Death Pension
VA provides
pensions to low-income surviving spouses and unmarried children of deceased veterans with wartime service.
Eligibility
To be eligible, spouses must
not have remarried and children must be under age 18, or under age 23 if attending a VA-approved school, or have become permanently
incapable of self-support because of disability before age 18. The veteran must have been discharged under conditions other
than dishonorable and must have had 90 days or more of active military service, at least one day of which was during a period
of war, or a service-connected disability justifying discharge. Longer periods of service may be required for veterans who
entered active duty on or after Sept. 8, 1980,
or Oct. 16, 1981, if an officer. If the veteran
died in service but not in the line of duty, the death pension may be payable if the veteran completed at least two years
of honorable service. Children who become incapable of self-support because of a disability before age 18 may be eligible
for the death pension as long as the condition exists, unless the child marries or the child’s income exceeds the applicable
limit.
A surviving
spouse may be entitled to a higher income limit if living in a nursing home, in need of the aid and attendance of another
person or is permanently housebound. Payment The death pension provides a monthly payment to bring an eligible person’s income to a level
established by law. The payment is reduced by the annual income from other sources such as Social Security. The payment may
be increased if the recipient has unreimbursed medical expenses that can be deducted from countable income.
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