What Is VA Survivors Pension?

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Survivors Pension, also often called death pension, is a VA benefit available to qualified lower-income, generally unremarried surviving spouses and unmarried children of a deceased veteran. This tax-free benefit is paid in monthly installments and is only available if the deceased veteran had eligible wartime service.

Who Is Eligible for VA Survivors Pension?

For their survivors to be eligible for Survivors Pension, the veteran must meet the following requirements 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 wartime period.
• The veteran must have received a discharge under other than dishonorable conditions.

Surviving spouses must be unremarried (with some exceptions) to be eligible but can be of any age. Because Survivors Pension is a needs-based benefit, there are also certain income and net worth limits a surviving dependent must meet to qualify.

A child of a deceased veteran must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

• Under 18 years of age; OR
• Under age 23 if attending a VA-approved school; OR
• Permanently incapable of self-support due to a disability before age 18.

A child must also be unmarried to receive this benefit.

What Are Eligible Wartime Periods for VA Survivors Penson?

According to VA, eligible wartime periods include:

• Mexican Border Period (May 6, 1916–April 5, 1917)
• World War I (April 6, 1917–November 11, 1918)
• World War II (December 7, 1941–December 31, 1946)
• Korean conflict (June 17, 1950–January 31, 1955)
• Vietnam era (February 28, 1961–May 7, 1975, for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam during that period, otherwise August 5, 1964–May 7, 1975)
• Gulf War (August 2, 1990–through a future date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation)

What Is the Income Requirement for Survivors Pension?

Survivors Pension is meant for lower-income survivors of a deceased veteran, so survivors must meet income and net worth limits to be eligible, according to 38 CFR § 3.3:

• A survivor’s countable income must be below the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR), which is based partly on the number of dependents the survivor has and is adjusted annually. Countable income includes most sources of income, such as earnings, Social Security benefits, retirement income, interest, dividends, and income from a business.
• A survivor’s net worth must also be below a net worth limit to qualify for Survivors Pension. In 2026, this net worth limit is $163,699, though it is also adjusted annually. Assets that compose net worth include bank accounts, investments, and property other than a primary residence.

Surviving spouses should note that some expenses — such as unreimbursed medical expenses — can be partially deducted from the spouse’s countable income for the purpose of meeting eligibility criteria for Survivors Pension.

For VA purposes, unreimbursed medical expenses are those medical expenses that are not covered by your insurance. For instance, if you spent $10,000 on medical expenses over the course of a year, and your medical insurance only covered $6,000 of that, your unreimbursed medical expenses would be $4,000.

Other expenses that VA excludes from your income when determining Survivors Pension eligibility include:

• Medicaid
• Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

How Does VA Calculate the Survivors Pension?

If you are eligible for Survivors Pension, the amount of benefit will be the difference between your countable income and the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR), which is a limit set on how much a pension can pay out to a survivor.

For example:

• The MAPR for a surviving spouse with one dependent child is $15,311 in 2026.
• If that surviving spouse’s yearly income is $8,000, then to calculate their pension rate, they would subtract $8,000 from $15,311, leaving them with an annual pension rate of $7,311.
• Because this annual pension rate is paid out in monthly installments, the surviving spouse would receive monthly pension payments of $609.25.

Surviving spouses should note that the MAPR increases with every dependent child the spouse has, and also if they qualify for benefits like Housebound or Aid and Attendance (A&A). This matters because the higher a survivor’s MAPR, the more potential compensation they can earn from their pension each month.

How Do I Apply for the Survivors Pension?

Survivors can apply for Survivors Pension by filling out the VA Form 21P-534EZ, “Application for DIC, Survivors Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits.”

This form can be submitted online through VA.gov or mailed to the following address: Department of Veterans Affairs Pension Intake Center, P.O. Box 5365, Janesville, WI 53547-5365.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between DIC and Survivors Pension?

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is another VA survivor benefit that applies to a veteran’s dependents if the veteran’s death was service-related.

Survivors Pension, on the other hand, is a needs-based, income-driven benefit specifically for low-income survivors of wartime veterans, meaning that, to be eligible, a survivor must meet certain income requirements. The veteran’s death does not need to be service connected to be eligible for Survivors Pension.

If a dependent qualifies for both benefits, they will generally receive whichever one pays more, based on their specific circumstances, since both benefits cannot be collected at the same time.

Can a surviving spouse work and still receive Survivors Pension?

Yes, but because Survivors Pension is income-driven, the benefits they receive may be reduced accordingly. In other words, a surviving spouse who does not work will likely receive more in monthly Survivors Pension compensation than a surviving spouse who works.

A survivor’s net worth must also be below a net worth limit to qualify for Survivors Pension, and income is a factor that may increase a survivor’s net worth.

How long does it take VA to process a Survivors Pension claim?

Generally, waiting times for Survivors Pension claims can be longer than three to four months. The average wait time can vary depending on the accuracy of the filing, how quickly VA is able to gather the necessary evidence, and more.

Recently, however, VA announced a new regulation that may lead to faster processing of DIC and Survivors Pension claims.