When a veteran or claimant dies, several different VA programs may apply. They are not interchangeable, and a family may need to pursue more than one:
- Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for qualifying service-related death or certain total-disability histories
- Survivors Pension for qualifying low-income survivors of wartime veterans
- Accrued benefits VA owed but had not paid before death
- Substitution to continue a claim, decision review, or appeal that was pending at death
- Burial and memorial benefits
Time matters, especially when a claim or appeal was pending. An eligible survivor should preserve the record and contact a VA-accredited representative promptly.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
DIC is a tax-free benefit for certain surviving spouses, children, or parents. A common path is proof that the service member died in the line of duty or that the veteran died from a service-connected disease or injury.
VA also describes alternative duration-based paths when the veteran's death was not itself service connected but the veteran was entitled to receive compensation for a totally disabling service-connected condition:
- At least 10 years immediately before death;
- From release from active duty and for at least 5 years immediately before death; or
- At least 1 year immediately before death for certain former prisoners of war.
Relationship, marriage, cohabitation, age, school, remarriage, and income requirements can also apply depending on the claimant. Do not rely on the duration rule alone.
For the surviving spouse or child of a veteran, the usual combined application is VA Form 21P-534EZ. A surviving parent generally uses VA Form 21P-535. A military casualty assistance officer helps with VA Form 21P-534a when the service member died on active duty.
Proving a service-connected cause or contribution
The death certificate is important, but the analysis may extend beyond the first listed cause. Medical evidence may show that a service-connected condition was a principal or contributory cause of death. Preserve terminal records, specialist records, medication history, autopsy findings if any, and the veteran's complete rating history.
When toxic exposure or a new presumption may affect the analysis, review current PACT Act survivor guidance and TERA and Toxic Exposure Claims.
Substitution and accrued benefits
If the veteran or claimant died with a claim, decision review, or appeal pending, an eligible person may request substitution to continue it. VA's online service uses VA Form 21P-0847, and the request generally must reach VA within one year of death.
Substitution matters because an approved substitute may submit evidence to complete the pending matter. Traditional accrued-benefits review is more limited and addresses benefits due but unpaid at death. VA generally requires an accrued-benefits application within one year of death. Form 21P-534EZ can serve as an application for DIC, Survivors Pension, and accrued benefits for a surviving spouse or child.
Do not assume VA will automatically identify the pending appeal, the eligible person, or the desired procedure. Submit the request, identify every pending issue, and keep proof of receipt. If a case was already pending at the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, substitution follows the Court's rules rather than VA's ordinary Form 21P-0847 process; contact an accredited attorney promptly about the court filing.
Survivors Pension
Survivors Pension is a needs-based benefit for certain unmarried surviving spouses and dependent children of deceased wartime veterans. Wartime service, discharge, relationship, income, and net-worth rules apply. This is different from DIC and does not require proof that the veteran died from a service-connected condition.
Because income and net-worth limits change, use VA's live Survivors Pension page rather than a fixed dollar figure in this guide.
Burial and memorial benefits
VA burial allowances, transportation reimbursement, national-cemetery eligibility, headstones, flags, and memorial items have separate rules. Some eligible surviving spouses receive an automatic burial payment when VA already has the necessary relationship information, while other applicants use VA Form 21P-530EZ. Check the current burial allowance guidance.
First-week document checklist
- Death certificate and any amendment
- DD214 and other qualifying-service records
- Marriage, birth, adoption, and dependency records
- All rating decisions and the most recent code sheet
- The pending claim, review, or appeal confirmation
- Terminal, hospital, hospice, and specialist medical records
- Funeral, burial, and transportation receipts
- Proof of every submission to VA
Common mistakes
- Treating DIC, accrued benefits, and substitution as the same claim
- Missing the one-year substitution or accrued-benefits period
- Assuming the death certificate is the only relevant medical evidence
- Failing to identify a pending Supplemental Claim, HLR, Board appeal, or court matter
- Using a fixed pension or burial amount after rates change
- Assuming a veteran's P&T status automatically resolves every survivor eligibility requirement
Claim Raven next step
Use Raven Eye to organize the veteran's rating and decision documents, then bring the complete packet to an accredited representative. Claim Raven can help explain documents and locate gaps, but survivor representation and deadline strategy should come from an authorized VA-accredited professional.