Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) — the core survivor benefit
DIC is a tax-free monthly payment for eligible survivors of service members who died in the line of duty, and for survivors of veterans whose death resulted from a service-connected injury or illness. In some cases it also applies when a veteran was totally disabled from service-connected conditions for years before death — the rules are in the VA survivor handbook, linked below.
- $1,699.36/month — the basic tax-free rate for a surviving spouse, effective Dec 1, 2025.
- Add $421.00/month for each dependent child under 18.
- Aid and Attendance adds $421.00/month if you need help with daily activities; the housebound allowance adds $197.22/month.
- +$360.85/month under the 8-year provision — if the veteran was rated totally disabled for the 8 years before death and you were married those same 8 years.
- Children can qualify in their own right — under 18, or 18–23 and in school ($717.50/month for one eligible child; rates split among more).
- Parents' DIC is a separate, income-based benefit for qualifying parents of the fallen.
Remarriage doesn't always end it: a surviving spouse who remarries on or after December 16, 2003, at age 57 or later, can keep DIC.
The forms, named plainly
Nothing on this list costs money to file. The form number is half the battle — here they all are:
- VA Form 21P-534EZ — apply for DIC, survivors pension, and/or accrued benefits (survivors of veterans).
- VA Form 21P-534a — for survivors of a service member who died on active duty; your military casualty assistance officer helps you file it.
- VA Form 21P-535 — parents' DIC application.
- VA Form 21-674 — school-attendance request that unlocks the 18–23 child benefit.
- VA Form 26-1817 + the DD-214 — Certificate of Eligibility for a VA-backed home loan if you receive DIC.
Benefits families don't get told about
- Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity — if the service member or veteran paid into SBP, a monthly annuity may be due. Ask DFAS or the service casualty branch — don't assume it started on its own.
- Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35) — education benefits for eligible spouses and children of the fallen. Details at va.gov/education/survivor-benefits.
- CHAMPVA health coverage — for survivors of veterans who were permanently and totally disabled from service-connected conditions, where TRICARE doesn't apply.
- The PACT Act second look — survivors previously denied DIC can ask VA to reconsider under new presumptive conditions; newly granted claims can carry retroactive effective dates.
- Maryland Conroy Scholarship — MD residents: children, stepchildren, and un-remarried surviving spouses of service members who died as a result of military service get state tuition and fee waivers at Maryland colleges. Apply through the school's financial aid office by July 15 for the next award year — funding is limited, so early is everything.
- VA-backed home loan — DIC recipients qualify; request the COE online at va.gov with the form above.
Free help only — nobody should charge you to file a claim
Accredited help is free. A VA-accredited VSO from the VFW, DAV, or American Legion will sit with your family, file the claim, and follow up at no cost. If anyone quotes you a fee to "file your VA claim," walk out — filing is free, and unaccredited claim sharks are exactly what the law cracked down on.
- VA benefits line — 800-827-1000
- DAV (free VSOs) — 877-426-2833
- VFW (free VSOs) — 816-756-3380
- American Legion (free VSOs) — 800-433-3318
- State veterans benefits office, Lower Shore — 410-219-7256
On the Lower Shore — people who sit down with you
- Maryland DVMF Lower Shore Office — 251 Tilghman Road, Salisbury (inside the MVA branch), 410-219-7256. State benefits specialists authorized to represent veterans and families before the VA, free of charge. They cover Wicomico, Worcester, Somerset, and Dorchester counties — make an appointment before you go.
- Salisbury Vet Center Outstation — 926 Snow Hill Road, Building 3. Free, confidential counseling (readjustment, PTSD, MST) for veterans, service members, and families, in a non-medical setting. Outstation of the Elkton Vet Center — current details at va.gov/elkton-vet-center.
- Veterans Crisis Line — dial 988, then press 1. Free, confidential, 24/7 — for veterans and the people who love them.
Ask the Lower Shore office which state programs apply to your family — Gold Star families qualify for some Maryland programs that never make it into a federal pamphlet.
Kept by a veteran-owned business
VES Administrative Management Group is a Navy-veteran-owned company in Delmar, MD. Our long game is building veteran-focused assisted living homes — so no veteran outlives their savings, and no surviving spouse has to navigate the system alone. The day job that funds it: AI systems for veteran-owned businesses, starting with a free audit and no strings.
Free 15-minute AI readiness audit Gold Star Mother's & Family's Day →