- If you’re the surviving spouse or child of a Veteran. If you’re a surviving parent, fill out an Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation by Parent (s) (VA Form 21P-535).
- You can apply for this benefit in any of these ways: Mail the form to the Pension Management Center (PMC) for your state. Work with an accredited representative.
- With the help of a trained professional. You can work with a trained professional called an accredited representative to get help applying for VA survivors pension benefits.
Does the military pay more for dependents?
The military does not pay people more money because they have dependents. There is no increase in pay for getting married, or for having children. Base pay is base pay, period. What are the benefits of a military dependent?
Who can apply for veterans benefits?
Who is Eligible for Veterans Benefits?
- Must meet definition of a veteran or considered as a veteran
- Must meet active duty requirements
- Must meet the period of active duty service requirements
- Service-connected disabilities cannot be a result of willful misconduct
- Pension is not available if discharge was due to willful misconduct
- Must have received an other than dishonorable discharge
How do I add dependent to VA disability?
- the date (month and year) and place of the event;
- the full name and relationship of the other person to the claimant;
- and, where the claimant’s dependent child does not reside with the claimant, the name and address of the person who has custody of the child.
How do I apply for VA benefits?
Apply for Benefits. Applying for your VA education benefits can be done in just a few steps: Apply online. Visit your nearest VA regional office to apply in person. Consult with the VA Certifying Official—who is usually in the Registrar’s or Financial Aid office—at the school of your choice. This official has application forms and can help you apply.

Who qualifies as a dependent for VA disability?
Biological children, adopted children and stepchildren can all qualify as dependents as long as they meet the following criteria: Unmarried and under the age of 18; Between the ages of 18 and 23 and attending school full-time; or. Disabled prior to age 18.
How much does the VA pay for a dependent child?
Breaking Down VA Disability Pay Rates for Each Family SituationDependent Status30%40%Veteran with Two Parents and Child$528.15$750.90Add for Each Additional Child Under Age 18$24.00$32.00Each Additional Schoolchild Over Age 18 (see footnote a)$79.00$106.00Additional for A/A spouse (see footnote b)$46.00$61.005 more rows
Do dependents of veterans get benefits?
As the spouse or dependent child of a Veteran or service member, you may qualify for certain benefits, like health care, life insurance, or money to help pay for school or training.
How much does the VA pay for a dependent spouse?
If you're a Veteran with a 30% disability rating, and you have a dependent spouse (no dependent parents or children), your monthly basic rate would be $522.39 each month.
How long does a VA dependency claim take?
48 hoursSubmitting an electronic dependency claim through eBenefits allows VA to make a decision on your claim in as little as 48 hours. Simply log into eBenefits and click “Add or Remove Dependent” under the Apply section.
Do you get back pay for adding dependents VA disability?
In addition, if more than a year has passed since your marriage and/or birth of your child, the VA may only pay you back to the date you submitted your dependency claim or, in some cases, only up to one year before you submitted your dependency claim.
What benefits does a child of a veteran get?
According to VA, veterans' dependent children may qualify for certain benefits such as health care, life insurance, or money to help pay for education and/or vocational training.
What family members are eligible for VA benefits?
As a service member's spouse, child, or parent, you share in that service member's service and sacrifice. So after your loved one leaves the service, you may qualify for certain VA benefits.
Does VA pay for college dependents?
The College Tuition Fee Waiver for Veteran Dependents benefit waives mandatory system-wide tuition and fees at any State of California Community College, California State University, or University of California campus.
How do I add my wife to my VA benefits?
If you can't, or don't want to file online, you can file a claim for additional disability compensation by mail using these forms: For a spouse or a child under 18 years of age, you'll need to fill out an Application Request to Add and/or Remove Dependents (VA Form 21-686c).
How does a spouse qualify for VA benefits?
VA Benefits for Surviving Spouses Survivors Pension: You may be eligible for a VA Survivors Pension if your spouse served at least one day of active duty during a wartime period and you meet specific income and net worth limits set by Congress. You will have to qualify and apply to receive these death pension benefits.
Does the spouse of a Veteran receive VA benefits?
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. Find out if you qualify and how to apply.
On this page
Am I eligible for additional VA disability compensation for one or more of my dependents?
How to view current dependents
You can use our online tool to review the current dependents you've added to your VA disability benefits. To do this, you need to be signed in to VA.gov with a verified account.
How to add a dependent to your VA disability benefits
You can file a claim for additional compensation for a child or spouse online.
More questions about adding or removing a dependent
Yes, but we encourage you to file online. The online process is simple, and you can upload your supporting documents along with your claim.
More VA benefits for you and your dependents
Apply for monthly pension benefits for wartime Veterans and survivors.
Am I eligible for VA educational and career counseling?
You may be eligible for this benefit if you meet both of the requirements listed below.
You can also apply
Fill out an Educational/Vocational Counseling Application (VA Form 28-8832). Download VA Form 28-8832 (PDF)
How long does a spouse have to be on DEA?
Duration of benefits for spouses: 20 years from the service member’s date of death if they died on active duty, or 10 years from the date we determine they qualify or from the Veteran’s date of death (there may be exceptions). Fry Scholarship. Duration of benefits for spouses:
What is service connected disability?
A service-connected permanent and total disability is a disability resulting from your service that doesn’t go away. You may be eligible for VA education benefits (Chapter 35 benefits) if you’re the child or spouse of a Veteran and one of the descriptions listed below is true of the Veteran. One of these must be true.
Can a dependent get VA education benefits?
Died while on active duty or as a result of a service-connected disability. If you’re a dependent who doesn’t meet the above criteria, you may still qualify for VA education benefits if the Veteran or service member transferred some or all of their Post-9/11 GI Bill ...
Can you get Chapter 35 benefits if you are a dependent?
If you’re a dependent spouse or child—or the surviving spouse or child—of a Veteran, you may qualify for Chapter 35 benefits or job training through a GI Bill program.
How to apply for VA benefits?
You can apply for this benefit in any of these ways: 1 Mail the form to the Pension Management Center (PMC) for your state.#N#Find your PMC 2 Work with an accredited representative.#N#Get help filing your claim 3 Go to a VA regional office and get help from a VA employee.#N#Find a VA regional office near you
How to apply for VA education benefits?
The best way to apply for your education benefits is by going to www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/. You can also apply for education benefits by doing any of the following options: By mail. Call 888-442-4551, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET, to request that we send the application to you.
Where to apply for VA pension?
You can apply for pension benefits online at www.va.gov/pension. To submit a paper application Pension benefits, download and complete VA Form 21P-527EZ, "Application for Pension" and mail it to the Pension Management Center that serves your state.
What to do before leaving the military?
If you are a member of the armed forces serving on either active duty or full-time National Guard duty, you should apply through the VA Pre-discharge claim program before leaving service. Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits for service members and Veterans.
How to apply for VA disability?
You can apply for this benefit in any of these ways: 1 Work with an accredited representative.#N#Get help filing your claim 2 Use the direct upload tool through AccessVA to upload your form online.#N#Go to AccessVA to use direct upload 3 Mail your form to this address:#N#Department of Veterans Affairs#N#Pension Intake Center#N#PO Box 5365#N#Janesville, WI 53547-5365 4 Go to a VA regional office and get help from a VA employee.#N#Find a VA regional office near you
How long do you have to be married to a veteran?
Married the Veteran or service member within 15 years of their discharge from the period of military service during which the qualifying illness or injury started or got worse, or. Were married to the Veteran or service member for at least 1 year, or.
How long do you have to serve in the military before you die?
For at least 10 years before their death, or. Since their release from active duty and for at least 5 years immediately before their death, or. For at least 1 year before their death if they were a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999.
Can a veteran die from a service connected illness?
The Veteran didn’t die from a service-connected illness or injury, but was eligible to receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability rated as totally disabling for a certain period of time. If the Veteran’s eligibility was due to a rating of totally disabling, they must have had this rating:
Can you get compensation as a surviving parent?
As a surviving parent. You may be able to get compensation as a surviving parent if both of the descriptions below are true for you. You’ll also need to provide evidence with your claim showing that one of the descriptions below is true for the Veteran or service member.
Can you get DIC benefits if you are denied service connected disability?
If we denied your Blue Water Navy Veteran’s service-connected disability claim in the past, you may be eligible for DIC benefits based on the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.
What is VA DIC?
About VA DIC for spouses, dependents, and parents. 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 Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC).
How long do you have to be married to a veteran?
Married the Veteran or service member within 15 years of their discharge from the period of military service during which the qualifying illness or injury started or got worse, or. Were married to the Veteran or service member for at least 1 year, or.
How long do you have to serve in the military before you die?
For at least 10 years before their death, or. Since their release from active duty and for at least 5 years immediately before their death, or. For at least 1 year before their death if they were a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999.
Can you get compensation as a surviving parent?
As a surviving parent. You may be able to get compensation as a surviving parent if both of the descriptions below are true for you. You’ll also need to provide evidence with your claim showing that one of the descriptions below is true for the Veteran or service member.
Can a veteran die from a service connected illness?
The Veteran didn’t die from a service-connected illness or injury, but was eligible to receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability that was rated as totally disabling for a certain period of time.
Can a veteran remarry a child?
Had a child with the Veteran or service member, aren’t currently remarried, and either lived with the Veteran or service member without a break until their death or, if separated, weren’t at fault for the separation.
Can you get DIC benefits if you are denied service connected disability?
If we denied your Blue Water Navy Veteran’s service-connected disability claim in the past, you may be eligible for DIC benefits based on the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.
How to apply for VA disability?
How do I prepare before starting my application? 1 Find out if you’re eligible for VA disability compensation 2 Gather any evidence (supporting documents) you’ll submit yourself when you file your VA disability claim. 3 Be sure your claim is filled out completely and you have all the supporting documents ready to send in along with your claim. This will help us process your claim quickly.#N#Learn about fully developed claims 4 Find out if you’ll need to turn in any additional forms with your claim
What are VA medical records?
VA medical records and hospital records that relate to your claimed illnesses or injuries or that show your rated disability has gotten worse. Private medical records and hospital reports that relate to your claimed illnesses or injuries or that show your disability has gotten worse.
How to submit intent to file?
You can submit your intent to file by phone or by written form. Note: If you file your claim online, you don't need to separately send an intent to file form. The online application already includes your intent to file.
How to contact VA claims office?
Call 888-442-4551, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET, to request that we send the application to you. Fill it out and mail it to the VA regional claims processing office that’s in the same location as your school. See a list of regional claims processing offices.
What time do you call VA for GI Bill?
You can’t make changes to your application, but if you have questions about VA education benefits, please call 888-442-4551, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. If we’ve asked you for documents, please upload them through the GI Bill website. Go to the GI Bill website.
