The Survivors Pension benefit, which may also be referred to as Death Pension, is a tax-free monetary benefit payable to a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse and/or unmarried child(ren) of a deceased Veteran with wartime service.
The deceased Veteran must have met the following service requirements:
Survivors Pension is also based on your yearly family income, which must be less than the amount set by Congress to qualify.
While an un-remarried spouse is eligible at any age, a child of a deceased wartime Veteran must be:
Your yearly family income must be less than the amount set by Congress to qualify for the Survivors Pension benefit. Learn more about income and net worth limitation, and see an example of how VA calculates the Survivors Pension benefit.
To apply for Survivors Pension, download and complete VA Form 21P-534EZ, “Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits” and mail it to the Pension Management Center (PMC) that serves your state. You may also visit your local regional benefit office and turn in your application for processing. You can locate your local regional benefit office using the VA Facility Locator.