If you are a Veteran receiving or filing a claim for disability benefits, you are likely aware of many of the types of benefits for which you are eligible. But it’s important to know that the surviving family members of a deceased Veteran may be eligible for certain benefits as well. Here are some of the most important benefits survivors may be eligible to receive.
This is a type of benefit available to survivors of active servicemembers who were killed on active duty or who passed away as a result of a service-connected disability. If a Veteran’s disability claim was pending at the time he or she passed away, his or her spouse and/or dependents may be eligible for back pay. But the dependent won’t continue to receive monthly disability payments – instead, they may receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.
These are the disability payments owed to a Veteran for the months between the date when they filed for disability benefits and the date they are awarded disability compensation. If the Veteran passes away during this time, his or her spouse or children may be eligible to apply to receive a lump sum payment for the disability benefits owed.
In cases where a surviving spouse or child of a Veteran who served one day during wartime is not eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, they may qualify to receive a Survivors Pension. They must meet low-income requirements and, in the case of a spouse, must not have remarried.
In some cases, survivors may be eligible to receive financial support for education and professional or vocational training. There are two primary programs through which survivors might be granted these benefits. The first is the Fry Scholarship, which provides GI Bill benefits to qualifying spouses and children of servicemembers who passed away after September 10, 2001. The second program is the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program, under which survivors receive a monthly check to pay for educational expenses.
There are also additional benefits – like home loans and life insurance – that may be available to some survivors.
For more information on filing any type of Veterans Disability claim, please feel free to give us a call anytime at 877.526.3457. One of our representatives will be happy to answer your questions. Or if you’d prefer to contact us online, please fill out this form.
