I was casually talking with a woman last week. She mentioned that her husband passed away a few years ago. Politely, I asked the cause of death. When she told me, I immediately recognized the cause of death as a VA “presumptive condition” – even though the condition that caused his death is fairly common in the general population.
I asked if he served in the military, and she quickly replied that her husband served in Vietnam during the Vietnam war.
After our chat, she was pleased to know that she, as a surviving spouse, is eligible for a monthly check from the Veterans Administration. This monthly check is called “DIC”, or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. DIC is available to those families whose loved ones passed while on active military duty, and also to families of veterans who died from service-connected disabilities or illnesses which surfaced later in life, and ultimately caused their death.
The current basic monthly DIC rate for 2014 is $1,233, and more is available depending upon the circumstances. It is important to note that spouses and dependent children can receive this compensation without regard to their income or assets. A surviving spouse is also eligible for CHAMPVA, a health and medical program which provides reimbursement for most medical expenses.
In order to file a claim, the veteran must have met the service requirements, and have had a disabling condition or disease that was caused by the military service. Importantly, there is a list of “presumptive” service-connected conditions, meaning that the ill veteran or survivor of a deceased veteran do not have to “prove” the illness was caused by military service – it is “presumed.” For example, those who served “boots on the ground” in Vietnam (as well as on a few ships) are presumed to have been exposed to “Agent Orange.” There are numerous presumed conditions, including Type 2 Diabetes and Parkinson’s disease. ALS is another “presumptive” condition.
For more information on DIC and presumptive conditions, please visit our website at www.VAbenefits4seniors.com. We are proud of our VA Accredited attorneys and the work they do. Our law firm can also be reached at www.JaneMcNamara.com, and 661-287-3260.