Veterans Benefit Improvement Act Of 1996

This act allows the surviving spouse an entire month of compensation for the month in which the veteran dies. It also authorizes payments of accrued benefits for up two years (instead of one) in the event of the Veteran's death before final adjudication of a claim. Section 1318. Benefits for survivors of certain veterans rated totally disabled at time of death. Section 1318 (3) the veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999, and the disability was continuously rated totally disabling for a period of not later than one year immediately preceding death.

As of January 2, 2007, surviving spouses of veterans who died on or after January 1, 1993 receive $1,067 Dependents and Indemnity compensation.

Military.com

Resources for survivor benefits are at the Military.com website.

POW Fact Sheet (August 31, 2006)

Spouses of veterans who die as a result of service-connected disabilities are eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation. Spouses of former POWs who were rated 100 percent disabled and who died of a condition unrelated to their service also may be eligible, depending on the date of death and how long the veteran held the 100 percent disability rating. Those non-service-connected deaths prior to October 1999 are covered if the former POW had been 100 percent disabled for at least 10 years. More recent non-service-connected deaths are covered under a law that provided the benefits when the former POWs was 100 percent disabled for a year or more.

Additional information for former POWs also is available from the VA's website.

Service Connected Death

If your POW husband goes before you do, be sure to have some input with the Doctor about what goes on the death certificate. Even if your husband is 100% service connected, the cause of death might not be listed as one of the items that he is service connected for and the repayment for funeral expenses would then only be $500. A service connected death repayment is $2000.

Also, be sure that the funeral director is told that this is service connected (if indeed it is) and when the funeral director fills out Form 21-530 to file for reimbursement from the VA he will know to check the "yes" box in number 11 where it asks "Are you claiming that the cause of death was due to service?" Received from Betty Harlan.

New VA website for surviving spouses

The Department of Veterans Affairs recently activated a new website aimed directly at surviving spouses of military members who died on active duty and surviving spouses of veterans who died after serving their country. The website not only has links to the VA pages describing survivor benefits but also to other government sites that may offer valuable information and assistance. There is also a link to Frequently Asked Questions that answer most questions surviving spouses may have, for more specific questions the site tells how to contact the VA directly.

Visit the website.