VA Benefits for Family Members: What Spouses, Children and Survivors Can Claim

VA has about 10 separate family programs, each with its own rules. VA's family and caregiver benefits hub sorts them by relationship: spouse, dependent child, surviving spouse, surviving child, surviving parent and caregiver.

Definitions that come up on almost every form:

• Spouse. A current legal spouse, including same-sex and common-law marriages. A former spouse is not a dependent after divorce.
• Dependent child. Unmarried and under 18, between 18 and 23 and in school, or permanently disabled before 18. The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) ends at 18 unless the child is in school, and at 23 in every case.
• Surviving spouse. The spouse at the time of death who has not remarried, with age exceptions (55 for CHAMPVA and DIC, 57 for the home loan) set by each program.
• Caregiver. An adult family member, or someone who lives full time with the veteran, who provides personal care.

Most family benefits switch on at 1 of 3 points: a combined rating of 30% or higher (added compensation), a permanent and total (P&T) rating (CHAMPVA, Chapter 35, most state benefits), or a service-connected death (DIC, CHAMPVA, education, home loan).

Source: https://www.va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/, checked September 2026.

VA health care enrollment covers the veteran only. The family program is CHAMPVA, under 38 U.S.C. 1781 and 38 CFR 17.271.

You may be eligible for CHAMPVA if at least 1 of these is true:

• you are the spouse or dependent child of a veteran rated permanently and totally disabled from a service-connected disability, or
• you are the surviving spouse or child of a veteran who died from a service-connected disability, or who was rated P&T at death, or
• you are the surviving spouse or child of a service member who died in the line of duty, not due to misconduct, or
• you are a Primary Family Caregiver approved under the caregiver program (below) with no other health plan.

And in every case, you are not eligible for TRICARE. VA's wording: "If you're eligible for or enrolled in TRICARE, you can't get CHAMPVA benefits." TRICARE sponsors are "active duty, retired, and National Guard and Reserve members," so a military retiree's family uses TRICARE, whatever the VA rating.

CHAMPVA has no premium. You pay a $50 per person ($100 per family) deductible each calendar year, then 25% of the CHAMPVA allowable amount, until your household hits the $3,000 yearly cap. If you are eligible for Medicare, you must keep Part A and Part B; dropping Part B ends CHAMPVA the same day. The spouse health coverage guide covers Medicare, divorce and remarriage, and the children's health coverage guide covers age limits. To choose between CHAMPVA, TRICARE, an employer plan, the Marketplace and Medicaid or CHIP, see the family coverage options guide.

VA runs 3 education benefits for family members, and a fourth comes from the Department of Defense.

Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA, Chapter 35) is for the child or spouse of a veteran who is P&T from a service-connected disability, died from one, died in the line of duty, or was missing in action or captured for more than 90 days.

Source: https://www.va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/education-and-careers/dependents-education-assistance/rates/, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026.

You get up to 36 months if your training started on or after August 1, 2018 (45 months if before). For qualifying events before August 1, 2023, children generally have 8 years to use it before age 26 and spouses had 10 years; for events on or after that date there is no time limit. The Chapter 35 guide has the full rules.

The Fry Scholarship is for the child or surviving spouse of a service member who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001. It works like the Post-9/11 GI Bill: up to 36 months of tuition and fees paid to the school, plus housing and a books stipend. VA says "you can use only 1 program at a time," so a survivor eligible for both Fry and Chapter 35 picks 1. Both use VA Form 22-5490.

Post-9/11 GI Bill transfer is the only education route for the family of a living veteran who is not P&T. The member must have "completed at least 6 years of service," "agree to add 4 more years," and request it through milConnect while still serving. The Department of Defense decides, not VA. Up to 36 months can go to a spouse, children or a mix; a child can start only after the member completes 10 years of service and must be younger than 26. The transfer of benefits guide covers the process; the GI Bill guide covers what it pays.

The SpouseWorks Scholarship (formerly MyCAA) is a Department of Defense program. It gives the spouse of an active-duty, Guard or reserve member on qualifying Title 10 orders "up to $4,000" toward a license, certification or associate degree. The education assistance guide for spouses and dependents compares all 4.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monthly payment to the surviving spouse, child or dependent parent when the veteran died on active duty, died from a service-connected condition, or had a total rating for at least 10 years before death (5 years if rated since discharge, 1 year for a former prisoner of war).

Source: https://www.va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/survivor-compensation/dependency-indemnity-compensation/survivor-rates/, effective December 1, 2025.

Survivors Pension is the needs-based alternative when the death was not service-connected. It requires wartime service, a surviving spouse who has not remarried, and income and net worth under VA's limits. For December 1, 2025 through November 30, 2026 the maximum annual pension rate for a surviving spouse with no dependents is $11,699, and the net worth limit is $163,699.

Both are claimed on VA Form 21P-534EZ; VA pays 1 or the other, never both. The DIC guide has the full rate tables, and the survivor benefits guide has a first-30-days checklist and the remarriage rules.

The Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) pays a family member who provides daily personal care. The veteran may be eligible if all of these are true:

• they have a VA disability rating, alone or combined, of 70% or higher, and
• they were discharged or have a medical discharge date, and
• they need "at least 6 months of continuous, in-person personal care services," and
• they are enrolled in VA health care.

The caregiver must be 18 or older and either a family member or someone who lives full time with the veteran. The Primary Family Caregiver gets a monthly stipend, CHAMPVA if they have no other health plan, at least 30 days of respite care a year, counseling, training and travel reimbursement.

Under 38 CFR 71.15, the stipend is the federal General Schedule grade 4, step 1 annual rate for the veteran's locality, divided by 12, then adjusted by level of care. The caregiver support guide shows the 2026 math and the 2 stipend levels. Veteran and caregiver apply together on VA Form 10-10CG, and VA says it will assign the caregiver "no later than 90 days after we get your application."

Dependents added to compensation. A veteran with a combined rating of at least 30% gets a higher monthly payment for a spouse, children and dependent parents; 10% and 20% ratings carry no add-on. The veteran files VA Form 21-686c on VA's add dependents page (21-674 for a child 18 to 23 in school, 21P-509 for a parent).

Source: https://www.va.gov/disability/compensation-rates/veteran-rates/, effective December 1, 2025.

Each additional child under 18 adds $32.00 at 30% and $109.11 at 100%. The full table is in the VA disability compensation guide.

Family SGLI (FSGLI). While a member serves with full-time Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI), FSGLI covers the spouse for up to $100,000 (never more than the member's own SGLI) and each dependent child for $10,000 at no cost. See the Family SGLI guide for conversion after separation.

Home loan for surviving spouses. A surviving spouse may get a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility (COE) if the veteran died in service or from a service-connected disability and the spouse did not remarry (or remarried at 57 or older on or after December 16, 2003), or if the veteran is missing in action or a prisoner of war. DIC recipients request the COE on VA Form 26-1817 and, per VA's funding fee page, do not pay the funding fee. The VA home loan guide covers the loan itself.

Burial and memorial. The spouse and minor children of an eligible veteran can be buried in a VA national cemetery, even if they die first. VA also pays a burial allowance: up to $2,000 for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, or $1,002 plus a $1,002 plot allowance for other deaths on or after October 1, 2025 (VA Form 21P-530EZ).

Each benefit has its own form, and most can be filed online at VA.gov. A VA-accredited representative can help for free.

Source: the VA program pages linked in each section above, checked September 2026.

Gather the veteran's DD214, the rating letter showing the P&T finding (or the death certificate), your marriage certificate, children's birth certificates and everyone's Social Security number. CHAMPVA questions go to 800-733-8387, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET.

Two clocks matter: DIC filed within 1 year of the death is paid from the month of death, and a non-service-connected burial allowance must be claimed within 2 years of the burial.

Most states add their own family benefits, keyed to the same P&T rating or service-connected death: a property-tax exemption on the primary home for the spouse or surviving spouse of a P&T veteran, a tuition waiver at public colleges for children and spouses, and burial in a state veterans cemetery. States usually ask for the VA rating letter or the DIC award letter. Select your state to see the current list.

Do spouses of 100% disabled veterans get health insurance?

Yes, if the 100% rating is permanent and total (P&T) and the spouse is not eligible for TRICARE. The spouse and dependent children qualify for CHAMPVA, which pays 75% of the allowable amount after a $50 per person yearly deductible, with a $3,000 household cap.

Can a veteran's child get money for college?

Yes. A child of a veteran who is P&T or who died from a service-connected condition can get Chapter 35 DEA, $1,574.00 a month for full-time study from October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026. A child of a service member who died in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001 can use the Fry Scholarship.

What does a surviving spouse of a veteran receive?

DIC of $1,699.36 a month (effective December 1, 2025) if the death was service-connected or the veteran was rated totally disabled long enough before death, or Survivors Pension if income is low and the veteran served in wartime, plus CHAMPVA, Chapter 35, a VA home loan Certificate of Eligibility and burial benefits.

How do family members apply for VA benefits?

Each program has its own form: VA Form 10-10d for CHAMPVA, 22-5490 for Chapter 35 or Fry, 22-1990e for transferred GI Bill months, 21P-534EZ for DIC or Survivors Pension, and 10-10CG for the caregiver program. Most can be filed online at VA.gov, and a VA-accredited representative can help for free.

Can a military spouse use the GI Bill?

Only if the service member transfers Post-9/11 GI Bill months to the spouse through milConnect while still serving. The Department of Defense approves the transfer, and the member must have completed at least 6 years of service and agree to serve 4 more.