The Veterans Benefits Administration has created a Web site dedicated to the surviving spouses and dependents of military personnel who died while in active military service and to the survivors of veterans who died after active service. Get your survivor information straight from the source.
To assist MOAA members and their spouses, the Benefits Information Department has put together a valuable booklet for military retirees who are getting their Benefits Information in order: Help Your Surviving Spouse-Now! Perhaps the most significant part of this publication is the Benefits Information Workbook. This workbook was designed to assist military retirees and spouses in organizing all of their Benefits Information information on one document. You can download the Benefits Information Workbook.
Also available is the Survivor Checklist. This pamphlet lists tasks that must be addressed by the surviving spouse after the retiree's death. The checklist is mailed to the surviving spouse of a member when MOAA is notified of the retiree's death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Who at MOAA headquarters should my spouse notify of my death?
A. Your surviving spouse should simply call our standard toll-free number 800-234-6622 (MOAA) and they will be directed to the proper department.
Q. Is there any form or checklist that can help remind family members and surviving spouses about the many subjects that need attention at the time of a military member's death?
A. MOAA has developed a Survivor Checklist which can be downloaded from MOAA's Web Site.
Q. When does military retired pay cease?
A. At midnight on the date of death of the military member.
Q. What is DIC and when is it payable?
A. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is payable by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) when the military member's death was due to service-connected causes. The monthly rate for this tax-free income for 2005 is $993.00. An additional $247 is payable for each child younger than 18. Also, an additional $213 a month is added to the basic rate if the deceased service member had been entitled to receive 100% service-connected compensation for at least eight years immediately preceding death and the surviving spouse was married to the service member for those same eight years. For more information "Help Your Surviving Spouse Now!".
Q. Are there circumstances whereby DIC is payable to a surviving spouse where death by the military member was not due to service-connected causes?
A. Yes. DIC is also payable if your death is not due to service-connected causes with the following provisions:
- you held the VA total service-connected disability rating continuously for 10 or more years immediately before death, or
- you held the VA total service-connected disability rating continuously since last release from active duty for at least five years, and you were married one or more years on the date of death.
- the veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after Sept. 30, 1999, and who was continuously rated totally disabled for a period of at least one year immediately preceding death.
Q. What is the RSFPP annuity?
A. If you were entitled to retired pay before Sept. 21, 1972, you had an opportunity to elect an annuity for your spouse under the Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan (RSFPP). This was formerly known as the Uniformed Services Contingency Option Act of 1953. SBP replaced RSFPP on Sept. 21, 1972. People qualifying for retired pay after that date were not eligible to participate in RSFPP. However, if you were enrolled in RSFPP when SBP became law, you could either continue or cancel that coverage. If you continued RSFPP, a notation or copy of your RSFPP election form should be with your important papers so your spouse will know of the entitlement to an annuity under this plan.
The annuity will be whatever you elected before retirement. This would be one-half, one-quarter, or one-eighth of your retired pay. The exact amount should have been furnished to you by your DFAS shortly after your retired pay began. Unlike SBP, it is a fixed amount based on your initial retired pay and is not related to cost-of-living increases in retired pay.
Q. What military benefits does a surviving spouse retain after the death of the military member?
A. After a military member's death, the surviving spouse and certain unremarried former spouses continue to remain eligible for all the benefits (medical care, commissary, exchange, theater, etc.) previously authorized. One privilege not authorized for the survivor is space-available travel on military aircraft.
