Thank You All!

[teejay53]

Hi;

I want to thank all of you for your guidance through this mess of getting my DIC and Social Security Death Benefit. There is so much information about the documents needed that the Veteran Association and Social Security do not explain completely to you. Through trial and error and with all your help I finally was able to provide the paperwork they actually needed.

I sent a total of 214 pages of information that the VA told me to send, ONLY to find out at the end I only had to send "5" of these pages in for the award to be granted. Go figure, I can't figure it out.

A veteran I was speaking with said he believes the VA does this to prolong the process. I do not know what to think.

Anyway, I thank all of you for all your help and my prayers are with anyone applying for benefits through the VA or Social Security.

teejay

[Berta]

There is no annual questionnaire or financial statement needed for DIC.

The only thing is this change to the DIC regs regarding marriage:

"Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)  --  DIC is a tax-free benefit for the surviving spouse and dependent children.  A spouse's Survivor Benefits Plan (SBP) annuity is reduced by any DIC amount received.  

Note:    A surviving spouse who remarries on or after December 16, 2003, and on or after attaining age 57, is entitled to continue to receive DIC.  

VA also adds a transitional benefit of $250 to the surviving spouse's monthly DIC if there are children under age 18. The amount is based on a family unit, not individual children. It is paid for two years from the date that entitlement to DIC commences, but is discontinued earlier when there is no child under age 18 or no child on the surviving spouse's DIC for any reason."

http://www.vba.va.gov/Survivors/VAbenefits.htm

[teejay53]

thank you for your help.

have a nice holiday.

teejay