Doris Jenks, National Service Director-Training
1120 Daleside Lane
New Port Richey, Fl. 34655
(727) 372-7238 - Home
(727) 319-5914 - Office 
dorisjenks@juno.com

DIC (Dependents and Indemnity Compensation) Base Monthly Rate - $1,067

Add: $228 if AT THE TIME of the POW veteran’s death the POW veteran was in receipt or entitled to receive compensation for a serviceconnected disability rated totally disabling (including rating based on individual unemployability) for a continuous period of EIGHT years immediately PRECEDING death AND the surviving spouse was married to the POW for that same period. If the surviving spouse is entitled to A&A, add $265. If the surviving spouse is entitled to Housebound, add $126.

Who is Eligible for DIC?

To get DIC, you must be an eligible survivor of a veteran who died because of a SERVICE-CONNECTED illness or injury. If the veteran’s death was not service- connected, you may still be eligible if one of the following conditions existed at the time of death:

If the veteran died AFTER Sept. 30, 1999 and was getting VA Disability Compensation for a total disability for the last ONE YEAR AND WAS A FORMER POW.

If the veteran died BEFORE Sept. 30, 1999 and was getting VA Disability Compensation for a total disability for the last TEN YEARS.

OR...the veteran was getting VA Disability Compensation for a total disability continuously since released from active duty and for at least 5 years.

You may be an eligible survivor if:

you were married to the veteran for at least year (Note: If a child was born, there is no time requirement, AND your marriage was valid AND you lived with the veteran continuously until his/her death.

A&A: Aid and Attendance

This benefit is an additional monetary allowance available to veterans and their spouses, who require care in a long-term care setting, such as a nursing home. A&A benefits may also be available to veterans who reside outside of a nursing home, but who require the daily assistance of another to live independently.

Requirements: The veteran must be determined to be “permanently and totally disabled”. The VA will generally accept a letter from the person’s personal doctor as to the veteran’s disability. The letter should state that the person has an incapacity which requires care or assistance on a regular basis to protect the claimant from the hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment. The veteran does not need to be helpless - he/she need only show that he/she is in need of aid and attendance on a regular basis.

A patient in an assisted living facility is presumed to be in need of Aid and Attendance.

Homebound

This benefit is an additional monetary allowance available to veterans and their spouses who are not so disabled as to require the regular Aid and Attendance or another person but who, because of disability are permanently housebound.

The revised application form 21- 534, has now included a question “Was the veteran a Former Prisoner of War?” This should get the application to the proper area in the VA for them to expedite the form.

But in spite of this, due to the backlogs in the VA, be prepared to wait a few months