This is a needs-based benefit paid to an unmarried surviving spouse, or an unmarried child, who meets certain age or disability requirements of a deceased wartime Veteran.  In order to qualify for this benefit, the VA calculates income received from most sources by the surviving spouse and any eligible children.  It includes earning, disability and retirement payments, unemployment insurance payments, interest and dividend payments, and net income from farming, business, or rental property. If the income is below a certain level, the dependent or surviving spouse may be eligible for this pension.

To check eligibility or apply

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is the primary monthly monetary benefit payable to surviving dependents of a deceased Veteran and is the equivalent benefit to disability compensation for Veterans. This benefit is payable if the Veteran died while on active duty or in the line of duty, and death was not due to willful misconduct; if death was after service and the death was caused or attributed to a service-connected disability. The rate is increased for each dependent child and also if the surviving spouse is housebound or in need of aid and attendance. The federal VA also adds a transitional benefit per child to the surviving spouse's monthly DIC if there are children under age 18.

To check eligibility or apply

When a miliary retiree dies, their retirement pay stops. This may mean that the surviving spouse no longer receives a monthly income. One option for surviving spouses is the Survivor Benefits Plan (SBP). The SBP is an insurance plan that gives the Veteran's surviving spouse a monthly payment (annuity) to help make up for the loss of retirement income. This payment is not the full retirement, but a portion established at the time of retirement between the retired military member, his/her spouse, and the retirement counselor. Survivors should report retiree death to Defense Finance and Accounting Service Casualty Office a 1-800-321-1080.

How do receive SBP when I need it?

The surviving spouse of a Veteran may be eligible for VA housing assistance.

To check eligibility or apply

The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the VA (CHAMPVA) is a comprehensive health care program in which the VA shares the cost of covered health care services and supplies with eligible beneficiaries. Because of the similarity between CHAMPVA and the Department of Defense's TRICARE program, the two are often mistaken for each other. If the surviving spouse is eligible for TRICARE, he/she is not eligible for CHAMPVA. TRICARE is a regionally managed health care program for active duty and retired members of the uniformed service. In some cases, a Veteran may look to be eligible for both/either program on paper. However, if you are a military retiree or the spouse of a Veteran who was killed in action, you are and will always be a TRICARE beneficiary. For more information about these programs call TRIWEST at (888)874-9378.

TRIWEST Healthcare Alliance

The spouse and dependents of an armed forces service member, who was an Alaska resident and died in the line of duty or was listed by the Department of Defense as a Prisoner of War, or was killed in action, is entitled to a waiver of undergraduate tuition at any University of Alaska system school. 

For more information, contact:

University of Alaska, Anchorage (907) 786-1480

University of Alaska, Fairbanks (907) 474-7211

University of Alaska, Southeast (907) 796-6255