While we are not affiliated with the government in any way, our private company engaged writers to research the Unemployment Insurance program and compiled a guide and the following answers to frequently asked questions. Our goal is to help you get the benefits that you need by providing useful information on the process.
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) assists the families of veterans and service members. Veterans, service members, and family members must meet specific requirements to be eligible for benefits.
You may qualify for VA benefits if you are a veteran or service member:
Your relationship with a veteran or service member does not make you automatically eligible for all benefits, as each program has specific requirements. Learn more about VA Benefits for Spouses, Dependents, and Survivors on the VA.gov website here.
The VA provides eligible family members of service members and veterans with the following benefits:
Learn more about the benefits available to spouses, dependents and survivors here.
TRICARE and CHAMPVA provide comprehensive health care, including dental, vision and mental health care and coverage for prescription drugs. The amount of coverage or the number of health care services covered will depend on what you are eligible for.
Click here to find out what’s covered by TRICARE, and review the CHAMPVA guide here.
PCAFC provides family caregivers with education and training to help care for the veteran. The program also pays for mental health services, counseling, and 30 days of respite care. The primary caregiver may receive a monthly payment and access to CHAMPVA benefits. Discover more about PCAFC here.
If you are eligible for The Camp Lejeune Family Member Program, The Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program or CWVV, you will receive health care and compensation-related only to the related condition. These programs are not comprehensive health care plans. Learn more about the programs here.
School and training benefits cover the costs for tuition, housing, books and supplies. Check out specific VA education benefits for survivors and dependents details here.
The DEA Program pays $1,265 monthly for full-time training for a maximum of 45 months. The Fry Scholarship pays the following annual benefits for a maximum of 36 months:
The financial limit for VA-backed home loans is relative to the property’s location. Learn more about VA home loan limits here.
The maximum coverage for spouses eligible for FSGLI cannot exceed the service member’s coverage limit. Spouses can have up to $100,000 of coverage and dependent children are fixed at $10,000. Learn more about FSGLI here.
The burial benefits allowance amount ranges on when and how the veteran died. Look up the burial allowance amounts here.
Survivors Pension rates depend on the difference between your countable income and the Congress-set limit. Your income is deducted from the Maximum Annual Pension Rate. Check out the VA Survivors Pension benefits rates here.
If you qualify for DIC, you can get monthly tax-free payments. The amount depends on your relationship to the deceased. Check out benefit rates for surviving spouses and children here and surviving parents here.
Each VA benefit program for spouses, dependents, and survivors has specific eligibility requirements. The service member or veteran must be eligible for any family member to qualify for a VA program. Depending on the benefit, the service member or veteran must meet the following requirements as needed:
In most cases, surviving spouses who remarry are not eligible for benefits. Adult and able-body children of veterans and service members also do not qualify for VA programs. The VA considers dependent children as minors, adults with disabilities or who otherwise need full-time care.
You may be eligible for TRICARE if you are a family member of an active-duty, retired, or deceased service member, National Guard soldier, Reservist, or Medal of Honor recipient.
You may be eligible for CHAMPVA if you are a current or surviving spouse or child of a veteran with disabilities or a service member who died in the line of duty.
You may be eligible for PCAFC if you are a family caregiver of a veteran. The veteran must also meet service, medical condition and needed care requirements.
You may be eligible for The Camp Lejeune Family Member Program if you are a family member who lived on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina for at least 30 cumulative days from August 1953 through December 1987. You must also have a specific medical diagnosis of a condition presumed related to water contamination on site.
You may be eligible for The Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program or CWVV if you are the biological child of a Korean or Vietnam War veteran and were diagnosed with spina bifida or another qualifying birth defect.
You may be eligible for VA-backed home loans and financial counseling if you are the surviving spouse of a veteran who:
You may be eligible for FSGLI if you are the spouse or dependent child of an active-duty service member who is covered by full-time Service Member Group Life Insurance (SGLI).
Spouses and dependents may qualify for burial in a VA national cemetery if the service member or veteran is eligible.
You may be eligible for VA Survivors Pension if you are an unmarried spouse or a child of a veteran.
You may be eligible for VA DIC if you are related to a service member or veteran who died in the line of duty or due to a service-related condition or was eligible to receive VA compensation for a certain period under specific circumstances.
Learn more about the VA Benefits for Spouses, Dependents, and Survivors here.
To apply TRICARE, complete the following two steps:
Check out the available TRICARE health plans and eligibility details here.
Each TRICARE health plan has different application methods available. You can sign up for most plans online on the milConnect website here or by phone by calling your regional contractor at the following phone numbers:
Learn more about how to enroll in a TRICARE health plan here.
If you wish to apply CHAMPVA, you will need to complete and submit the following documents:
You can submit your CHAMPVA application and documents by fax at (303) 331-7809 or by mail to:
VHA Office of Community Care
CHAMPVA Eligibility
P.O. Box 469028
Denver, CO 80246-9028
If you wish to apply to PCAFC, you will need to apply with the veteran and fill out the Application for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers here and submit it and any related documents:
Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers
Health Eligibility Center
2957 Clairmont Road NE, Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30329-1647
If you need assistance, call the Caregiver Support Line at (855) 260-3274 or the main VA information line at (877) 222-8387.
If you wish to get benefits from The Camp Lejeune Family Member Program, you will need to gather documentation related to your medical condition, time on base and relationship to the veteran who served to support your claim. Complete the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program Application, available here, and submit it with evidential documentation by fax to (512) 460-5536 or by mail to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Financial Services Center
P.O. Box 149200
Austin, TX 78714-9200
If you need help with your application, call the Camp Lejeune Family Member program staff at (866) 372-1444.
To apply for The Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program, send evidence of your spina bifida diagnosis to The Veterans Health Administration Office of Community Care:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Evidence Intake Center
P.O. Box 4444
Janesville, WI, 53547-4444
To apply for the CWVV program, you must complete the Application for Benefits For Certain Children of Vietnam Veterans With Disabilities, available here, and send it along with any medical evidence of your condition to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Evidence Intake Center
P.O. Box 4444
Janesville, WI, 53547-4444
If you need help with your Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program or CWVV application, call the program’s eligibility line at (303) 914-2900.
To apply for educational benefits, you will need to apply online here or fill out the Dependents’ Application for VA Education Benefits, available here, and mail it to the VA regional closest to you, which is listed on the application.
If you need help with yourVA education benefits application, call the Education Call Center at (888) 442-4551Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM ET.
If you want a VA-backed home loan as a surviving spouse, you will need to apply for a Certificate of Eligibility (COE). To apply for a COE, fill out:
If you are a civilian spouse of an active-duty service member who has full-time SGLI, you are automatically insured under FSGLI. If you married after January 1, 2013, you will need to sign up online at the milConnect website here.
You can apply for burial benefits online here, by fax at 1 (855) 840-8299 or by mailing the application here and necessary documents to:
National Cemetery Scheduling Office
P.O. Box 510543
St. Louis, MO 63151
Documents and information you will need when applying include you and your service member’s or veteran’s Social Security Number and date and place of birth. Other information will include military status, service history, discharge papers, and anything relevant to disabilities.
To apply for VA Survivors Pension, go to a VA regional office or apply by mailing the Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits here to the pension management center in your state. Find VA regional office information here and pension management center information here.
You can apply for VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) by mailing the application to the pension management center in your state or in person at a VA regional office. The application you need will depend on your relationship to the veteran, as follows:
Find VA regional office information here and pension management center information here.
You can check your claim status online by logging into your account here. You can use this tool to check and track claims for:
To check your status online, you will need to sign into one of the following existing accounts:
You can call the VA’s toll-free hotline at (800) 827-1000 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET.
You can also contact the VA regional office where you sent your application if you applied by mail or in person. Find VA office location and contact information here.
After you apply for a VA family benefits program and submit the necessary paperwork to determine eligibility, the VA department will evaluate your application. The time it takes for the VA to make a determination varies by program, specific cases and information provided.
If approved, the VA will send you an enrollment package explaining what benefits you are eligible for. This will include any documents, such as health insurance cards, that you will need to use your benefits.
If you are denied benefits or disagree with the benefit amount, you may appeal the determination. See “How to Appeal Denials” below.
You may need to notify the VA of personal or medical changes, such as:
You can update your profile information online by signing into your existing DS Logon, My HealtheVet or ID.me account here.
To update your information by phone, call (800) 827-1000 Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET.
If your benefits claim is denied, you have the right to file an appeal. You have the following three appeal options: file a supplemental claim, request a higher-level review or file a board appeal.
To file a supplemental claim and present new evidence that supports your case, or request a higher-level review from a senior officer, you can fill out the application here and submit it in person at a local VA office. Find the nearest VA health care facility location here.
To file either a supplemental claim or request a higher-level review, you can send the application by mail to:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Claims Intake Center
PO Box 4444
Janesville, WI 53547-4444
The higher-level review form can be found here. Higher-level reviews can also be requested by fax to (844) 531-7818.
Board appeals can be requested in three different ways:
Regardless of the option you choose, you can submit the application form found here in person at a local VA office. Find the nearest VA health care facility location here.
You can submit your application by mail to:
Board of Veteran’s Appeals
PO BOX 27063
Washington D.C. 20038
You can also file your application by fax at (844) 678-8979.
To learn more about what to do after you request an appeal, click here.
Find VA locations and contact information here.
If you need help or have questions about VA Benefits for Spouses, Dependents, and Survivors, call the following numbers Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM ET:
You can also call your nearby VA office. Find VA office locations and contact information here.
To ask questions online, click here for the Inquiry Routing and Information System (IRIS).
Check out phone numbers and websites of specific offices below:
Health CareCivilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA)Spina Bifida/Children of Women Vietnam VeteransCaregiver support line |
1 (877) 222-83871 (800) 733-83871 (888) 820-17561 (855) 260-3274 |
Here |
Education |
1 (888) 442-4551 |
Here |
Home Loans |
1 (877) 827-3702 |
Here |
Life Insurance |
1 (800) 669-8477 |
Here |
National Cemetery Scheduling OfficeHeadstones and Markers |
1 (800) 535-11171 (800) 697-6947 |
Here |
Pension Management Center |
1 (877) 294-6380 |
Here |
While we are not affiliated with the government in any way, our private company engaged writers to research U.S. Veteran Affairs programs and compiled a guide that we believe is simple to use and easy to understand. Our goal is to help you get the benefits that you need by providing detailed information on the process.
Our free Veteran Affairs Guide is filled with helpful information about how to apply for VA benefits, program eligibility and how to get in touch with local offices. You can view or download our free guide here.
