VA disability · guide
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rates for 2026
What VA pays the family of a service member or veteran whose death is connected to service, and the amounts that come on top of the basic rate.
DIC for a surviving spouse
DIC per month
$2,479.36
| Base rate | $1,699.36 |
| Children under 18 | $421 |
| After the 2-year transitional benefit | $2,120.36 |
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is the tax-free monthly payment VA makes to the surviving spouse, children and sometimes parents of a service member who died on active duty or in training, or of a veteran whose death resulted from a service-connected condition. For deaths on or after January 1, 1993, a surviving spouse receives $1,699.36 a month from December 1, 2025, whatever the veteran's rank. VA adds $421 for each child under 18, a transitional benefit of $359 a month during the first two years when there are children under 18, $360.85 under the 8-year provision when the veteran was rated totally disabled for eight years before death and the couple was married throughout, and $421 if the spouse needs Aid and Attendance, or $197.22 if housebound. DIC is also paid, under 38 U.S.C. 1318, when a veteran rated totally disabled for ten years dies of an unrelated cause.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
DIC amounts for common situations
| Situation | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse alone | $1,699.36 | $20,392 |
| Spouse, 8-year provision | $2,060.21 | $24,723 |
| Spouse, 1 child, first 2 years | $2,479.36 | $29,752 |
| Spouse, 2 children, after 2 years | $2,541.36 | $30,496 |
| Spouse on Aid and Attendance | $2,120.36 | $25,444 |
| Spouse housebound, 8-year provision | $2,257.43 | $27,089 |
Who receives DIC
A surviving spouse qualifies when married to the veteran for at least one year, or for any length of time if a child was born of the marriage, or if the marriage took place within fifteen years after the end of the period of service in which the disease or injury began; in general the spouse must also have lived with the veteran continuously until the death. Children qualify on their own when there is no eligible spouse, or alongside the spouse: unmarried and under 18, or 18 to 23 in school, or permanently incapable of self-support before 18. Parents can receive a separate, income-based Parents' DIC.
The added amounts, one by one
- Children under 18: $421 each, paid to the surviving spouse with the DIC.
- Transitional benefit: $359 a month for the first two years after the death, for a spouse with one or more children under 18, under 38 CFR 3.461(b). It stops earlier if the last child turns 18.
- 8-year provision: $360.85 when the veteran was rated totally disabled, including TDIU, for a continuous period of at least eight years immediately before death, and the spouse was married to the veteran for those same eight years.
- Aid and Attendance: $421 when the surviving spouse needs the regular help of another person, is a patient in a nursing home, or is blind or nearly so.
- Housebound: $197.22 when the spouse is substantially confined to the home by a permanent disability. It is not paid together with Aid and Attendance.
VA's own example: a surviving spouse with two children under 18, the 8-year provision and Aid and Attendance receives $3,682.21 a month during the first two years and $3,323.21 afterwards.
Deaths before 1993
For deaths before January 1, 1993, VA still uses the old method: DIC depends on the veteran's pay grade, from $1,699.36 for grades E-1 to E-6 to several thousand dollars for the highest officer grades, if that amount is higher than the current flat rate. Surviving spouses in that situation receive the higher of the two.
How to apply
A surviving spouse or child applies on VA Form 21P-534EZ, which covers DIC, the Survivors Pension and accrued benefits together; a parent uses VA Form 21P-535. VA needs the death certificate showing the cause of death, the marriage certificate and the children's birth certificates. When the veteran was already rated 100% or TDIU for long periods, mention it: it can open DIC under 38 U.S.C. 1318 and the 8-year provision even if the cause of death is unrelated to service. Claims filed within a year of the death are paid from the first day of the month of death.
DIC and the rest of the family's income
DIC is not taxed and is not reduced by the spouse's earnings. The military Survivor Benefit Plan, if the veteran was a retiree enrolled in it, is now paid in full alongside DIC, since the offset ended in 2023; the SBP calculator shows that annuity. The veteran's ratings during life, and especially a 100% rating or TDIU, decide which of these rules apply.
Children who receive DIC in their own right
When there is no eligible surviving spouse, the children receive DIC directly, in amounts set for one, two or more children, and a child aged 18 to 23 in school can receive DIC while enrolled. A child who became permanently incapable of self-support before 18 continues to receive it at any age. Children who use the Dependents' Educational Assistance program after 18 cannot receive DIC as a school child for the same period; the family chooses the higher of the two.
Parents' DIC
Parents of a veteran whose death was service connected can receive Parents' DIC, a separate benefit with an income limit and amounts that fall as the parents' income rises. It is paid whether or not the veteran had a spouse or children, and each parent can qualify, including adoptive parents and those who stood in the place of a parent. The application is VA Form 21P-535, with the parents' income for the year.