A veteran’s spouse is basically the wife who serves the disabled veteran and never remarries after the death of the veteran. Losing a loved one can be awfully difficult for a Veteran’s family members. A military widow who remarries to another veteran who also meets the military service requirements may qualify for the benefits as well This loss can also lead to financial distress. Widows of veterans get many benefits. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers a number of monetary benefits for widows and current spouses of wartime veterans.
Veterans Benefits for Widows
There are many benefits provided to the surviving spouse of the veteran including death benefits, health-care benefits, education, and financial assistance, etc.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Benefits:
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is a monthly benefit that can be paid to survivors of disabled veterans who were killed on active duty and for survivors of veterans who died as a result of the service-connected disability that was the result of war or active-duty. These benefits give are also tax-free.
Widow of a disabled veteran
The VA has criteria in place to determine who an extant spouse is. Like every other program, DIC also has certain criteria that widow must meet to get the benefits. The requirements are as follows:
- A widow of a disabled veteran must have married a veteran who died on active duty, active duty preparation, or inactive duty training, or
- Married the deceased Veteran
- has been married to the veteran at least one year previous to the veteran’s passing
- Had a child with the veteran and lived with the Veteran for some time until his It is important to note that during the marriage, there must be no separations unless the present spouse was not responsible for the separation.
- A surviving spouse must have matrimonial a veteran who died due to a service-connected injury or disease.
Widow pension benefits
Survivors of military members who served during wartime can apply to receive a pension that is tax-free, known as a Survivors Pension or Death Pension. Survivor’s Pension carries his own set of eligibility requirements for the deceased veteran as well as the surviving spouse. To supportthe with your daily activities, you may qualify for additional Aid and Attendance funds.
The maximum Pension which Survivors can get along with additional Aid and Attendance funds is up to $1,318 per month.
The deceased Veteran must have met the subsequent service requirements:
- For service, the Veteran must have served at least 90 days of active military once-over, with at last one day during a wartime period.
- If the Veteran entered active duty, they must have served a total of 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty with a least one day through a wartime period.
- The veteran must have been discharged from service under other than disgraceful conditions.
Eligibility requirements
The eligibility requirements for the surviving spouse are as follows:
- For the spouse of a disabled veteran who dies, income must be below the income limit that is listed in the Survivor’s Pension Rate.
- The widow’s net merit must meet the limit set for the surviving spouse and must be unmarried. If we’re remarried after the veteran passed and the marriage ended, this requirement does not apply.
- It’s important to note that current children may also be eligible for survivor’s pension.
Assisted Living Facility for Widows
An assisted living facility is a residential community for long-term care for military widows who need help with personal care. The main and important purpose of an assisted living facility is to provide a safe and comfortable living environment for seniors who cannot live on their own.
A widow moves to an assisted living facility but before that, a medical assessment is conducted to determine the type of care that will be needed. Living accommodations provided to the widows include single and shared rooms, as well as one, two, or even three-bedroom apartments. Larger apartments will have a living area and a small kitchen. It all depends on the care the person will need. For further information visit at:
https://americanveteransaid.com/newblog/veterans-widows-benefits-for-assisted-living/
Military spouse Benefits After Death
The VA has burial allowances that are remunerated at a flat rate. These allowances are provided so that it covers all of the burial and death costs as per the federal laws. The benefits will also cover fixed costs like gravesites and headstones. In 2014, VA regulation altered to help simplify the program and now, eligible surviving spouses are paid without human intervention for this benefit upon notification of the Veteran’s death.
How long does it take to get VA benefits for survivors?
The Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is among the most valuable benefits being provided to veterans’ survivors such as widows and children. Survivors who meet the criteria for DIC can get as much as tens of thousands of dollars a year without paying any tax i.e. tax-free.
This program provides financial assistance of $1280 and $2940 to the spouse veteran. The money provided also depends upon the deceased veteran’s pay grade. Additional payments are also available for dependent children of veterans. Some parents of deceased veterans may also get the benefits if their income is low than the poverty threshold level.
DIC benefits are not automatically provided to the dependents of disabled veterans. They must have to apply first in order to get the VA survivors benefits from the government. Incase they apply more than 12 months after the service member’s death, then the payments are retroactive only to the date they applied, not the date the veteran died.
Widow Health Care Benefits
Another valuable benefit given to eligible survivors of military members is comprehensive health coverage from the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs abbreviated as CHAMPVA. According to this program, the VA shares the cost of most health care services and medical supplies that it considers necessary for eligible surviving spouses and children. In some cases, eligibility for the coverage only depends on the rating of a veteran’s service-connected disability.
Health care coverage is also available under the VA’s Spina Bifida Health Care Program to children of veterans and certain Korean War veterans who have been diagnosed with the disease of spina bifida.
Educational Benefits
Military Widows can also be eligible for financial help in pursuing educational programs. The window of the Veterans who passed away during the wartime or active duty has 20 years from the date of death of the veteran to entertain education benefits. Widows attending school full time receive $925 a month for a maximum of 45 months which will help in different programs like to pay the cost of higher education, cooperative training, independent study programs, technical schools and apprenticeship programs.
Related: 17 Best Military Spouse Benefits