Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is the tax-free monthly payment to survivors of a service member who died in the line of duty or a Veteran whose death was tied to service. Answer a few questions and see your 2026 monthly amount — every add-on itemized, using VA's own rates effective December 1, 2025.
Estimate for a Veteran who died on or after January 1, 1993. Deaths before January 1, 1993 use pay-grade-based rates instead (see the table on VA's page). Parents' DIC is a separate, income-based benefit with its own rate table on VA.gov (see below). Not legal advice; VetAid is not VA-accredited.
Source: VA.gov — Current DIC rates for spouses and dependents (rates effective December 1, 2025) and VA.gov — About VA DIC for spouses, dependents, and parents (eligibility rules). Checked 2026-08-16. Every figure on this page was pulled from those pages, not re-typed from third-party sites.
VetAid's AI reads the Veteran's file and the death record, flags the service connection the VA missed, and drafts the statements that carry a survivor claim.
Analyze the claim free →| Payment component | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Base rate — surviving spouse | $1,699.36 |
| 8-year provision (Veteran rated totally disabling — including individual unemployability — for the 8 full years before death, married those same 8 years) | + $360.85 |
| Aid and Attendance (spouse has a disability and needs help with regular daily activities) | + $421.00 |
| Housebound allowance (spouse can't leave the house due to a disability) | + $197.22 |
| Each child under 18 | + $421.00 |
| Transitional benefit (first 2 years after the Veteran's death, with 1+ children under 18) | + $359.00 |
VA's own worked example: spouse with 2 children under 18, the 8-year provision, and Aid and Attendance = $1,699.36 + $421.00 + $421.00 + $360.85 + $421.00 + $359.00 = $3,682.21/month for the first 2 years, then $3,323.21 when the transitional benefit ends. Statutory basis: 38 U.S.C. 1311(a, b, c, d, f) and 38 CFR 3.461(b).
| Child status | Monthly amount (paid separately to the child) |
|---|---|
| Child between 18 and 23 in a qualified school program | $356.66 |
| Helpless child over 18 (permanently unable to support themselves since before age 18) | $717.50 |
| Number of eligible children | Monthly rate for each child | Total monthly payment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $717.50 | $717.50 |
| 2 | $516.09 | $1,032.18 |
| 3 | $448.97 | $1,346.92 |
| 4 | $400.72 | $1,602.87 |
| 5 | $371.76 | $1,858.82 |
| 6 | $352.46 | $2,114.77 |
| 7 | $338.67 | $2,370.72 |
| 8 | $328.33 | $2,626.67 |
| 9 | $320.29 | $2,882.62 |
For each additional eligible child in a family of 10 or more, add $255.95. For each helpless child over 18, add $421 to the monthly rate above (VA's example: 2 children, 1 of them helpless → that child's rate is $516.09 + $421 = $937.09).
Parents' DIC is a separate, income-based benefit for the biological, adoptive, or foster parent of a Veteran or service member who died in the line of duty or from a service-connected illness or injury, when the parent's income is below a set limit. The rate depends on income and living situation, so there is no single figure — VA publishes the full table at Parents' DIC rates on VA.gov.
From VA's DIC eligibility page — the claim must show one of these about the Veteran or service member:
DIC filed within one year of the Veteran's death is generally paid back to the month of death; file later and payments start from the claim date. See what a delay costs with the back pay calculator, or browse real survivor questions in our Q&A.
The base rate for a surviving spouse (Veteran died on or after January 1, 1993) is $1,699.36/month, effective December 1, 2025. Add-ons: $360.85 (8-year provision), $421.00 (Aid and Attendance), $197.22 (housebound), $421.00 per child under 18, and $359.00 transitional for the first 2 years with children under 18.
Survivors of a service member who died in the line of duty, a Veteran who died from a service-connected condition, or a Veteran rated totally disabling for 10+ years before death (5+ years if rated since release from active duty; 1+ year for a former POW who died after September 30, 1999).
No. VA states these survivor benefits are tax exempt — you won't pay taxes on DIC payments.
Yes. DFAS fully eliminated the SBP-DIC offset on January 1, 2023 — survivors now receive full payments from both programs.
A different method applies: the rate is based on the Veteran's pay grade (E-1 through O-10 special capacity, from $1,699.36 to $3,893.83), with its own 8-year-provision adjustments. The full pay-grade tables are on the same VA rates page.
No. If you're eligible for both, VA pays whichever benefit gives you the most money — never both.