VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation Rates

Current D.I.C. Rates For Spouses And Dependents | Veterans Affairs Skip to Content An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site. The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you're connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and sent securely. Talk to the Veterans Crisis Line now Family and caregiver benefits Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (D.I.C.) Spouse and dependent rates Past rates: 2025 Past rates: 2024 Past rates: 2023 Parent rates Past rates: 2025 Past rates: 2024 Past rates: 2023 Verify marital status for DIC benefits In this section Current D.I.C. rates for spouses and dependents Review 2026 VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (D.I.C.) 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, 2025. 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: $1,699.36 Effective December 1, 2025 You may also be eligible for added amounts based on certain factors. Find any descriptions in the table 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, 2025 If this description is true… You may qualify for this benefit Added monthly amount (in U.S. $) 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 8-year provision 360.85 You have a disability and need help with regular daily activities (like eating, bathing, or dressing) Aid and Attendance 421.00 You can’t leave your house due to a disability Housebound allowance 197.22 You have 1 or more children who are under 18 Transitional benefit, and D.I.C. apportionment rate 359.00 for the first 2 years after the Veteran’s death 421.00 for each eligible child Example of how to calculate your payment If you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran, your monthly rate would start at $1,699.36 . 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: $1,699.36 (monthly rate) + $421.00 (first child under 18) + $421.00 (second child under 18) + $360.85 (8-year provision) + $421.00 (Aid and Attendance) + $359.00 (transitional benefit for the first 2 years after the Veteran’s death) = $3,682.21 per month Total monthly payment after 2 years (when transitional benefit ends): $3,682.21 (monthly payment with transitional benefit) - $359.00 (transitional benefit) = $3,323.21 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 spouse rates 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 monthly payment. Surviving spouse, with or without dependent children To find your monthly payment, select 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 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, 2025 Note: If you’re the surviving spouse of an aviation cadet or other service member not covered by this table, you’ll receive the rate for enlisted E-3. Veteran’s pay grade Monthly payment (in U.S. $) E-1, E-2, E-3, E-4, E-5, E-6 1,699.36 E-7 1,758.09 E-8 1,856.02 E-9 regular 1,935.72 E-9 special capacity 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 2,089.58 If this description is true… We’ll adjust your monthly payment by this amount (in U.S. $) 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 Add $360.85 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 Increase payment to $2,060.20 You have 1 or more children who are under 18 Add $421.00 per child Warrant officer pay grades W-1 to W-4 Veteran’s pay grade Monthly payment (in U.S. $) W-1 1,794.49 W-2 1,865.80 W-3 1,920.33 W-4 2,032.23 If this description is true… We’ll adjust your monthly payment by this amount (in U.S. $) 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 Increase payment to $2,060.20 You have 1 or more children who are under 18 Add $421.00 per child Officer pay grades O-1 to O-10 Veteran’s pay grade Monthly payment (in U.S. $) O-1 1,794.49 O-2 1,856.02 O-3 1,983.26 O-4 2,102.15 O-5 2,313.37 O-6 2,608.49 O-7 2,815.45 O-8 3,092.41 O-9 3,307.79 O-10 regular 3,628.08 O-10 special capacity 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 3,893.83 If this description is true… We’ll adjust your monthly payment by this amount (in U.S. $) 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 Increase payment to $2,060.20 You have 1 or more children who are under 18 Add $421.00 per child Example of how to calculate your monthly payment If you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran whose pay grade was E-3, your monthly rate would start at $1,699.36 . 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. $1,699.36 (monthly rate) + $360.85 (8-year provision for E-3 pay grade) + $421.00 (rate for first child under age 18) + $421.00 (rate for second child under age 18) = $2,902.21 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 this example: $2,060.21 (increased payment for Veteran with pay grade of E-8 or E-9, with 8-year provision) + $421.00 (rate for first child under 18) + $421.00 (rate for second child under 18) = $2,902.21 total monthly payment Monthly 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 Dependency and Indemnity Compensation 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, 2025 Child status Monthly payment (in U.S. $) Child between 18 and 23 who’s in a qualified school program 356.66 Helpless child over 18 (An adult child who became permanently unable to support themselves before age 18) 717.50 Surviving eligible child of a Veteran, when the Veteran doesn’t have a surviving spouse who’s eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation We’ll base your payment amount on the number of the Veteran’s eligible surviving children. You’re an eligible child if you meet at least 1 of these requirements. At least 1 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, 2025 Number of Veteran’s eligible children Monthly rate for each child (in U.S. $) Total monthly payment (in U.S. $) 1 717.50 717.50 2 516.09 1,032.18 3 448.97 1,346.92 4 400.72 1,602.87 5 371.76 1,858.82 6 352.46 2,114.77 7 338.67 2,370.72 8 328.33 2,626.67 9 320.29 2,882.62 Added amounts For each additional eligible child in a family of 10 or more children, add $255.95. For each helpless child over 18, add $421 to your monthly rate above. This will be your total monthly payment. For example, if there are 2 eligible surviving children, and 1 of them is a helpless child, the rate for that child would be $937.09 ($516.09 + $421). How Dependency and Indemnity Compensation may affect your VA Survivors Pension or Survivor Benefit Plan How do my payments for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation affect my ability to receive VA Survivors Pension? If you’re eligible for both Dependency and Indemnity Compensation 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 Defense Department. If you have questions about your SBP or RCSBP payments, you can call DFAS at (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 Dependency and Indemnity Compensation at the same time? Yes. You can get a full SBP or RCSBP payment and a full Dependency and Indemnity Compensation payment at the same time. Note: In the past, DFAS reduced your SBP or RCSBP payments by a percentage of your Dependency and Indemnity Compensation payment. This was called the “SBP-D.I.C. 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-D.I.C. Offset on the DFAS website Past rates Review surviving spouse and child rates for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for past years. 2025 rates (effective December 1, 2024) 2024 rates (effective December 1, 2023) 2023 rates (effective December 1, 2022) 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 D.I.C. benefits for survivors of certain Veterans rated totally disabled at time of death Other information you may need If you’re the surviving spouse or child of a Veteran with wartime service, find out if you’re eligible for monthly pension benefits based on your income and net worth. Find out if you may qualify for healthcare benefits through a program such as CHAMPVA or the Defense Department’s TRICARE program. Find out if you may be eligible for education benefits or job training through a GI Bill program. Learn how to apply for and manage other benefits available to the family members of Veterans and service members. Find past rates (back to 1977) on the KnowVA website. Last updated: September 22, 2026