Preparing in Advance for a Veteran’s Death, helpful information for spouses and Veterans.

Step 1 Start a Continuity Book (or folder or file) Start collecting all the important information and paperwork so you or your children can easily access it. For the VA this includes a DD 214, your Marriage license, preapproval for the National Cemetery (more on this below). It should also include, copies of a Will, insurance, bank accounts, passwords, etc. Everything that would be needed in the case a person dies. Remember, you might be able to easily pull all of this together now, but in the future it might be your children who must do this because you have been incapacitated. Step 2. Know how to contact the VA When a Veteran dies the family needs to contact the VA and stop compensation payments. This can be done with a phone call. The VA will send additional paperwork to the spouse and will eventually need a Death Certificate. Use the number below. Regional Office Helpline 800 827 1000 You should also contact the local VA to do things such as stopping medications. Step 3. If you plan on burial at Fort Sam National Cemetery Inform your Funeral Director, they can make these arrangements and contact the National Cemetery. You will need to provide a DD 214. You can make this process easier by getting Preapproval for Eligibility done in advance. To do this submit a VA Form 40-10007. VA website: www.va.gov/burials-and-memorials/pre-need/form-10007-apply-for-eligibility/applicant-relationship-to-vet Step 4. Filing for Dependency Indemnity Compensation, DIC When you notify Regional Office about the Veteran’s death, the monthly compensation stops. You potentially can file for DIC. Basic DIC rate is 41% of the baseline 100% rate (approximately between 1600 and 1700 dollars a month in 2026). However, there are incremental increases based on preset criteria. Married and living together the last 8 years of the Veteran’s life means an approximate 400 dollar per month increase. There are additional increases potentially based on minor children and the spouse’s health. A Veteran Service Officer can explain all of this and help a spouse file for no cost. Consider in advance who you would use. They will need certain things: • DD 214 • Marriage license • Death Certificate • Information about the Veteran’s previous marriages Filing is done on a VA form 21 534. The form is confusing, because it is dual use. There is a reason for this, but the takeaway is; use a Veteran Service Officer assist you. VA Form 21 534 www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21P-534EZ-ARE.pdf Eligibility for DIC • The service member died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive-duty training, or • The Veteran died from a service-connected illness or injury, or • The Veteran didn’t die from a service-connected illness or injury, but was eligible to receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability rated as totally disabling for a certain period of time If the Veteran’s eligibility was due to a rating of totally disabling, they must have had this rating: • For at least 10 years before their death, or • Since their release from active duty and for at least 5 years immediately before their death, or • For at least 1 year before their death if they were a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999 The Death Certificate Ideally the Death Certificate will list the service connection as the cause of death if the death is sooner than 10 years or the Veteran is not 100% service connected. If it does not, it is possible to get a doctor to write a letter to state that the service connection was a contributing factor. A good Veteran Service Officer will go through all of this with you. Step 5. Make your life with the VA easier The VA is like every other healthcare group. It uses an online portal. In the VA’s case it is VA.gov. To access it you need an ID.me or a Login.gov sign in. You need this type of login for Social Security, IRS, DFAS (for military retirees) also. For a Veteran this opens many doors. The important part is Secure Messaging. You can email your treatment team and get a response. Also, you can email your Social Worker. This could be very important if the Veteran starts having serious health problems and the spouse needs resources and suggestions of what to do. DoD Considerations You need to contact DoD when a retiree dies. Call: DFAS Customer Service 800-321-1080 Or, contact online. www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/survivors/Retiree-Death/ Retired pay will end, but the spouse may be eligible for Survivors Benefit Pay, SBP To apply use DD 2656-7 DFAS provides an excellent Checklist of things to do, available at the link above.