Spouse & Survivor Benefits

Applying for Benefits

Schedule an appointment with our office:  

Office Location: 206 Court Street, Chilton, WI 53014

Phone: (920) 849-1452  Fax: (920) 849-1635

Email: calumetvets@calumetcounty.org 

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday 

Closed weekends and on County holidays

  1. Dependency and indemnity compensation (dic) 
  2. Survivors Pension 

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax free monetary benefit paid to eligible survivors of military service members who died in the line of duty or eligible survivors of Veterans whose death resulted from a service-related injury or disease.

Eligibility (Surviving Spouse)

You may be eligible for VA benefits or compensation if you meet these requirements.

One of these must be true:

  • You lived with the Veteran or service member without a break until their death, or
  • If you’re separated, you weren’t at fault for the separation.

And one of these must be true:

  • You married the Veteran or service member within 15 years of their discharge from the period of military service during which the qualifying illness or injury started or got worse, or
  • You were married to the Veteran or service member for at least 1 year, or
  • You had a child with the Veteran or service member.

Note: If you remarried, you can receive or continue to receive compensation if one of these describes you:

  • You remarried on or after December 16, 2003, and you were 57 years of age or older at the time you remarried, or
  • You remarried on or after January 5, 2021, and you were 55 years of age or older at the time you remarried.

Evidence Required

You’ll need to provide evidence with your claim showing that one of these descriptions is true for the Veteran or service member. Evidence may include documents like military service records, doctor’s reports, and medical test results.

Provide evidence showing that one of these is true:

  • The service member died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive-duty training, or
  • The Veteran died from a service-connected illness or injury, or
  • The Veteran didn’t die from a service-connected illness or injury, but was eligible to receive VA compensation for a service-connected disability rated as totally disabling for a certain period of time.

If the Veteran’s eligibility was due to a rating of totally disabling, they must have had this rating:

  • For at least 10 years before their death, or
  • Since their release from active duty and for at least 5 years immediately before their death, or
  • For at least 1 year before their death if they were a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999.

Note: “Totally disabling” means the Veteran’s injuries made it impossible for them to work.

 Applying for Death and Indemnity (DIC) Compensation

  • Supporting documentation includes:
    • Copies of marriage license to Veteran,
    • Divorce decrees from all marriages,
    • Copy of the Veteran’s death certificate and appropriate medical records.

Surviving Child DIC Eligibility 

Surviving Parent DIC Eligibility