Survivors' Pension
The Survivors Pension benefit, which may also be referred to as Death Pension, is a tax-free monetary benefit payable to a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse and/or unmarried child(ren) of a deceased Veteran with wartime service.
The deceased Veteran must have met the following service requirements:
Survivors Pension is also based on your yearly family income, which must be less than the amount set by Congress to qualify.
While an un-remarried spouse is eligible at any age, a child of a deceased wartime Veteran must be:
Your yearly family income must be less than the amount set by Congress to qualify for the Survivors Pension benefit. Learn more about income and net worth limitation, and see an example of how VA calculates the Survivors Pension benefit.
To apply for Survivors Pension, fill out and submit the Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, Death Pension and Accrued Benefits by Surviving Spouse or Child (VA Form 21-534) form. You can access this form by:
You must send the completed application and any copies of other documents to the VA regional office that serves your area of residence. Find the office of jurisdiction.