Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of certain deceased veterans.
Monthly Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Rates
DIC rates if veteran died on or after January 1, 1993
Dependency and indemnity compensation is paid to a surviving spouse at the monthly rate of $1,562.74 for 2023.
DIC rates if veteran’s death was before January 1, 1993
Check out the VA DIC payment tables.
Additional DIC Allowances
- Add $331.84 if, at the time of death, the veteran was rated 100% disabled or unemployable as a result of disability. The veteran must have been rated that way for at least 8 continuous years immediately preceding death AND the surviving spouse had to be married to the veteran for those same 8 years.
- Add $365.58 for each dependent child under age 18
- If the surviving spouse is entitled to aid and attendance (A&A), add $387.15
- If the surviving spouse is entitled to housebound, add $181.37
- Add $387.15 if the surviving spouse has one or more children under the age 18
Who Is Eligible For Dependency and Indemnity Compensation?
DIC is a monthly benefit paid to eligible survivors of:
- a military member who died while on active duty
- a veteran whose death was the result of a service-related injury or disease
- a veteran whose death wasn't related to their service but who was rated totally disabled by the VA. Normally the veteran must have had the 100% permanent and totally disabled rating for a certain number of years.
DIC Eligibility
The surviving spouse is eligible for DIC if they
- married the veteran before Jan. 1, 1957, OR
- were married to a service member who died on active duty
- married a veteran whose death was service-connected, as long as they were got married within 15 years of the discharge, OR
- were married to the veteran for at least one year, OR
- had a child with the veteran and lived with the veteran continuously until the veteran's death or, if separated, was not at fault for the separation and haven't gotten remarried.
Note: Spouses who remarry can continue to draw DIC if they:
- Remarried on or after Jan. 5, 2021, and were at least 55 years old; or
- Remarried between Dec. 17, 2003 and Jan. 4, 2021 and were at least 57 years old
The surviving children are eligible if they are unmarried and under 18, or between the ages of 18 and 23 and attending school. Certain helpless adult children can be entitled to DIC.
Some surviving parents may be eligible for an income-based benefit.
Receiving SBP and DIC
A surviving spouse can't get both Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) payments and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) at the same time, since both payments would technically be paid to them on behalf of the late veteran. To ensure surviving spouses aren't penalized in this way, and to prevent running afoul with existing laws and court decisions, Congress recently created a special payment called the "Special Spouse Indemnity Allowance (SSIA)" or the SBP/DIC offset. This is a special payment paid to surviving spouses who are entitled to both benefits.
Therefore, if a survivor gets SBP and is authorized DIC, the Defense Pay Center will deduct the DIC amount from all SBP payments and pay the remaining amount of the SBP to the survivor in the special SBP/DIC offset. This payment is being phased in through 2023.
See our SSIA page for details.
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