Will I get the veteran’s VA check?
Short answer: the veteran’s disability compensation stops at death. A surviving spouse may qualify for a different benefit — Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) — if the rules are met.
Myth: “I just keep getting the veteran’s disability check”
VA compensation is paid to the veteran. When the veteran dies, that payment ends. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a separate program with its own eligibility rules and its own monthly rates.
What Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) pays (2026 (effective Dec 1, 2025))
The surviving-spouse base rate is $1,699.36 per month, tax-free, for qualifying deaths on or after January 1, 1993. Possible add-ons include the 8-year provision ( $360.85), each child under 18 ($421.00), Aid and Attendance ($421.00), Housebound ($197.22), and a two-year transitional amount ( $359.80) when a child under 18 is on the award. Confirm current figures on VA.gov — rates change with COLA.
Two paths into Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
- The death is service-connected (or would have been rated that way), or
- The 10-year (or related) total-disability rule in 38 CFR 3.22 / 38 U.S.C. 1318 applies — even when the cause of death was not service-connected.
A free accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) can help you file VA Form 21P-534EZ. See where to get free help.
Questions
Do I get the veteran's disability compensation?
You do not keep receiving the veteran's disability compensation check. You may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a separate tax-free monthly benefit, if VA rules are met.
How much is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)?
For 2026 (effective Dec 1, 2025), the surviving-spouse base rate is $1,699.36 per month (tax-free) for qualifying deaths on or after January 1, 1993. Add-ons may apply for the 8-year provision, children, or Aid and Attendance.
Does a 100% rating mean I automatically get DIC?
No. Either the death must be service-connected (or would have been), or the veteran must have been rated totally disabling — including Total Disability based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) — for the continuous period in the 10-year rule (or the 5-year / former-POW variants). See the 10-year rule page.
Who can help me file for free?
An accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) can help you file VA Form 21P-534EZ at no charge. See our free help guide and the VA Forms tool for form numbers.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not legal or medical advice. Filing a VA claim is free through an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) or the VA.