Review 2024 VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rates for the surviving spouses and dependent children of Veterans. These VA survivor benefits are tax exempt. This means you won’t have to pay any taxes on your compensation payments. These rates are effective December 1, 2023.
Surviving spouse rates if the Veteran died on or after January 1, 1993
If you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran
Your monthly payment rate is: $1,612.75
Effective December 1, 2023
You may also be eligible for added amounts based on certain factors. Find any descriptions in the table below that are true for you. Add the amount listed in the Added monthly amount column of each description to your monthly payment. This is your total monthly payment.
Added amounts for surviving spouses
Effective December 1, 2023
- The Veteran had a VA disability rating of totally disabling (including for individual unemployability) for at least the 8 full years leading up to their death, and
- You were married to the Veteran for those same 8 years
- Transitional benefit, and
- DIC apportionment rate
- 342.00 for the first 2 years after the Veteran’s death
- 399.54 for each eligible child
Example of how to calculate your DIC payment
If you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran, your monthly rate would start at $1,612.75.
Then for each additional benefit you qualify for, you would add the amounts from the Added amounts table.
In this example: We show the total monthly payment for someone with 2 children under 18, and who qualifies for the 8-year provision and Aid and Attendance.
Total monthly payment for the first 2 years
$1,612.75 (monthly rate)
+ $399.54 (first child under 18)
+ $399.54(second child under 18)
+ $342.46(8-year provision)
+ $399.54(Aid and Attendance)
+ $342.00 (transitional benefit for the first 2 years after the Veteran’s death)
= $3,495.83 per month
Total monthly payment after 2 years (when transitional benefit ends)
$3,495.83 (monthly payment with transitional benefit)
- $342.00 (transitional benefit)
= $3,153.83 per month
Note: You can find the details of these rates in title 38 U.S.C. 1311(a, b, c, d, f) and 38 CFR 3.461(b).
Surviving spouserates if the Veteran died before January 1, 1993
If you’re the spouse or child of a Veteran who died before January 1, 1993, we use a different method to determine your DIC monthly payment.
Surviving spouse, with or without dependent children
To find your monthly payment, click on your Veteran’s pay grade category. Find their specific pay grade in the left column of the Monthly payment rates table, and the matching monthly payment to the right.
Then, go down to the Added or increased amounts table. Add any added or increased amounts that apply to you based on the Veteran’s disability rating and whether you have dependent children under 18.
Enlisted Veteran pay grades E-1 to E-9
Monthly payment rates
Effective December 1, 2023
Note: If you’re the surviving spouse of an aviation cadet or other service member not covered by this table, you’ll receive the DIC rate for enlisted E-3.
Veteran served as:
- Sergeant Major of the Army or Marine Corps, or
- Senior enlisted adviser of the Navy, or
- Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, or
- Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard
- The Veteran had a pay grade of E-1 to E-7, and
- The Veteran had a VA disability rating of totally disabling (including for individual unemployability) for at least the 8 full years leading up to their death, and
- You were married to the Veteran for those same 8 years
- The Veteran had a pay grade of E-8 or E-9, and
- The Veteran had a VA disability rating of totally disabling for at least the 8 full years leading up to their death, and
- You were married to the Veteran for those same 8 years
Warrant officer pay grades W-1 to W-4
- The Veteran had a VA disability rating of totally disabling (including for individual unemployability) for at least the 8 full years leading up to their death, and
- You were married to the Veteran for those same 8 years
Officer pay grades O-1 to O-10
Veteran served as:
- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or
- Chief of Staff of the Army or Air Force, or
- Chief of Naval Operations, or
- Commandant of the Marine Corps
- The Veteran had a pay grade of O-1 to O-3, and
- The Veteran had a VA service-connected disability rating of totally disabling (including for individual unemployability) for at least the 8 full years leading up to their death, and
- You were married to the Veteran for those same 8 years
Exampleof how to calculate your DIC payment
If you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran whose pay grade was E-3, your monthly rate would start at $1,612.75.
Then for each additional benefit you qualify for, you would add or adjust your monthly rate using the Added or increased amounts table.
In this example: We show the total monthly payment for someone with the E-3 monthly rate who qualifies for the 8-year provision and has 2 children under 18.
$1,612.75(monthly rate)
+ $342.46(8-year provision for E-3 pay grade)
+ $399.54(rate for first child under age 18)
+ $399.54(rate for second child under age 18)
= $2,754.29 total monthly payment
If you were the surviving spouse of a Veteran whose pay grade was E-9, and you qualified for the 8-year provision, and you had 2 dependent children under 18, you would calculate your monthly payment as in the example below.
$1,955.21(increased payment for Veteran with pay grade of E-8 or E-9, with 8-year provision)
+ $399.54(rate for first child under 18)
+ $399.54(rate for second child under 18)
= $2,754.29 total monthly payment
DIC rates if you’re the surviving child of a Veteran
Find the survivor status that applies to you.
Surviving, unmarried adult child of a Veteran, when the Veteran’s surviving spouse is also eligible for DIC
We make this monthly payment to you separately as the adult surviving child, in addition to the eligible surviving spouse’s compensation.
Monthly payment rates
Effective December 1, 2023
(An adult child who became permanently unable to support themselves before age 18) 680.94
Surviving eligible child of a Veteran, when the Veteran doesn’t have a surviving spouse who’s eligible for DIC
We’ll base your payment amount on the number of the Veteran’s eligible surviving children. You’re an eligible childif you meetat least one of the requirements listed below.
At least one of these must be true:
- You’re under 18, or
- You’re between 18 and 23 and in a VA-approved school program, or
- You’re permanently unable to support yourself due to a disability that happened before age 18 (we use the term“helpless child”)
Monthly payment rates
Effective December 1, 2023
Added amounts
- For each additional eligible child in a family of 10 or more children, add $242.91.
- For each helpless child over 18, add $399.54 to your monthly rate above. This will be yourtotal monthly payment. For example, if there are 2eligible surviving children, and one of them is a helpless child, the rate for that child would be $889.33($489.79+ $399.54).
How DIC may affect your VA Survivors Pension or Survivor Benefit Plan
How do my payments for DIC affect my ability to receive VA Survivors Pension?
If you’re eligible for both DIC and Survivors Pension benefits, we’ll pay you whichever benefit gives you the most money. You can’t get both.
Learn more about Survivors Pension benefits
Check current VA Survivors Pension benefit rates
What’s a Survivor Benefit Plan?
The Survivor Benefit Program is a voluntary annuity program that service members may buy as a retirement benefit for their family members. An annuity is a monthly payment received for life. Depending on their military service, members may use this program to buy a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) or Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP).
We don’t manage this program. It’s managed by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) at the Department of Defense.
If you have questions about your SBP or RCSBP payments, you can call DFAS at 800-321-1080(TTY: 711).They’re open Monday through Friday,8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.
Can I get SBP or RCSBP payments and DIC at the same time?
Yes. You can get a full SBP or RCSBP payment and a full DIC payment at the same time.
Note: In the past, DFAS reduced your SBP or RCSBP payments by a percentage of your DIC payment. This was called the “SBP-DIC Offset.” Starting on January 1, 2021, DFAS began reducing the offset in phases. On January 1, 2023, DFAS fully eliminated the offset. Survivors can now get full benefits for both programs.
Learn more about the end of the SBP-DIC Offset on the DFAS website
Past rates
Review VA DIC surviving spouse and child rates for past years.
2023 rates (effective December 1, 2022)
2022 rates (effective December 1, 2021)
2021 rates (effective December 1, 2020)
2020rates (effective December 1, 2019)
2019 rates (effective December 1, 2018)
2018 rates (effective December 1, 2017)
Full Title 38 regulations
Read the full regulations from Title 38 Code of Federal Regulations.
Full section
38 U.S.C. II Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (chapter 13, sections 1310 to 1318)
38 U.S.C 501(a) Subpart A—Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation
Details related to rates for surviving spouses and children
3.5 Dependency and indemnity compensation
3.10 Dependency and indemnity compensation rate for a surviving spouse
3.22 DIC benefits for survivors of certain Veterans rated totally disabled at time of death
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