disabled Veterans?

Spouses of disabled or deceased veterans can trigger or earn several types of financial benefits from VA, including additional veteran compensation for dependents, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), accrued benefits, a VA Survivors Pension, and a caregiver stipend.

Additional Compensation for Veterans with Dependents

VA provides additional monthly compensation for living veterans with qualifying dependents who have a combined disability rating of 30 percent or higher. Qualifying dependents include the following:

• A spouse
• Children under the age of 18
• Children between the ages of 18 and 23 who are still in school
• Dependent parents

The amount of additional compensation varies based on the dependent. CCK’s 2025 VA disability pay chart and 2026 VA disability pay chart can help veterans and their dependents determine the amount of monthly disability compensation to which they are entitled. Disabled veterans with spouses in need of regular aid and attendance may receive even more compensation.

Veterans can report dependents to VA here.

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Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free, monthly benefit paid to surviving spouses of veterans whose deaths were directly related to military service or to a service-connected condition.

DIC Requirements: Veteran

To qualify for the DIC VA death benefits for the spouse, veterans, and service members must meet one of VA’s criteria:

• The service member died while on active duty, active duty training, or inactive duty training; or
• The veteran passed away due to a service-connected condition; or
• The veteran’s death was not service-related, but the veteran was entitled to receive VA disability compensation for a totally disabling condition (including TDIU):
  • For a period of at least 10 years prior to their death; or
  • Since release from active duty and for a period of at least five years before their death; or
  • For at least one year prior to death, if they were a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999.

To prove eligibility for DIC, the spouse must establish service connection for the veteran’s cause of death, meaning the veteran’s service-connected disability was a principle or contributory cause of their passing.

DIC Requirements: Spouse

Spouses of disabled veterans are typically eligible for DIC benefits if they meet any of the following criteria (per 38 C.F.R. § 3.54(c)):

• Married within 15 years of the period of service in which the injury or disease that caused death began or was aggravated; or
• Married to the veteran for at least 1 year; or
• Had a child with the veteran (and meets the cohabitation/fault rules)

Requirements for Additional DIC

In certain situations, some surviving spouses may be eligible for additional DIC benefits if any of the following criteria are met:

• The veteran was totally disabled and receiving, or eligible to receive, compensation for a totally disabling condition (including TDIU) for a period of eight consecutive years; or
• The surviving spouse has dependent children under the age of 18; or
• The surviving spouse requires aid and attendance or is housebound.

DIC increases annually with the cost-of-living adjustment. For instance, the DIC fixed benefit amount for 2025 was $1,653.06 a month, while the 2026 DIC rate sees that increase by another 2.8 percent, to $1,699.35 a month. 

Applying and Evidence for DIC

When applying for DIC benefits, spouses must submit VA Form 21P-534EZ, Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, Accrued Benefits, and Survivors’ Pension. In addition to this form, certain evidence will also need to be submitted to help substantiate the claim. VA will likely ask spouses for documents and information regarding their family history, such as:

• Marriage certificate: Surviving spouses must submit a marriage certificate to VA showing that the marriage was legally valid for the purpose of receiving benefits.
• Birth certificates and school transcripts: Evidence relating to the veteran’s dependent children will also need to be submitted, such as birth certificates and school or college transcripts.
• Death certificate: The veteran’s death certificate is another critical piece of evidence to submit because, in most cases, it lists the veteran’s cause of death.

If the cause of death is related to one of the veteran’s service-connected conditions, then it should be very straightforward for VA to grant benefits. If not, survivors can look for evidence indicating a service-connected condition was a contributory cause of death.

Here, the primary cause of death does not have to be a service-connected condition if another service-connected condition at least contributed to the veteran’s passing. Contributory causes of death are not always listed on death certificates.

Survivors can gather medical evidence from around the time the veteran passed away to help supplement their claim. For example:

• Say an elderly veteran fell in a nursing home and, after passing away, had blunt force trauma to the head listed on their death certificate.
• The veteran was service connected for a knee condition at the time of their death, and they frequently fell as a result of that knee condition.
• This suggests that there was a link between the veteran’s service-connected knee condition (i.e., contributory cause) and their death, even though their death certificate does not list their knee condition as a cause of death.
• In such cases, it may be helpful to get a medical opinion from a private doctor to help persuade VA that the service-connected condition played a role in causing the veteran’s death.

FAQ: What if the Veteran’s Death Was Not Service Connected?

If a veteran dies due to a non-service-connected condition, the spouse may still be able to secure DIC. In this situation, the spouse can file a claim for service connection for the veteran’s cause of death, and VA will go through a normal standard review process. During this process, VA will look at whether the veteran’s disability was in fact related to service.

FAQ: What Are the Effective Dates for DIC Claims (i.e., Back Pay Start Date)?

If the veteran’s surviving spouse files their claim for DIC benefits within one year of the veteran’s death, the effective date will be the date of the veteran’s death. However, if they file outside of that one-year period, the effective date will be the date that VA receives the application. Therefore, if possible, it is important to submit claims for DIC during the one-year period following the veteran’s passing.

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Accrued Benefits and Substitution VA Claims

If the veteran’s claim or appeal is still pending at the time of their passing, the surviving spouse may be substituted into the pending claim as the claimant. If service connection is later awarded, the surviving spouse will receive accrued benefits (i.e., the retroactive disability pay the veteran would have received if they were alive) up to the date of the veteran’s death.

In determining entitlement to VA accrued benefits, VA must look at the evidence in the veteran’s file at the time of death. According to VA, examples of accrued benefits include the following:

• A claim or appeal for a recurring benefit (e.g., service-connected compensation) was pending at the time of the veteran’s death, and all evidence needed for a favorable position was in VA’s possession.
• A claim for a recurring benefit was granted but the veteran died before the award was issued.

To apply for accrued benefits, survivors should submit the same form that is used for DIC benefits, VA Form 21P-534EZ.

VA Survivors Pension for Spouses

Survivors Pension, also known as Death Pension, is a tax-free VA benefit for the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran with wartime service. For spouses to be eligible for Survivors’ Pension, the disabled veteran must meet any of the following criteria, according to VA’s website:

• For service on or before September 7, 1980, the veteran must have served at least 90 days of active military service, with at least one day during a wartime period.
• For active duty after September 7, 1980, the veteran must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty, with at least one day during a war time period.
• Be an officer who started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and had not previously served on active duty for at least 24 months.

Importantly, survivors must meet an income limit to be eligible. Specifically, a survivor’s yearly family income must be less than the amount set by Congress. If a spouse is eligible for Survivors Pension, the amount of benefit will be the difference between their countable income (e.g., earnings, disability and retirement, interest, and dividends) and their annual pension limit.

VA Survivors Pension with Aid and Attendance

Surviving spouses receiving VA Survivors Pension may also be eligible for Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefits if they need help with daily activities. A&A provides additional compensation alongside Survivors Pension monthly rates.

Surviving spouses may also qualify for housebound benefits. Spouses who spend most of their time in their home because of a permanent disability may be eligible for this benefit. However, spouses cannot receive A&A and housebound benefits at the same time.

VA’s Caregiver Program (Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC))

If the spouse is a caregiver for the veteran, they may also qualify for PCAFC, which provides a monthly stipend, among several other benefits.

• Purpose: PCAFC provides support and benefits to eligible family caregivers of veterans who require in-person personal care due to a serious injury or illness incurred or aggravated in the line of duty. Authority: 38 U.S.C. § 1720G; 38 C.F.R. Part 71.
• Eligible veterans: Veterans or service members with a serious injury or serious illness that causes functional impairment and requires at least six months of continuous, in-person personal care services. As of recent expansions, eligibility includes veterans from all eras, not only post-9/11.
• Eligible caregivers: Up to three caregivers can be designated (one primary, two secondary). Caregivers must be 18 or older and meet relationship and residency requirements.
• Key benefits for caregivers:
  • Monthly stipend (tiered based on level of veteran need).
  • Health coverage through CHAMPVA (if not otherwise eligible).
  • Respite care (up to 30 days per year).
  • Training, education, and mental health counseling.
  • Travel/lodging reimbursement for accompanying the veteran to medical appointments.
• Assessment and reassessment: VA conducts clinical evaluations and home visits to determine eligibility, level of need, and ongoing participation. Appeals follow the CFR Part 71 process, not the standard VA disability appeals system.

What Healthcare Benefits Are Available to Spouses of Disabled Veterans?

VA offers many substantial healthcare benefits to the spouses and dependents of disabled veterans. Some of these benefits include CHAMPVA, the Caregiver Program, and reimbursements for medical expenses incurred as a result of toxic exposure suffered at Camp Lejeune.

CHAMPVA Benefits for Spouses

VA also provides health care insurance coverage for the spouses of certain totally disabled veterans under the Civilian Health and Medical Program, or CHAMPVA. For spouses to be eligible, the disabled veteran must meet one of the following criteria:

• Rated permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected condition;
• Died on active duty, in line of duty;
• Died from a service-connected disability; or
• Was rated permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected condition at the time of death.

Importantly, to be eligible for CHAMPVA, spouses of disabled veterans cannot be eligible for TRICARE (i.e., the healthcare program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families). CHAMPVA benefits are also extended to spouses ages 65 and older if certain eligibility requirements are met.

With CHAMPVA, spouses of disabled veterans will be covered for certain services and supplies (i.e., when VA determines they are medically necessary and were received from an authorized provider). Examples of covered services include the following:

• Ambulance service
• Ambulatory surgery
• Durable medical equipment
• Family planning and maternity
• Hospice
• Inpatient services
• Mental health services
• Outpatient services
• Pharmacy (prescription medicines)
• Skilled nursing care
• Transplants

Essentially, CHAMPVA will cover the cost of any medical service that is deemed necessary for the dependent’s physical and mental well-being. This benefit is valuable considering the high costs of medical care. CHAMPVA can make a huge difference for families of disabled veterans, particularly for spouses.

“While CHAMPVA covers a lot, but some things it does not cover include dental care, chiropractic, eye exams, and corrective lenses,” says Brandon Paiva, an accredited claims agent with CCK Law. “Those are covered separately. For instance, dental is usually covered separately under what is known as the VA Dental Insurance Program, or VADIP.”

TRICARE Benefits for Spouses

Created by the Department of Defense (DOD), TRICARE is a healthcare program that grants veterans and their families access to a combination of military and civilian medical services, depending on the particular TRICARE plan they purchase. Some of the dependents who may qualify for TRICARE coverage include:

• Spouses of disabled veterans who are medically retired
• Unmarried biological children, adopted children, and stepchildren under the age of 21 (or 23 if attending college)
• Survivors of active duty or retired service members holding TRICARE plans
• Unremarried former spouses of service members holding TRICARE plans

One of the primary benefits TRICARE offers is the ability for recipients to use military hospitals and clinics to receive healthcare. Besides that, however, TRICARE also provides coverage for many of the same medical services offered by civilian insurance companies, including:

• Ambulance services
• Urgent care visits
• Emergency visits
• Laboratories and X-rays
• Outpatient visits
• Mental health services
• Dental services (if enrolled in the TRICARE Dental Program)
• Pharmacy coverage

Depending on the level of TRICARE coverage that the veteran or spouse purchases, copay and deductible costs will vary. Note also that if a veteran or their dependents qualify for TRICARE, they will not be able to simultaneously qualify for CHAMPVA.

Additional VA Healthcare Benefits

In addition to the benefits outlined above, VA also offers additional medical benefits for spouses and dependents of disabled veterans. These include:

• VA Mental Health Services – Through CHAMPVA, dependents of disabled veterans can gain access to mental health services offered through VA. They can also take part in instructional programs designed to educate them on mental illness.
• VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP) – VADIP allows veterans and their family members to purchase dental insurance at discounted rates, so long as the family member is enrolled in CHAMPVA.
• Spousal Aid and Attendance (A&A) – For veterans whose spouses need regular aid and attendance from a professional to perform the activities of daily living, it is possible to request additional aid and attendance allowances to cover these costs. Spouses of deceased veterans may also gain access to A&A benefits through their VA Survivors Pension.
• Camp Lejeune Family Member Program – Family members of veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune may be eligible for financial assistance from VA to pay for medical treatment related to the environmental toxins they may have been exposed to at this military base. This includes treatment for multiple types of cancer, as well as female infertility and certain neurobehavioral effects.

What Educational Benefits Are Available to Spouses of Disabled Veterans?

Spouses and dependents of disabled veterans can often gain access to significant educational benefits, typically taking the form of financial aid. Some of these benefits include Dependents’ Educational Assistance, transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, and grants like the Fry Scholarship.

Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)

Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA), also referred to as Chapter 35 benefits, offers education and training opportunities to eligible spouses of certain disabled veterans.

DEA recognizes that due to a veteran’s death or disability, their dependent may be left without the resources necessary to pursue education or employment training. It also acknowledges that the veteran’s dependent may have otherwise had such resources if not for the veteran either passing away due to a service-connected condition or becoming severely disabled due to military service.

DEA benefits may be used for degree and certificate programs, apprenticeship, on-the-job training, and more. Additionally, spouses can receive reimbursement for correspondence courses. Remedial, deficiency, and refresher training are also available in some cases.

Eligibility for DEA

For spouses of veterans to qualify for DEA VA spouse benefits, the veteran or service member must have:

• Died or be permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected condition;
• Died from any cause while permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected condition;
• Been missing in action or captured in the line of duty by a hostile force;
• Forcibly detained or interned in the line of duty by a foreign government or power; or
• Hospitalized or receiving outpatient care for a VA determined service-connected permanent and total disability and will likely be discharged for that disability.

For spouses whose qualifying event occurred before August 1, 2023, DEA eligibility usually ends 10 years from the date of the rating decision or death, with some 20-year extensions. For qualifying events on or after August 1, 2023, VA has removed the time limit for spouses to use DEA benefits.

Applying for DEA Benefits

In some cases, veterans will see language such as “eligibility to dependents Chapter 35 DEA / CHAMPVA are established” in their decisions from VA. Here, VA has granted DEA because the veteran has a permanent and total disability.

However, before DEA benefits can be distributed, either the veteran or their spouse is required to fill out a specific application (VA Form 22-5490) and submit it to their local Regional Office.

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Transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits

Disabled and non-disabled veterans can also transfer unused Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to a spouse or dependent, granting that family member substantial financial aid to help pay for training programs or even university education. These funds can be used to offset many of the expenses involved in pursuing education, including:

• Tuition for a public, private, or foreign institution of higher learning
• Non-college degree programs (including programs like HVAC repair or EMT)
• Flight training
• Correspondence school
• Housing
• Books and supplies
• Moving to a new area for school or training
• Test fees and prep courses

Notably, depending on the specifics of a veteran’s service (including how long they served in active duty), eligible spouses and dependents could either receive full GI Bill benefits or only a portion of such benefits.

Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) Program

The Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program was created by the DOD to provide military spouses with access to valuable educational and career resources. Some of these resources include:

• Career mentoring services
• Networking opportunities (like the Spouse Ambassador Network)
• Guidance on choosing a degree or training program to pursue
• Assistance in building a resume
• Military family-exclusive scholarship opportunities
• Military separation and retirement planning

Spouses also gain access to the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), a network composed of over 950 organizations and employers committed to hiring the spouses of military service members.

Importantly, SECO benefits are only available to spouses of active duty service members, service members who died on active duty, or service members who have been separated from active duty for less than 365 days. This means SECO would be a good fit for the spouses of recently-disabled veterans, but not those who have been separated from service for a year or longer.

VA Scholarships and Financial Aid

VA also offers scholarships to the spouses and dependents of qualifying veterans, including those who died of service-connected disabilities. These scholarships include:

• Fry Scholarship – The Fry Scholarship provides up to 36 months of financial aid for the qualifying dependents of veterans who died during active duty or from a service-connected disability within 120 days of being discharged from active duty. These funds can be used to pay for tuition, housing, textbooks, and more.
• Yellow Ribbon Program – The Yellow Ribbon Program offers financial assistance for eligible veterans and dependents pursuing their education. This program is only available at participating schools, and covers tuition and fees that go beyond the scope of the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
• Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship – This scholarship provides up to 9 months (or $30,000) of financial aid for eligible applicants undergoing training in high-demand STEM fields. To qualify, the spouse or dependent of a veteran must be receiving the Fry Scholarship.

“Now, it’s important to note that you can’t get both DEA benefits and Fry Scholarship benefits at the same time,” says Lucas Sylvia, accredited claims agent. “You need to pick between one of those two, and that’s going to come down to your personal needs and circumstances.”

Additional VA Educational Benefits

On top of the benefits mentioned above, VA also provides some additional benefits to the qualifying spouses and dependents of veterans, including:

• Veterans Work Study Program – This program pays students to work a part-time job while studying in college or a training or vocational program. Notably, the student’s place of work must be a VA-approved location, and their work duties must be VA or veteran-adjacent.
• Testing and prep course reimbursement – VA will also reimburse qualifying dependents for money they spend on tests and prep courses as part of their education. This includes both licensing and certification tests, as well as national tests (e.g., SAT or ACT).
• Educational and career counseling – Dependents of veterans with service-connected disabilities also gain access to educational and career counseling to help them explore their career interests and begin planning for employment.

What Housing Benefits Are Available to Spouses of Disabled Veterans?

One type of housing benefit VA offers to surviving spouses of deceased veterans are VA-backed home loans, where VA will guarantee a portion of a spouse’s home loan. Because VA is partly guaranteeing the loan, the spouse’s primary lender is less at risk, and therefore able to offer more lenient terms to the spouse, including low mortgage rates or no down payment.

To qualify for a VA-backed home loan, surviving spouses must first obtain a Certificate of Eligibility from VA by submitting the proper forms online.

There are a number of other important requirements, including that the spouse must be:

• Unremarried surviving spouses of veterans who died from service-connected causes or in service;
• Or meet specific exceptions for remarriage after a certain age;
• Or are spouses of veterans who were totally disabled for specified periods before death.

What Burial Benefits Are Available to Spouses of Disabled Veterans?

The National Cemetery Administration (NCA) offers burial services to spouses of veterans. When a veteran’s spouse passes away, they may be eligible to be buried in the national cemetery. They are eligible for this benefit regardless of whether the veteran has already passed away as well.

Spouses can also have their name and their date of birth engraved on the veteran’s headstone. This benefit also guarantees that they will have perpetual care of their grave site.

Frequently Asked Questions

What benefits are available to spouses of disabled veterans?

There are a variety of different benefits available to the spouses of disabled veterans, including:

• Higher VA disability payments, depending on the number of dependents the veteran has.
• Healthcare benefits like CHAMPVA and the VA Caregiver Program.
• Educational benefits like Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA), transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits, and grants like the Fry Scholarship or Edith Nourse Rogers STEM Scholarship.
• VA-backed home loans for the surviving spouses of deceased veterans.
• Burial services for a veteran’s spouse provided by the National Cemetery Administration (NCA).

What are the benefits of Chapter 35 for dependents?

Chapter 35, also referred to as the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (DEA) program, provides financial assistance intended to be used by the dependents of qualifying veterans to pursue their education. Successful applicants to the DEA program can receive up to 36 months of benefits to cover educational expenses like:

• College tuition to obtain an undergraduate or graduate degree
• Fees and payments for vocational training and non-college degrees
• Payments for on-the-job training and apprenticeships
• Fees for national, licensing, and certification tests, as well as prep courses

If a veteran dies, does their spouse receive their VA disability payments?

No, when a veteran dies, their VA disability payments are generally discontinued. However, their surviving spouse can still apply for separate financial benefits intended for these exact circumstances. Some of the financial benefits a surviving spouse may qualify for include:

• Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
• VA Survivors Pension
• Accrued Benefits and Substitution for VA Claims

Note that these separate benefits each have their own eligibility criteria, and certain actions (such as a surviving spouse remarrying after their veteran has passed away) may cause VA to terminate these benefits.

Need Help?

Was your claim for VA spouse benefits denied? Chisholm Chisholm & Kilpatrick LTD may be able to help. Our team of experienced and knowledgeable veterans’ advocates has helped many spouses and survivors secure the VA benefits they are rightfully owed.

Call CCK Law today at (800) 544-8144 or contact us online for a free case evaluation.