Can a surviving spouse get both DIC and Survivors Pension?

No. A spouse can be approved for one or the other, not both at the same time, because they cover overlapping situations. The VA reviews the application and pays whichever benefit the spouse qualifies for; if eligible for both, it generally pays the higher of the two.

Does remarriage always end survivor benefits?

It depends on the benefit and the spouse's age at remarriage. DIC has age-based exceptions for remarriages on or after December 16, 2003 (age 57+) or January 5, 2021 (age 55+), while Survivors Pension does not carry the same exception.

Is a spouse automatically buried with the veteran in a national cemetery?

Eligibility exists, but burial still has to be scheduled through the specific national cemetery, and space in an already-used gravesite depends on what was arranged for the veteran. It is not automatic — the family needs to contact the cemetery directly.

What form does a spouse use to apply for DIC or Survivors Pension?

VA Form 21P-534EZ covers both DIC and Survivors Pension applications for surviving spouses. It can be submitted online, by mail to the Pension Intake Center in Janesville, Wisconsin, or with help from an accredited representative.

Does Survivors Pension amount change based on income?

Yes. Survivors Pension is means-tested, so the monthly payment is adjusted based on the spouse's countable income and net worth, and it can change if income changes after the initial award.

What Survivor Benefits Does a Veteran's Spouse Get?

When a veteran dies, the surviving spouse often qualifies for more than one VA benefit at the same time. The three that matter most are Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), Survivors Pension, and burial in a VA national cemetery. Each has its own rules, and qualifying for one doesn't automatically mean qualifying for the others.

What Is DIC and Who Qualifies?

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation is an untaxed monthly payment from the VA to eligible survivors of a veteran or service member. It is not based on income — it's based on the marriage and, in some cases, the cause of death.

To qualify, a surviving spouse must meet both of these conditions:

Living arrangement: The spouse lived with the veteran continuously until death, or was separated without fault on the spouse's part.
Marriage length: The spouse was married to the veteran within 15 years of the veteran's discharge from the service period during which the qualifying condition began, OR was married for at least 1 year, OR had a child together.

DIC does not require the veteran's death to be service-connected in every case, but the specific rate and qualifying category depend on details reviewed during the claims process. The VA publishes separate rate tables for DIC, so exact payment amounts should be checked directly at the DIC rate page rather than assumed from a prior year.

What Is VA Survivors Pension?

The Survivors Pension is a different benefit entirely. It's an income-based monthly payment for surviving spouses (and unmarried dependent children) of veterans who served during a wartime period. Unlike DIC, Survivors Pension is means-tested — your household income and net worth have to fall under limits set by Congress, and the VA recalculates the payment as your countable income changes.

To qualify, at least one of these service requirements must be met by the deceased veteran:

Entered active duty on or before September 7, 1980, and served at least 90 days, including at least 1 day during a covered wartime period, or
Entered active duty after September 7, 1980, and served at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty, with at least some wartime service, or
Was an officer who began service after October 16, 1981, without 24 months of prior active-duty service.

The spouse also cannot have remarried after the veteran's death, and the veteran cannot have received a dishonorable discharge. Because the maximum annual pension rate changes periodically, check the current figure directly on the VA's Survivors Pension page rather than relying on an older number.

How Do DIC and Survivors Pension Differ?

The short version: DIC is not income-based, Survivors Pension is. A spouse could qualify for one, both, or neither, depending on marriage circumstances, the veteran's service dates, and current household finances.

Benefit	Based On	Income-Tested?	Application Form
DIC	Marriage length/living arrangement, veteran's death circumstances	No	VA Form 21P-534EZ
Survivors Pension	Veteran's wartime service dates, spouse's income/net worth	Yes	VA Form 21P-534EZ
National Cemetery Burial	Veteran's discharge status, spouse/dependent relationship	No	Scheduled through the cemetery

Both DIC and Survivors Pension use the same application, VA Form 21P-534EZ, which can be filed online through the VA's QuickSubmit tool, mailed to the Pension Intake Center in Janesville, Wisconsin, or filed with help from an accredited VSO representative. A spouse can apply for both on the same form and let the VA determine which benefit — or benefits — apply.

What Burial Benefits Does a Surviving Spouse Get?

A veteran's spouse is generally eligible for burial in a VA national cemetery alongside the veteran, at no cost to the family for the gravesite, opening and closing of the grave, and perpetual care. The spouse may also be eligible for a government headstone or marker if not already provided by another source, and in some cases a burial flag is issued to the next of kin. These burial-related benefits belong to the veteran's eligibility, not the spouse's income or marital finances, so they don't get reduced by the same means-testing that applies to Survivors Pension.

Getting one benefit approved doesn't guarantee the others. Families sometimes assume one benefit covers everything, but it doesn't: a spouse can be approved for national cemetery burial and still not qualify for Survivors Pension if household income is too high, or qualify for DIC but not the pension because DIC has no income test.

What If the Spouse Remarries?

Remarriage generally stops DIC and Survivors Pension eligibility, but there are exceptions for DIC. A surviving spouse who remarries can keep receiving DIC if the remarriage happened on or after December 16, 2003, and the spouse was at least 57 years old, or if the remarriage happened on or after January 5, 2021, and the spouse was at least 55 years old. Survivors Pension eligibility ends upon remarriage without the same age-based exception, based on the VA's published rules for that benefit — confirm current treatment directly with the VA or an accredited representative before assuming either way, since these rules are updated periodically.

What to Do About It

Start by identifying which category applies: was the veteran's death connected to service, and did the veteran serve during a recognized wartime period? Those two questions point toward DIC, Survivors Pension, or both. Gather the marriage certificate, the veteran's discharge paperwork (see How Do I Get a Copy of My DD-214? if it's missing), and a copy of the death certificate before filing.

File VA Form 21P-534EZ as soon as possible — submitting an intent to file first can help preserve an earlier effective date for retroactive payments. If you're unsure whether the veteran's VA disability compensation affects survivor eligibility, or you haven't yet notified the VA of the death, handle those steps in parallel rather than waiting. An accredited Veterans Service Officer can review the file at no charge and help avoid a rejected or delayed claim.