Knowledge Base · Free for veterans
VA DIC Rates 2026: What Survivors Actually Receive
The 2026 base DIC rate for a surviving spouse is $1,699.36 a month, tax-free - the add-ons depend on children, Aid & Attendance, and an 8-year rule most families never hear about.
The facts
- 01Base monthly DIC for a surviving spouse (deaths on or after January 1, 1993): $1,699.36, effective December 1, 2025 (2.8% COLA) - and DIC is not taxable income.
- 02Add $421.00/mo for each dependent child under 18. Add $421.00/mo if the surviving spouse needs Aid & Attendance; housebound adds $197.22/mo.
- 03The 8-year provision: if the veteran was rated totally disabled for at least 8 continuous years before death AND the spouse was married to the veteran those same 8 years, add $360.85/mo.
- 04Deaths BEFORE January 1, 1993 use a different table keyed to the veteran's pay grade at death (E-1 through O-10) - compare both tables and VA pays whichever is greater.
- 05DIC is different from the $100,000 death gratuity and from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities - a family can be navigating all three at once.
Sources
StewardWise is free for veterans and their families and always will be. Educational information only — not legal, tax, financial, or VA-benefits advice; figures verified against the cited sources for 2026.
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