If you are the surviving parent, spouse, or child of a veteran who died from a service-related injury, disease, or disability, you may be eligible for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) benefit. 

DIC benefit eligibility requirement for a surviving spouse

For a surviving spouse to qualify for VA DIC benefits, one of the following conditions must be true:

• You lived together with the veteran until their death.
• If you were separated, you were not at fault for the breakup.

In addition, you must also provide evidence that one of the following conditions is true:

• You had a child with the veteran.
• You were married to the service member for a minimum of one year.
• You had married the veteran within 15 years of discharge from the time the illness or injury presented symptoms or worsened. 

The VA may require you to produce supporting documents that show one of the above conditions was valid. These could include military service records, doctor’s reports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, or other official documents.

DIC benefit eligibility requirement for a surviving parent

The surviving parent of a veteran may qualify for VA DIC benefits if both of the following scenarios is true:

• You are the surviving biological, adoptive, or foster parent of the veteran.
• You have a low annual income. VA offers DIC benefits based on maximum levels of income. You determine your eligibility on the VA DIC website.

The VA may also request that you provide evidence to prove that the above conditions are true and accurate.

DIC benefits eligibility requirement for a surviving child

If you are a surviving child of a veteran, you may qualify for VA DIC benefits if all of the following conditions are true:

• You are not married.
• You are below 18 years or below 23 years if still in school.
• You are not covered under a surviving parent’s compensation.

When applying for benefits, VA might require you to prove that all the above descriptions are accurate.

How to apply for VA DIC benefits

If you meet all the above requirements, you can apply for VA DIC benefits according to your survivor status through the help of your military casualty assistance officer. You can also apply for the benefit with the help of an accredited representative, a VA regional office, or upload the documents on your own using the online VA direct upload tool.