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Our Office

  • Belleville Office

    Address

    175 Second Street
    Belleville, Michigan 48111

    Fax

    800-971-4109

DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION (DIC) 

DIC is a tax-free monetary benefit  payable to an eligible surviving spouse, child, or parent of service members who died while on military duty or survivors of Veterans whose service-connected disability either caused or contributed to his/her death and died from their service-connected disabilities.  DIC is also available to a surviving spouse if the Veteran had been determined by VA to be totally disabled for a period of at least ten years prior to his/her death.

Once DIC is granted, the surviving dependent may also be eligible for educational assistance and health care benefits.


Eligibility (Surviving Spouse)

To qualify for DIC, a surviving spouse must meet the requirements below.

The surviving spouse was:

  • Married to a Service member who died on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, OR
  • Validly married the Veteran before January 1, 1957, OR
  • Married the Veteran within 15 years of discharge from the period of military service in which the disease or injury that caused the Veteran’s death began or was aggravated, OR
  • Was married to the Veteran for at least one year, OR
  • Had a child with the Veteran, AND
  • Cohabited with the Veteran continuously until the Veteran’s death or, if separated, was not at fault for the separation, AND
  • Is not currently remarried.

Eligibility (Surviving Child)

  • Not included on the surviving spouse’s DIC, AND
  • Unmarried, AND
  • Under age 18, or between the ages of 18 and 23 and attending school.


DIC AND MILITARY SURVIVOR BENEFITS PLAN BENEFITS

If a surviving spouse is eligible for DIC also receiving a military annuity through the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP), there may be an offset by the amount of DIC received.  However, beginning in 2021, the DIC offset will begin to be phased out.  Effective January 1, 2021, the SBP amount will be reduced by two-thirds of the amount of DIC received.  Beginning January 1, 2022, the offset will be reduced to one-third of the DIC amount and, in 2023, will be eliminated entirely. 

For a free, no obligation consultation, please call us at 1-800-971-4109 or contact us online.