How to File VA Survivor Claims Without Help

You can file every VA survivor benefit claim yourself. DIC, the Survivors Pension, CHAMPVA enrollment, burial allowances, education benefits — all of them accept applications from the surviving spouse or next of kin directly, no attorney or paid service required. The VA designed the claims system for self-filing. The problem isn't access; it's that the system scatters the process across multiple forms, multiple agencies, and multiple timelines that nobody consolidates for you.

Here's what filing without help actually involves, form by form, so you can decide whether to do it yourself, pair it with a free VSO representative, or hand it off entirely.

The Five Claims Most Survivors Need to File

Not every survivor qualifies for every benefit. But most need to file at least three of these five, and the forms interact — what you attach to one affects eligibility for another.

1. Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) — VA Form 21P-534EZ

Who qualifies: Surviving spouses (and in some cases children and parents) if the veteran's death was caused by a service-connected condition, or if the veteran was rated totally disabled for at least 10 years immediately before death or for at least 5 years from release from active duty.

What you need:

• The veteran's DD-214 or other proof of military service
• Death certificate
• Marriage certificate (or evidence of common-law marriage, if applicable)
• The veteran's VA claim number or Social Security number

Filing options: Online at va.gov, by mail to the Pension Intake Center, or in person at a VA regional office.

What to know before you file: The form asks about income but DIC itself has no income limit — that question is there in case you also qualify for the Survivors Pension (which does have income limits). Don't let the income questions discourage you from filing.

The 2026 base rate is $1,699.36 per month, tax-free. Add-ons for the 8-year permanent and total provision ($360.85), dependent children ($421.00 each), Aid & Attendance ($421.00), and the transitional benefit ($359.80 for families with minor children in the first two years) can bring the total well above $2,500/month.

2. Survivors Pension — VA Form 21P-534EZ

Who qualifies: Unremarried surviving spouses of wartime veterans whose death was not service-connected, with limited income and a net worth below $163,699.

What you need:

• Same documents as DIC, plus
• Complete household income documentation (Social Security statements, pension income, investment income)
• Unreimbursed medical expenses for the past 12 months (this is the deduction most people miss)
• Net worth documentation

The deduction that changes everything: Medical expenses exceeding 5% of the Maximum Annual Pension Rate (MAPR) ceiling are subtracted from your countable income. If you're paying $2,000/month for assisted living, home health aides, or Medicare supplemental premiums, this deduction alone can drop your countable income below the threshold and qualify you for the full pension amount — up to $1,558.08/month with Aid & Attendance.

3. CHAMPVA Health Insurance — VA Form 10-10d

Who qualifies: Surviving spouses and dependents of a veteran who died from a service-connected condition or was rated 100% Permanent and Total (P&T) at death, if they are not eligible for TRICARE.

What you need:

• VA Form 10-10d
• Evidence that the veteran died from a service-connected condition or was rated 100% P&T at death
• Medicare card if enrolled in Medicare Part A and B
• OHI (Other Health Insurance) certification form (VA Form 10-7959c) if you have any other insurance

What to know before filing: CHAMPVA has its own eligibility criteria. File VA Form 10-10d with evidence of the qualifying service-connected death or 100% P&T rating at death.

4. Burial and Plot Allowances — VA Form 21P-530EZ

Who qualifies: For a non-service-connected burial allowance, the veteran generally must have been receiving VA pension or compensation at death. Service-connected death burial benefits have separate eligibility rules.

What you need:

• Death certificate
• Proof of veteran's military service
• Receipts or invoices for funeral, burial, and transportation costs
• Documentation of the burial site

Key deadlines: For non-service-connected deaths, the burial allowance claim must be filed within two years of the veteran's permanent burial. Service-connected death claims have no time limit. The 2026 allowances are up to $2,000 for service-connected deaths and up to $1,002 each for burial and plot/interment for non-service-connected deaths.

5. Education Benefits for Dependents — VA Form 22-5490

Who qualifies: Dependent children and surviving spouses may be eligible for Chapter 35 Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) or the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship.

What you need to decide before filing: Chapter 35 and the Fry Scholarship have different benefit amounts and different eligibility rules. For surviving spouses, the Fry Scholarship pays at the Post-9/11 GI Bill rate (full tuition plus housing allowance), while Chapter 35 pays a flat monthly rate. The election between them is irrevocable for spouses — once you choose one, you cannot switch to the other. Make sure you understand both before checking a box on the form.

The Multi-Agency Problem Nobody Warns You About

Filing VA claims is the part people focus on. But three of the most time-sensitive actions after a veteran's death aren't VA forms at all:

DFAS retired pay notification (1-888-332-7411). If the veteran received military retired pay, you must notify DFAS separately. The VA does not tell DFAS. If retired pay deposits continue after death, the Treasury reclaims them automatically from the bank account.

Social Security death report (1-800-772-1213). Social Security is a separate agency with separate survivor benefits. Since the repeal of GPO and WEP in January 2025, a government pension no longer reduces your Social Security survivor benefit. File for Social Security survivor benefits through your local SSA office.

Bank notification. Tell your bank to flag the joint account against incoming federal ACH deposits. This prevents the acceptance of post-death payments that will later be reclaimed.

Who This Is For

• Surviving spouses and family members who want to understand the full claims process before deciding how much to handle themselves
• People who plan to work with a free VSO representative but want to arrive at the appointment already knowing what they qualify for
• Executors managing a veteran's estate who need to coordinate VA claims alongside probate, DFAS, and Social Security

Who This Is NOT For

• Survivors filing an appeal of a denied DIC claim — appeals involve procedural rules (the three AMA lanes: Supplemental Claim, Higher-Level Review, Board of Veterans' Appeals) where representation by a VA-accredited attorney or agent adds real value
• Cases where the veteran's cause of death is disputed and requires medical nexus evidence

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the whole process take?

Processing time for DIC and Survivors Pension depends on the claim and the records or evidence needed. Burial allowance claims process somewhat faster. CHAMPVA has separate eligibility criteria and an application of its own. The overall timeline depends on each benefit and the agencies processing the applications. Filing accurately the first time helps avoid delays — incomplete applications get returned, adding time.

What's the most common mistake that causes claims to be denied?

Insufficient evidence of service connection for DIC, and failure to deduct medical expenses for the Survivors Pension. For DIC, if the veteran had a service-connected disability rating at time of death, attach the rating decision. For the Pension, list every unreimbursed medical expense — prescriptions, Medicare premiums, home health aides, assisted living, medical transportation — and attach receipts. The VA won't estimate your deductions for you.

Can I file online or do I need to mail paper forms?

Most claims can be filed online at va.gov. DIC/Pension applications are available through the online portal. Burial allowance claims can be filed online or by mail. CHAMPVA applications must be mailed to the VHA Office of Community Care. Even when filing online, keep paper copies of everything you submit.

Do I need the original DD-214 or will a copy work?

A certified copy works for claims filing. The VA can also verify service records internally using the veteran's claim number or Social Security number. If you have no copy at all, the VA will request records from the National Personnel Records Center as part of processing your claim — though this adds processing time.

What if I already missed the two-year burial allowance deadline?

The two-year deadline applies only to non-service-connected burial allowances. If the death was service-connected, there is no deadline. If you missed the window for a non-service-connected claim, you can still file for all other benefits — DIC, Survivors Pension, CHAMPVA, and education benefits have no filing deadlines (though filing sooner means payments start sooner if approved).

The Veteran's Death Benefits & Survivor Claims Toolkit walks through every form and every agency call in chronological order, with benefit calculators, worked examples, and 10 printable worksheets designed for filing without help.