Summary

GAO was asked by a congressional committee to provide information on the restoration of death benefits to veterans' widows after their remarriages terminate.

GAO stated that death benefits are stopped when a veteran's widow remarries but, if the remarriage is terminated, the widow is entitled to restoration of benefits. GAO estimated that the Veterans Administration (VA) paid $6 million in fiscal year 1982 to almost 2,000 widows whose benefits were restored sometime during that year. If the widows had received benefits for a full year, VA would have paid them about $9.4 million.