In May 2014, SFC Gaines of Georgia, and his wife, were preparing to purchase their dream home. SFC Gaines, a dedicated serviceman born on May 11, 1969, in Houston, Texas, had enlisted in the Army in 1987 and was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. Tragically, just before closing on their new home, SFC Gaines passed away unexpectedly. He was laid to rest with military honors in Georgia, on July 10. 2014.
Following SFC Gaines untimely death, his wife faced profound personal grief and significant financial challenges. Despite SFC Gaines honorable service, his wife discovered that she was ineligible to utilize his Certificate of Eligibility (COE) for a VA-backed home loan. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs stipulates that a surviving spouse may qualify for a COE if the veteran died while in service or from a service-connected disability and the spouse has not remarried.
SFC Gaines, like many veterans, had not sought medical attention for potential service-related conditions, such as PTSD. This lack of formal diagnosis meant that his death was not classified as service-connected, rendering his wife ineligible for certain survivor benefits.
This story underscores the challenges faced by many military families. Veterans often grapple with mental health issues but may avoid seeking help due to stigma or denial. Consequently, their surviving spouses and children may be denied benefits designed to honor and support their service.
Fortunately, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offers several monetary VA benefits for widows and surviving spouses of wartime veterans. These include dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC benefits), survivors pension, and burial benefits.
We will be discussing the requirements that must be met to be eligible for these benefits as well as other types of benefits available through the VA such as health care services, burial benefits, and more below so scroll down!
How To Qualify for VA Survivor Benefits
The VA has criteria in place to determine who a veteran’s surviving spouse is and who can qualify for VA survivor benefits. There are several requirements that spouses of veterans must meet to be eligible for DIC. The requirements are as follows:
- A surviving spouse must have married a service member who died on active duty, active duty training, or inactive duty training, or
- Married the deceased Veteran before January 1, 1957, or
- Married the veteran at least one year before the veteran’s passing, or
- Had a child with the veteran and lived with the Veteran until their death. It is important to note that during the marriage, there must be no separations unless the surviving spouse was not responsible for the separation.
A surviving spouse must have married a veteran who died due to a service-connected injury or disease, and the marriage must have begun within 15 years of the veteran’s discharge in which caused the disability.
There is also a strict criterion for remarried surviving spouses. Usually, a remarried spouse is not eligible for DIC benefits; however, in some cases, eligibility would depend on the date of remarriage. Spouses who remarry after age 57 and remarried on or after December 16, 2003, can still be eligible to receive DIC benefits.
