Veterans’ Benefits: Dependency and
Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

Christine Scott
Specialist in Social Policy
February 1, 2011
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R40757
CRS Report for Congress
P
repared for Members and Committees of Congress

Veterans’ Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

Summary
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers directly, or in conjunction with other
federal agencies, programs that provide benefits and other services to veterans and their spouses,
dependents, and beneficiaries.
One of the benefits administered by the VA is Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)
for survivors of certain servicemembers and veterans. DIC is a monthly tax-free cash payment
to survivors and dependents of servicemembers killed while on active military duty, and for
survivors and dependents of certain veterans. Survivors of veterans who die from service-related
conditions are eligible for DIC. Survivors of veterans who die from non-service-connected
conditions may be eligible for DIC if the veteran was eligible for, or was receiving, disability
compensation as totally disabled (a 100% rating) for a period of time (specified in statute)
before the veteran’s death.
Several policy issues are associated with DIC, including the DIC offset of Survivor Benefit Plan
(military retirement survivor) payments, often referred to as the “widow’s tax”; adequacy of the
payments for survivors compared with other retirement systems payments to surviving spouses;
the remarriage age of 57; length of time for a totally disabled rating for non-service-connected
deaths to qualify for DIC; and maximum DIC payment for parents based on income levels that
have not been adjusted for inflation.
This report outlines the eligibility requirements and benefit levels for DIC and related policy
issues. This report will be updated as needed for legislative changes and additional information.

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Veterans’ Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

Contents
Eligibility Requirements ............................................................................................................. 1
Veteran Eligibility ................................................................................................................. 1
Recipient Eligibility .............................................................................................................. 2
Surviving Spouses........................................................................................................... 3
Surviving Children.......................................................................................................... 3
Surviving Parents............................................................................................................ 3
Monthly Benefit Amounts ........................................................................................................... 4
Surviving Spouses................................................................................................................. 4
Surviving Children................................................................................................................ 4
Surviving Parents.................................................................................................................. 4
Application Process .................................................................................................................... 5
Use of DIC in FY2008 ................................................................................................................ 5
Policy Issues Related to DIC ....................................................................................................... 6
DIC and SBP Offset .............................................................................................................. 7
DIC Percentage of Income Compared with Other Pension Programs ..................................... 7
DIC Remarriage Age............................................................................................................. 8
Disability Requirement for Non-Service-Connected Deaths................................................... 8
Maximum Benefit for Dependent Parents .............................................................................. 8
Legislative History...................................................................................................................... 8

Tables
Table 1. DIC Recipients by State and Category for FY2008......................................................... 5

Contacts
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 10
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... 10

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Veterans’ Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

he Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers directly, or in conjunction with other federal
agencies, several benefits for surviving spouses, children, and dependent parents of
T deceased veterans to provide them with financial, educational, and emotional support.
Among these various programs, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a monthly
tax-free cash payment for eligible surviving spouses, children, and dependent parents.
DIC has been paid in some form (monthly cash payments or insurance benefits) to survivors since
the Revolutionary War. There were modifications after each war until the 1950s, when the federal
government mandated a more streamlined process that created the system used currently for
survivors of veterans and military servicemen.
Several policy issues are associated with DIC, including the DIC offset of Survivor Benefit Plan
(military retirement survivor) payments, often referred to as the “widow’s tax”; adequacy of the
payments for surviving spouses compared with the payments made by retirement systems to
surviving spouses; remarriage age of 57; length of time for a totally disabled rating for non-
service-connected deaths to qualify for DIC; and maximum DIC payment for parents based on
income levels that have not been adjusted for inflation.
This report outlines the eligibility requirements and benefit levels for DIC and the policy issues
associated with DIC.
Eligibility Requirements
The eligibility for DIC by survivors is based on (1) the eligibility of the veteran, which is
determined by the circumstances of the veteran’s death and his or her disability compensation
rating; and (2) the survivor meeting certain criteria related to either relationship to the veteran,
age, or income.
Veteran Eligibility
The recipients of DIC must be the survivors of qualifying veterans. By statute, a “veteran” is
defined as a “person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was
discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable.” DIC is paid to
eligible survivors for three categories of veterans whose deaths fit one of the following
circumstances:
1. veterans who died on active duty,1 active duty for training, or inactive duty for
training;
2. veterans who died due to service-connected disabilities;2 or

1 Active duty is considered to include (1) full-time service in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Coast
Guard, other than active duty for training (38 U.S.C. § 101(21)(A); 38 C.F.R. § 3.6(b)(1)); (2) full-time service as a
commissioned officer in the Public Health Service ( 38 U.S.C. § 101(21)(B); 38 C.F.R. § 3.6(b)(2)); (3) full-time
service as a commissioned officer at the Coast and Geodetic Survey, Environmental Services Administration, or
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (38 U.S.C. § 101(21)(C); 38 C.F.R. § 3.6(b)(3)); (4) service as a
cadet at a military academy (38 U.S.C. § 101(21)(D); 38 C.F.R. § 3.6(b)(4)); (5) attendance by active-duty members at
certain prep schools associated with military academies (38 C.F.R. § 3.6(b)(5)); and (6) authorized travel to or from
such duty or service (38 U.S.C. § 101(21)(E); 38 C.F.R. § 3.6(b)(6)).
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Veterans’ Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

3. veterans who died from non-service-related causes not as a result of willful
misconduct and were receiving, or eligible to receive, disability compensation
from the VA for service-connected disabilities rated at 100% subject to the
following stipulations:3
• the disabilities were rated as 100% disabled for 10 years or more prior to
death;
• the disabilities were rated as 100% since discharge or release from active
duty for at least five years prior to death; or
• the veterans were prisoners of war who had service-connected
disabilities rated at 100% for at least one year prior to death after
September 30, 1999.4
The Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-275) expanded the criteria for survivors of
veterans who were prisoners of war and died from non-service-related causes by
eliminating the requirement that the veteran had to have service-connected disabilities
rated at 100% disabled for one year prior to death.
The VA determines the eligibility of veterans and their entitlement to disability compensation
through evidence found in military department service records and circumstances of death.5
What is a “Veteran” for the Purposes of VA Benefits?
Federal statutes define “veteran” as a “person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was
discharged or released there from under conditions other than dishonorable.” [38 U.S.C. § 101(2); 38 C.F.R. § 3.1(d)].
The VA largely bases its determination of veteran status upon military department service records. In addition to the
member’s service records, other factors affect his or her classification as a “veteran” and may affect future benefits.
These factors include the following:
Discharge criteria: (38 U.S.C. § 101(2); 38 C.F.R. § 3.1(d)).
Active military, naval or air service: (38 U.S.C. § 101(2); 38 C.F.R. § 3.1(d)).
Whether the service was during “time of war:” (38 U.S.C. § 101(6)-(11); 38 C.F.R. § 3.2).
Minimum active-duty service requirement: (38 U.S.C. § 5303A 38, C.F.R. § 3.12A).
After it has been proved that the discharged servicemember meets these criteria, he or she is considered to be a
“veteran,” and may be eligible for certain benefits relating to health care, education, and other services provided by
the VA.
(Information provided by Douglas Reid Weimer, legislative attorney, American Law Division, CRS.)
Recipient Eligibility
The dependents of veterans are not generally entitled to all benefits administered by the VA, but
some benefits are available based on the relationship the dependent may have had with the

(...continued)
2 A service-connected disability is defined in 38 U.S.C. §101(16).
3 Eligibility for non-service-connected deaths of certain veterans rated totally disabled was added by P.L. 100-687.
4 38 U.S.C. § 1318.
5 For more information regarding VA disability requirements, see CRS Report RL33113, Veterans Affairs: Basic
Eligibility for Disability Benefit Programs
, by Douglas Reid Weimer.
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veteran. If the eligibility criteria for DIC related to the veteran’s death are met, the survivors also
have certain criteria to meet to be eligible for DIC. There are three different groups of recipients:
spouses, children, and dependent parents of deceased veterans. Each group has specific eligibility
requirements.
Surviving Spouses
A surviving spouse is eligible if he or she
• was married to the veteran for at least one year before the veteran’s
death,6 or
• has a child with the veteran, or
• if the veteran left the military due to a service-connected disability, the
marriage was within 15 years of the discharge;
• cohabited with the veteran for the duration of the marriage unless the
couple underwent a period of separation that was not the fault of the
surviving spouse; and
• has not remarried before reaching the age of 57.7
Surviving Children
Surviving children8 are eligible for DIC if they are independent of the surviving spouse,
unmarried, and below the age of 18. If they are aged 18 to 23, they must be pursuing an approved
course of education to be eligible for DIC.9 Children who are permanently incapable of
supporting themselves at the age of 18 or older remain entitled to DIC.10
Surviving Parents
Surviving parents are required to provide evidence of financial dependence on the deceased
veteran before becoming eligible for DIC. This evidence is gained through a calculation of
countable income11 by the VA that cannot exceed the amounts outlined in the Income for VA
Purposes (IVAP) tables.12

6 This requirement does not exist for surviving spouses of a servicemember killed on active military duty.
7 Congress passed the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2003, which allowed surviving spouse to remarry after the age of 57.
P.L. 108-183; 38 U.S.C §§103, 1304.
8 Definitions of who is considered a child for the purpose of VA benefits are outlined in 38 U.S.C § 101 (4).
9 Students receiving DIC are not able to concurrently receive education benefits under the G.I. Bill or from the VA
Survivors’ and Dependents Educational Assistance Program under 38 USC § 3562.
10 38 U.S.C §§ 1313, 1314.
11 Exclusions for countable income are outlined in 38 CFR § 3.272, available at http://law.justia.com/us/cfr/title38/38-
1.0.1.1.4.1.62.101.html.
12 The applicable rate table can be found at VA’s website, at http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/comp04.htm#BMC1.
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Veterans’ Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

Monthly Benefit Amounts
Surviving Spouses
Surviving spouses receive monthly benefits at a current base rate of $1,154 if the veteran died on
or after January 1, 1993.13 Otherwise, payment is based on the veteran’s pay grade at the time of
death with the current lowest rate being $1,154.14 A higher amount may be provided to the
surviving spouse for several reasons:
• if the veteran, eight years before death was receiving or entitled to
receive disability compensation for a service-connected disability rated at
totally disabled (100%);15
• if the surviving spouse has dependent children; or
• if the surviving spouse has a disability that requires aid and assistance or
is permanently housebound.
If all of these factors are considered, a surviving spouse could currently receive a total of up to
$1,686, along with $286 for each dependent child under the age of 18.16 There is also an
additional benefit provided for spouses with dependent children under 18 for a two-year period or
until the children reach 18 years of age to ease the transition of the surviving spouse and children
to their new income levels.17
Surviving Children
Surviving children under the age of 18, or under the age of 23 if they are students, who are
independent of the surviving spouse, are entitled to DIC in the following current monthly
amounts: one child receives $488, two children receive $701, three children receive $915 and
more than three children receive $915 with an additional $174 for each additional child past three.
If a child is permanently incapable of self-support before the age of 18, the child remains eligible
for DIC past the age of 18.
Surviving Parents
Under current law, the maximum allowable DIC for surviving dependent parents is reduced for
countable income above $800, or $1,000 if both parents are a married couple. Monthly benefits
received by parents fluctuate by income.18 In the case of a sole surviving parent, the monthly DIC
benefit ranges between $5 and $569. For parents who are still married to each other or have

13 All benefits listed are adjusted for cost of living expenses coinciding with the percentage decided for Social Security
benefits in accordance with 38 U.S.C § 1303.
14 See rate tables at http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/comp03.htm#BM03.
15 Only the time period for which the veteran was married to the surviving spouse counts toward the eight-year
requirement.
16 See http://www1.va.gov/opa/Is1/11.asp.
17 38 U.S.C § 1311(f).
18 To see income level rate charts, visit http://www.vba.va.gov/BLN/21/Rates/comp04.htm#BMC3.
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Veterans’ Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

remarried other individuals, the range is between $5 and $387. For parents who are not living
with each other or different spouses, the range is between $5 and $412.
Application Process
To claim DIC benefits, a survivor is to complete and submit to the local VA office VA Form 21-
534a and Department of Defense (DD) Form 1300, Report of Casualty.19 The effective date of
DIC entitlement is the first day of the month that the death occurred for claims filed within one
year of the death. After one year, the DIC entitlement starts on the date the claim is received by
the VA.20
Use of DIC in FY2008
In FY2008, 320,975 spouses, children, and parents of veterans received more than $4.6 billion in
DIC.21 On average, each survivor received $13,938 in annual compensation. Children recipients
received an average of $6,662 in annual compensation.22 Table 1 shows DIC recipients by state
and category for FY2008.
Table 1. DIC Recipients by State and Category for FY2008
State Spouses
Children
Parents
Total
Alabama 8,342
706
200
9,248
Alaska 587
99
7
693
Arizona 7,226
545
61
7,832
Arkansas 5,303
434
114
5,851
California 27,796
2,117
334
30,247
Colorado 5,510
489
51
6,050
Connecticut 1,866
111
16
1,993
Delaware 887
88
10
985
District of Columbia
517
38
17
572
Florida 26,952
1,738
298
28,988
Georgia 13,296
1,346
258
14,900
Hawai
1,641
160
22
1,823
Idaho 1,509
135
13
1,657
Illinois 5,844 553 110 6,507
Indiana 4,438
425
63
4,926
Iowa 2,244
221
22
2,487
Kansas 2,863
295
30
3,188
Kentucky 5,379
569
109
6,057
Louisiana 5,082
471
158
5,711
Maine 1,898
136
37
2,071

19 To download VA Form 21-534a, go to this link, http://www.vba.va.gov/survivors/21-534a.pdf. For parental DIC,
download VA Form 21-535 at http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-535-ARE.pdf. The Department of Defense
Form 1300 is located at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd1300.pdf.
20 38 U.S.C § 5110.
21 Department of Veterans Affairs, Annual Benefits Report FY2008, available at http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/abr/
2008_abr.pdf.
22 Ibid.
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Veterans’ Benefits: Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) for Survivors

State Spouses
Children
Parents
Total
Maryland 5,407
509
63
5,979
Massachusetts 5,899
378
50
6,327
Michigan 6,711
678
107
7,496
Minnesota 3,918
282
50
4,250
Mississippi 4,194
400
147
4,741
Missouri 6,030
495
80
6,605
Montana 1,080
127
9
1,216
Nebraska 1,971
149
27
2,147
Nevada 2,596
197
6
2,799
New Hampshire
1,345
72
7
1,424
New Jersey
5,278
370
45
5,693
New Mexico
2,919
236
66
3,221
New York
10,493
893
218
11,604
North Carolina
13,643
1,452
320
15,415
North Dakota
577
74
10
661
Ohio 8,835
806
151
9,792
Oklahoma 7,355
585
87
8,027
Oregon 4,146
322
21
4,489
Pennsylvania 10,468
851
144
11,463
Puerto Rico
2,961
322
273
3,556
Rhode Island
1,115
93
11
1,219
South Carolina
7,111
632
157
7,900
South Dakota
950
89
11
1,050
Tennessee 8,171
772
181
9,124
Texas 29,619
2,708
442
32,769
Utah 1,501
214
16
1,731
Vermont 616
53
9
678
Virginia 12,262
1,248
132
13,642
Washington 8,759
694
55
9,508
West Virginia
2,717
251
43
3,011
Wisconsin 3,964
337
49
4,350
Wyoming 543
42
5
590
Territories & Other
8,641
1,009
203
9,853
U.S. Total
320,975
28,016
5,125
354,116
Source: Table prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) using data from the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA).
Policy Issues Related to DIC
Several policy issues are associated with DIC, including the DIC offset of Survivor Benefit Plan
(military retirement survivor) payments, often referred to as the “widow’s tax”; adequacy of the
payments for survivors compared to other retirement systems’ payments to surviving spouses;
remarriage age of 57; length of time for a totally disabled rating for non-service-connected deaths
to qualify for DIC; and maximum DIC payment for parents based on income levels that have not
been adjusted for inflation.
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DIC and SBP Offset
The Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) is a form of insurance provided by the Department of Defense
to military retirees that does not require service-connected death or disability for survivors to
receive payments.23 A military retiree elects to have lower monthly retirement pay—the insurance
premium for SBP is taken from retirement pay—to ensure that his or her survivors can receive a
monthly payment after his or her death. However, this income is taxable, whereas DIC is tax-free.
If the survivor of a military retiree is also eligible for and receives DIC, the SBP payment is
reduced dollar for dollar by the DIC amount (but not below zero).24
DIC Percentage of Income Compared with Other Pension Programs
There is a disparity between the percentage of income a DIC recipient is paid and the percentages
given to recipients of retirement and pension plans. Currently, an eligible surviving spouse would
receive a basic DIC benefit of $1,154 monthly. This is 40.8% of the basic compensation rate for a
veteran with a spouse receiving disability compensation at the 100% disabled rating. This has
called into question the adequacy of DIC payments.
Private pension plans are required to pay 50% of their benefit to surviving spouses, but retirees in
some plans may elect to give their surviving spouses a larger percentage. As a result of the
variance in pension plans, benefits, and survivor options, it is difficult to discern what the average
pension benefit for a surviving spouse in the private sector might be. SBP recipients receive 55%
of the military retiree’s retirement pay.25 Federal employee pension plans provide 55% of
retirement pay, or 50% of retirement pay along with an initial lump-sum payment, depending on
the plan.26
Low-income elderly or disabled veterans may be eligible for the Improved Disability Pension. In
the event of their death, the surviving spouse may be eligible for the Improved Death Pension
Benefit. The surviving spouse would receive, under the Improved Death Pension, about 51.2% of
the veteran’s Improved Disability Pension benefit.27
As a percentage of 100% disability compensation, DIC is below the 50% or more level for
survivors associated with other retirement or pension benefits. However, unlike pension benefits,
DIC is not structured as a percentage of the disability compensation received by the veteran.
Under the current DIC structure, the surviving spouse of a veteran who died with a disability
rating of less than 70% would receive more in DIC than the veteran received in disability
compensation while alive (based on the current disability compensation rates for a veteran with a
spouse). If DIC were 50% of the disability compensation received by the veteran, a survivor
would receive a basic monthly benefit (based on the veteran’s disability rating) ranging from $62

23 For more information on the Survivor Benefit Plan, see CRS Report RL32769, Military Death Benefits: Status and
Proposals
, by David F. Burrelli and Jennifer R. Corwell.
24 Survivors who remarry at the age of 57 or older may retain DIC benefits, and for them no other federal benefit
including SBP can be reduced.
25 For additional information regarding veterans pension programs, see CRS Report RS22804, Veterans’ Benefits:
Pension Benefit Programs
, by Christine Scott and Carol D. Davis.
26 For more information on survivor benefits for federal employees, see CRS Report RS21029, Survivor Benefits for
Families of Civilian Federal Employees and Retirees
, by Katelin P. Isaacs.
27 If both pension payments were received at their maximum rates (which would be dependent on income levels).
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to $1,412.28 This range exists because a veteran could die from a service-connected condition that
is rated at less than 100%.
DIC Remarriage Age
Until 2003, a surviving spouse could not remarry and continue to receive DIC benefits. That
changed with the enactment of the Veterans Benefits Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-183), which allowed
a surviving spouse at aged 57 or older to remarry and keep DIC benefits. However, surviving
spouses who do not remarry will continue to have their military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
reduced by their DIC benefits. For the military Survivor Benefit Plan and for federal employees,
the remarriage age is 55 for retaining benefits, and for Social Security beneficiaries, the
remarriage age is 60. The difference in ages for remarriage means that a remarried surviving
spouse may not be able to keep all of his or her benefits if he or she remarries.
Disability Requirement for Non-Service-Connected Deaths
As stated earlier (see “Eligibility Requirements” section), if a veteran’s death was not service-
connected, the veteran must have been receiving, or been eligible to receive, disability
compensation as 100% disabled for 10 years or more prior to death to enable a survivor to be
eligible for DIC. Some totally disabled veterans have expressed concern that their surviving
spouses would not receive a benefit if they die from non-service-connected causes if they have
not been totally disabled for at least 10 years. The 10-year disability requirement for non-service-
connected deaths can be viewed as a measure of the survivor’s dependence on the veteran’s
disability compensation. This view assumes that the longer the veteran was disabled, the more
dependent the survivors were on the veteran’s disability compensation as a replacement of the
veteran’s earnings.
Maximum Benefit for Dependent Parents
For survivors, income is not a factor in DIC eligibility unless the survivor is a dependent parent.
The maximum DIC amount payable to parents is only for parents below a stationary income
level: $800 for a single parent and $1,000 for a married couple. These amounts were enacted into
law in 1968 and unlike other income levels related to benefits, they have not been adjusted for
inflation. The $800 limitation in 1968 is equivalent to $4,958 in 2009. This means that dependent
parents over time may see reductions in DIC as their incomes increase due to cost of living
adjustments in their other income, because the $800 and $1,000 income limitations for DIC are
not adjusted for inflation.
Legislative History
DIC has been paid in some form to survivors since the Revolutionary War. At that time, women
and children survivors of officers received a seven-year pension amounting to half of the officer’s
entitled pay (according to a 1780 act of the Continental Congress).29

28 Fifty percent of the disability compensation for a veteran with a spouse.
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During the Civil War, survivor compensation was expanded to cover all servicemembers at a rate
that would be payable to totally disabled veterans.30 The Civil War also lead to other changes to
survivor compensation, especially for survivors of servicemembers with service-connected
disabilities. They were covered under the Act of July 14, 1862, which was referred to as General
Law and amended various times in the 19th century.
In 1917, Congress passed the War Risk Insurance Act to eliminate the need for non-service
pensions and highlighted that service-connected payments for death and disability were
compensation payments.31 The act changed the system to meet the current needs of World War I
veterans and their survivors and eliminated the pay discrepancy between officers and soldiers.32
The Servicemen’s Indemnity Act of 1951 replaced this life insurance system with a new system
where the servicemembers did not contribute to the insurance program, but the government
provided monthly payments to eligible survivors of $120 with a 2.25% increase per year until a
$10,000 insurance maximum was reached.33 Potentially eligible survivors included spouses,
children, parents, and siblings.
Because legislation had been written in response to need, dependency and indemnity
compensation was unorganized and administered by four different administrations by the mid-
1950s, and congressional and executive committees were formed to make the issuance of
compensation more streamlined and manageable.34 Death compensation was set up similar to the
way it is now by the time the final report of the President’s Commission on Veterans’ Pensions,
Veterans’ Benefits in the United States: Report to the President by the President’s Commission of
Veterans Pensions
(hereafter referred to as the Bradley Report) was written in 1956.35 Death
compensation was provided to survivors (except for dependent parents) regardless of income. The
rate of compensation depended on whether the veteran served in peacetime or wartime.
In 1969, after review of the Bradley Report, recommendations from a commission headed by
Robert M. McCurdy in 1967,36 and extensive testimony from several other federal
administrations and veterans service organizations, Congress devised a different, more equitable
system for survivor compensation that gave fixed rates to each pay grade. The base rate was
adjusted for a cost-of-living increase to reflect changes in the cost-of-living since the last base
rate had been determined in 1956, 13 years earlier.37 In 1969, years of service were no longer a

(...continued)
29 Omar N. Bradley, Clarence G. Adamy, and William J. Donovan, et al., Veterans’ Benefits in the United States: A
Report to President by the President’s Commission on Veterans’ Pensions
, The Bradley Commission, Washington DC,
April 1956. (Hereafter referred to as the Bradley Report.)
30 Ibid.
31 P.L. 65-105.
32 Ibid.
33 P.L. 82-23.
34 Sen. Bob Graham, “Honor the DIC commitment,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, vol. 137 (November
12, 1991), pp. S16332-S16338.
35 Bradley Report (Washington DC: April 1956), pp. 33-52.
36 Sen. Bob Graham, “Honor the DIC commitment,” remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, vol. 137 (November
12, 1991), pp. 31116-31123.
37 Ibid.
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factor in determining DIC.38 There were no subsequent changes of significance to DIC legislation
until 1993, when the rate tables for surviving spouses were eliminated and one flat monthly rate
was reinstated.39 In 2003, surviving spouses who remarried after reaching the age of 57 were able
to retain DIC.40

Author Contact Information

Christine Scott

Specialist in Social Policy
cscott@crs.loc.gov, 7-7366


Acknowledgments
This report was written by Jayla L. Randleman, a former intern with the Congressional Research Service.
All questions should be directed to the current author.


38 Ibid.
39 P.L. 102-568.
40 P.L. 108-183.
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