Claim Raven explanation
What this means
This section explains how VA determines whether a marriage is valid for benefit purposes and when a marriage affected by a legal impediment may still be recognized. It also contains detailed remarriage rules for surviving spouses and annulled marriages involving a veteran's child.
A marriage entered without knowledge of a legal impediment may be deemed valid if the statute's cohabitation or child requirements are met and no entitled legal spouse has filed a competing claim. Validity otherwise follows the law of the place where the parties lived at marriage or when the right to benefits arose. Remarriage rules vary by benefit, age, and whether the later relationship ended.
How this helps your claim
Use this statute when a survivor decision turns on the validity, date, duration, or later history of a marriage. Different benefits and remarriage circumstances receive different treatment, so the relevant subsection must be identified precisely.
What to check in your records
Match the relationship history and benefit claimed to the specific validity or remarriage provision VA applied.
- Collect marriage, divorce, annulment, death, and relevant residence records.
- Document cohabitation, any legal impediment, and whether either spouse knew of it.
- Identify the survivor benefit and the age or termination facts VA used.
Make one dated relationship timeline
List each marriage and its ending date, where the parties lived, and the documents supporting those facts. If a legal impediment is involved, preserve evidence about what the claimant knew when the marriage began and how long the couple lived together before the veteran's death.
Do not apply one remarriage summary to every survivor program. Section 103 names particular benefits for some restored-status rules and uses different age thresholds for certain benefits. Compare the exact benefit in the decision with the exact subsection.
Does any remarriage permanently end every VA survivor benefit?
No. The result depends on the benefit, the claimant's age, whether the remarriage is void or annulled, and whether a later marriage ended. The section contains several exceptions, but none should be assumed without matching the complete relationship history to the specific benefit.
Official statutory text
38 USC § 103
OLRC release: pl-119-108. Layout and spacing are adapted for reading. The statutory text is shown here; publisher source credits and editorial notes remain in the linked official release.
§ 103. Special provisions relating to marriages
(a) Whenever, in the consideration of any claim filed by a person as the widow or widower of a veteran for gratuitous death benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, it is established by evidence satisfactory to the Secretary that such person, without knowledge of any legal impediment, entered into a marriage with such veteran which, but for a legal impediment, would have been valid, and thereafter cohabited with the veteran for one year or more immediately before the veteran’s death, or for any period of time if a child was born of the purported marriage or was born to them before such marriage, the purported marriage shall be deemed to be a valid marriage, but only if no claim has been filed by a legal widow or widower of such veteran who is found to be entitled to such benefits. No duplicate payments shall be made by virtue of this subsection.
(b) Where a surviving spouse has been legally married to a veteran more than once, the date of original marriage will be used in determining whether the statutory requirement as to date of marriage has been met.
(c) In determining whether or not a person is or was the spouse of a veteran, their marriage shall be proven as valid for the purposes of all laws administered by the Secretary according to the law of the place where the parties resided at the time of the marriage or the law of the place where the parties resided when the right to benefits accrued.
(d)(1) The remarriage of the surviving spouse of a veteran shall not bar the furnishing of benefits to such person as the surviving spouse of the veteran if the remarriage is void, or has been annulled by a court with basic authority to render annulment decrees unless the Secretary determines that the annulment was secured through fraud by either party or collusion.
(2)(A) The remarriage of the surviving spouse of a veteran shall not bar the furnishing of benefits specified in paragraph (5) to such person as the surviving spouse of the veteran if the remarriage has been terminated by death or divorce unless the Secretary determines that the divorce was secured through fraud or collusion.
(B) The remarriage after age 57 of the surviving spouse of a veteran shall not bar the furnishing of benefits specified in paragraph (5) to such person as the surviving spouse of the veteran. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, the remarriage after age 55 of the surviving spouse of a veteran shall not bar the furnishing of benefits under chapter 13 or section 1781 of this title to such person as the surviving spouse of the veteran.
(3) If the surviving spouse of a veteran ceases living with another person and holding himself or herself out openly to the public as that person’s spouse, the bar to granting that person benefits as the surviving spouse of the veteran shall not apply in the case of the benefits specified in paragraph (5).
(4) The first month of eligibility for benefits for a surviving spouse by reason of paragraph (2)(A) or (3) shall be the month after—
(A) the month of the termination of such remarriage, in the case of a surviving spouse described in paragraph (2)(A); or
(B) the month of the cessation described in paragraph (3), in the case of a surviving spouse described in that paragraph.
(5) Paragraphs (2)(A) and (3) apply with respect to benefits under the following provisions of this title:
(A) Section 1311, relating to dependency and indemnity compensation.
(B) Section 1781, relating to medical care for survivors and dependents of certain veterans.
(C) Chapter 35, relating to educational assistance.
(D) Chapter 37, relating to housing loans.
(E) Section 1562(a)(2), relating to Medal of Honor special pension.
(e) The marriage of a child of a veteran shall not bar recognition of such child as the child of the veteran for benefit purposes if the marriage is void, or has been annulled by a court with basic authority to render annulment decrees unless the Secretary determines that the annulment was secured through fraud by either party or collusion.
Related references
- 38 USC § 101: Key Definitions for VA Benefit Eligibility
- 38 USC § 1304: Marriage-duration rules for surviving-spouse DIC
- 38 USC § 1311: DIC rates and additions for a surviving spouse
- 38 USC § 1318: DIC for survivors of certain totally disabled veterans
Ready to review your own document? Start your free claim review.