Dic

[john999]

Berta

Are there efforts to get DIC increased. It is a very small amount of money? Is a retired spouse 75 years old supposed to live on 1400 bucks a month and survivor benefit from SSA? What a 100% vet gets with SSA is enough to live on, but a spouse only gets about half of that. In this world if a person does not have a pension, IRA and SSA and/or VA retirement is just a struggle to pay the bills.

[Berta]

John I am a member of Gold Star Wives and they are always pushing for better benefits for widows (and widowers).

You are right that this benefit has not changed much in years.

I get the GSW newsletter and will be posting any news here if this ever increases.

GSW also fights over the SBP DIC offset every chance they get.

They have made many trips to the House VAC and have testified there on many survivors issues.

You reminded me of something.

I got a status last week from VA on my claim,and asked the phone rep why widows or widowers of vets cannot use the ebenefits link.

She said something as to because DOD does have the survivor info. And she gave me a VA phone number of someone I could gripe to.That didnt make sense to me.

Once we are an established VA claimant I cant see the reason we survivors cant use ebenefits.

I hope I remember to call the man she said to talk to at VA on Monday.

Edited September 24, 2011 by Berta

[Philip Rogers]

No offense, john, but I believe the DIC is reasonable, when added to the late spouses SSA retirement payment, especially when you add in the ChampVA and consider they are only one person getting half of the Vets amount. I think on average that would amount to about $2200($1400 DIC & $800 SS) monthly, or more. By that I mean retirees. By then most should be living in paidoff housing. Could they use more . . . s u r e!!! My ex, who remarried, has to survive on about $780 a month SSDI, now that she's separated from him, plus food stamps and Medicaid. She also has Medicare and ChampvA. When her spouse dies she'll get DIC(from him) but will have to cover all her meds, at 25% and copays but she'll get by. just sayin . . .

pr

[Pete53]

My wife says it is not enough. I agree with her. Last year they were talking about making it pay like 65% of what the Veteran gets. I think that would be fair but who am I?

As it stands now I am making efforts not to have any payments left if I go first.

[john999]

You can't live large on $2200 a month. You can't even live small. I think old guys can live on less since all we do is eat and watch TV, and drive a 25 year old car that our wives would be ashamed to drive. Plus, we have the ability to wear the same shorts and worn jeans for years.