VA Survivor Benefits in Kansas: DIC, Burial Allowances, and State Veteran Programs

Losing a veteran spouse triggers a set of federal and state benefits that most families don't know exist in full — or claim in the wrong order. The VA's official resources are comprehensive but dense, and they don't surface the Kansas-specific programs at all. Here is a practical rundown of what is available and what you need to do to claim it.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

DIC is the VA's primary ongoing monthly payment to surviving spouses of veterans. It applies when the veteran's death was:

• Service-connected: The death resulted from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated in military service.
• Rated totally disabled: The veteran was rated permanently and totally disabled from service-connected conditions for at least 10 years before death (or 5 years from separation from service).
• In a VA-rated facility: The veteran died while a patient at a VA-approved hospital or care facility under certain conditions.

The DIC payment rate for eligible surviving spouses is a set monthly amount established by Congress and adjusted periodically. For 2025, the base rate is $1,653 per month. Additional amounts apply if you have dependent children, are housebound, or need regular aid and attendance.

DIC is tax-free and does not count against most other government benefits, though it may affect income calculations for Kansas state property tax relief programs.

To apply: File VA Form 21P-534EZ ("Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits"). You can submit online via va.gov, by mail to the VA Claims Intake Center, or in person at a VA regional office. Kansas falls under the Wichita VA Regional Office jurisdiction.

VA Death Pension

If the veteran's death was not service-connected, you may still qualify for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation — Death Pension if the veteran served during a period of war. This is a needs-based benefit with income limits.

The 2025 annual income limit for a surviving spouse with no dependents is approximately $10,757. If your income exceeds that, you may still qualify if you have unreimbursed medical expenses — those can reduce the countable income figure significantly.

Death Pension and DIC are mutually exclusive. The VA will automatically pay whichever is higher based on your application.

VA Burial Allowances: The Exact Numbers

The VA reimburses funeral and burial costs, but the amounts depend entirely on the cause of death and circumstances of burial. As of October 1, 2025:

Non-service-connected death:

• Burial allowance: $1,002
• Plot-interment allowance (if not buried in a national or state veterans cemetery): $1,002
• If the veteran died while in a VA facility: the VA may pay the actual burial costs and transport expenses

Service-connected death:

• Maximum burial allowance: $2,000
• Plot-interment allowance: Up to $1,002 (if not buried in a national or state veterans cemetery)

Dole Act expansion (temporary): Veterans who received VA hospice care at home and died between July 1, 2025 and October 1, 2026 may qualify for fully covered burial benefits under the Dole Act expansion, regardless of service-connection.

These allowances are reimbursements, not pre-payments. The funeral home must be paid first; you then submit receipts to the VA. File within 2 years of the burial.

To apply: VA Form 21P-530EZ. File with your nearest VA regional office.

Kansas State Veterans Cemetery Network

Burial in a national cemetery is free for eligible veterans and their spouses — no burial or plot fees. Kansas has several state veterans cemeteries that follow similar eligibility rules:

• Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Winfield (Winfield, KS)
• Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Fort Dodge (Dodge City, KS)
• Kansas Veterans Cemetery at Wakefield (Wakefield, KS)
• Kansas Veterans Cemetery at WaKeeney (WaKeeney, KS)

Surviving spouses of eligible veterans may be buried in these facilities, even if they subsequently remarried. Contact the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs (KCVA) at kcva.ks.gov to confirm current eligibility requirements and to schedule interment. Call ahead — some locations have waitlists or seasonal scheduling considerations.

Burial in a state veterans cemetery does not eliminate your eligibility for the VA plot-interment allowance in all cases. Confirm with the KCVA and the VA whether the specific cemetery qualifies for reimbursement before finalizing plans.

Survivors Benefit Plan (SBP) Annuity

If your spouse was a retired military member who elected the Survivor Benefit Plan through DFAS (Defense Finance and Accounting Service), you receive a monthly annuity equal to 55% of the retired pay base amount. This is separate from DIC.

SBP and DIC used to have an offset — you could not receive both in full. That offset was eliminated for deaths on or after January 1, 2023. Surviving spouses of post-January 2023 deaths are entitled to both the full SBP payment and full DIC simultaneously. If you were previously receiving a reduced SBP because of the DIC offset, contact DFAS — you may be due back payments.

Property Tax Relief for Surviving Spouses of Veterans

Kansas offers the K-40SVR property tax relief program specifically for surviving spouses of disabled veterans or active-duty personnel killed in action. To qualify:

• Your household income must be $58,041 or less (2025 income cap)
• You must own and occupy a Kansas home valued under $350,000
• Your spouse must have been killed in action, died on active duty, or was rated 100% permanently and totally disabled by the VA due to service-connected disability

File Form K-40SVR with the Kansas Department of Revenue. This is filed with your state income tax return or separately if you don't otherwise file.

Accrued Benefits and Final Pay

When a veteran dies, any VA benefit payments they were owed but had not yet received — called "accrued benefits" — can be claimed by the surviving spouse. This includes monthly disability compensation checks that were in transit or processing when the death occurred.

File VA Form 21P-534EZ within one year of the veteran's death to claim accrued benefits. Missing this deadline means forfeiting these payments permanently.

Working Through the VA System

VA claims can take months to process. While your claim is pending, you are not without resources. The Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs can connect you with a state veterans service officer (VSO) at no charge. VSOs help assemble your claim, identify additional benefits you may have missed, and expedite processing.

For Kansas-specific coordination of state benefits alongside VA claims — including the property tax programs, the Kansas family allowance, and KPERS if your spouse also had state employment — the Kansas Survivor Benefits Navigator organizes everything into a single sequenced action plan.

See more Kansas guides →