What To Know About Veterans’ Surviving Spouse Benefits

Navigating the world of veterans’ benefits can be complex. Here are some things to know:

• A common misconception is that spouses will automatically continue to receive any benefits a veteran is receiving upon the veteran’s passing. This is not true. When a veteran passes away, the benefits stop.
  
• A VA Survivors Pension offers monthly payments to qualified surviving spouses and unmarried dependent children of wartime veterans who meet certain income and net worth limits set by Congress. There are certain periods of service the veteran must have served during, as well as limited deductions from your income for unreimbursed medical expenses.
  
• If you’re the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service member who died in the line of duty, or the survivor of a veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be able to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Dependency and IndemnityCompensation (VA DIC).
  
• If you are the spouse of a veteran and serve as the veteran’s caregiver due to the veteran’s health, the VA offers two programs:
  
• The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers offers support and services for family caregivers of eligible veterans who were seriously injured in the line of duty and who meet other eligibility requirements.
  
• The Program of General Caregiver Support Services—with this program, the veteran doesn’t need to have a service-connected condition for which the caregiver is needed and may have served during any era. A formal application is not required for this program.
  
• Surviving spouses can also be buried at national cemeteries, but as with all U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, there are specific eligibility requirements.
  

The Grundy County Veterans Assistance Commission is available to answer questions and help determine a spouse’s eligibility for these and other benefits. For more information, call (815) 941-3152 or email vac@grundycountyil.gov.

Grundy County Veterans Assistance Commission : 1320 Union Street: Morris, IL 60450 :

815.941.3152 : https://www.grundycountyil.gov/veterans-assistance/