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Direct answer: In 2026 VA DIC pays a surviving spouse $1,699.36 a month, tax-free, plus $421 per child under 18, $360.85 under the 8-year rule, $421 for Aid and Attendance or $197.22 if housebound, and $359 a month for the first two years with young children.
By the numbers: If you're the surviving spouse of a Veteran, your monthly rate would start at $1,699.36 Source: VA: Current D.I.C. rates for spouses and dependents
“These VA survivor benefits are tax exempt. This means you won't have to pay any taxes on your compensation payments.” — VA: Current D.I.C. rates
Updated 2026-10-17
For a surviving spouse of a veteran who died on or after Jan. 1, 1993, DIC is $1,699.36 a month (effective Dec. 1, 2025), tax-free. VA adds $421.00 for each child under 18, $360.85 under the 8-year provision, $421.00 for Aid and Attendance or $197.22 for Housebound, and a $359.00 transitional benefit for the first 2 years if there's a child under 18. VA's example: 2 children, 8-year provision and Aid and Attendance = $3,682.21 a month for 2 years, then $3,323.21.
If the veteran was rated totally disabling (including individual unemployability) for at least the 8 full years before death, and you were married for those same 8 years, VA adds $360.85 a month in 2026 (38 U.S.C. 1311(a)(2)). Only the years you were married count.
With an eligible surviving spouse: $421.00 a month for each child under 18 (added to the spouse's check), $356.66 paid to each child 18 to 23 in school, and $717.50 to each helpless adult child. With no eligible spouse, the children share a total: $717.50 for 1, $1,032.18 for 2, $1,346.92 for 3, up to $2,882.62 for 9, plus $255.95 each past 9 and $421 more for each helpless child.
Only once Congress passes the yearly COLA act. The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026 (S. 4487 / H.R. 8552) would raise DIC by Social Security's 3.6%, effective Dec. 1, 2026; as of Oct. 17, 2026 neither bill had passed. At 3.6%, the base spouse rate would be about $1,760.54 (our estimate).
Not DIC and Survivors Pension: if you qualify for both, VA pays whichever is more. DIC and the military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP or RCSBP): yes, in full. The SBP-DIC offset was phased out starting Jan. 1, 2021 and fully eliminated on Jan. 1, 2023.
Yes if you remarried on or after Dec. 16, 2003 at age 57 or older, or on or after Jan. 5, 2021 at age 55 or older. Otherwise remarriage generally ends a surviving spouse's DIC.
Parent DIC depends on income. A sole surviving parent with yearly income of $800 or less gets $842 a month; it drops 8 cents for each extra dollar of income, down to $5 a month, and stops above $19,836 ($26,663 if remarried and living with a spouse). Two parents not living together get up to $611 each; two living together, up to $576 each. Aid and Attendance adds $458.
As of Oct. 17, 2026 · 2026 DIC rates (effective Dec. 1, 2025)
2026 VA DIC: $1,699.36 a month for a surviving spouse, tax-free. Add $421 per child under 18, $360.85 under the 8-year rule, $421 for Aid and Attendance (or $197.22 Housebound), and $359 for the first two years with young children. Unlike VA pension, the 2027 raise waits on Congress.
The math:
Sources: VA DIC rates 2026 · VA DIC eligibility · 38 U.S.C. 1311
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For a veteran who died on or after Jan. 1, 1993. Start with the monthly rate and add each amount that fits you.
| Amount (monthly) | 2026 (official) | 2025 | If 3.6% COLA passes (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse monthly rate | $1,699.36 | $1,653.07 | about $1,760.54 |
| 8-year provision (rated totally disabling 8 years before death, married those 8 years) | $360.85 | $351.02 | about $373.84 |
| Each child under 18 | $421.00 | $409.53 | about $436.16 |
| Aid and Attendance (or a nursing-home patient) | $421.00 | $409.53 | about $436.16 |
| Housebound (if not Aid and Attendance) | $197.22 | $191.85 | about $204.32 |
| Transitional benefit, first 2 years, with a child under 18 (one amount) | $359.00 | $350.00 | VA sets |
VA's example: 2 children under 18 + 8-year provision + Aid and Attendance = $1,699.36 + $421.00 + $421.00 + $360.85 + $421.00 + $359.00 = $3,682.21 a month for the first 2 years, then $3,323.21. 2026 amounts are 2025's raised 2.8%. The transitional benefit is set in whole dollars, so we don't estimate it. Sources: VA DIC rates 2026 · VA DIC 2025 rates · 38 U.S.C. 1311.
| Veteran's pay grade | 2026 monthly | 2025 | With 8-year provision (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 to E-6 | $1,699.36 | $1,653.07 | $2,060.21 |
| E-7 | $1,758.09 | $1,710.20 | $2,060.21 by law; VA's page: $2,118.94 |
| E-8 | $1,856.02 | $1,805.47 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| E-9 | $1,935.72 | $1,883.00 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| E-9 special capacity (e.g. Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps) | $2,089.58 | $2,032.67 | no change |
| W-1 | $1,794.49 | $1,745.61 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| W-2 | $1,865.80 | $1,814.98 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| W-3 | $1,920.33 | $1,868.03 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| W-4 | $2,032.23 | $1,976.88 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| O-1 | $1,794.49 | $1,745.61 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| O-2 | $1,856.02 | $1,805.47 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| O-3 | $1,983.26 | $1,929.24 | $2,060.20 (VA table) |
| O-4 | $2,102.15 | $2,044.89 | no change |
| O-5 | $2,313.37 | $2,250.36 | no change |
| O-6 | $2,608.49 | $2,537.44 | no change |
| O-7 | $2,815.45 | $2,738.36 | no change |
| O-8 | $3,092.41 | $3,008.18 | no change |
| O-9 | $3,307.79 | $3,217.69 | no change |
| O-10 | $3,628.08 | $3,529.26 | no change |
| O-10 special capacity (e.g. Commandant of the Marine Corps) | $3,893.83 | $3,787.77 | no change |
The law pays the pay-grade rate only if it's more than the regular rate (plus the 8-year amount if it applies), so nobody gets less than $1,699.36 (38 U.S.C. 1311(a)(3)). Children under 18, Aid and Attendance, Housebound and the transitional benefit are added the same way as above. Aviation cadets and others not in the table get the E-3 rate. VA's table says E-8/E-9, W-1 to W-4 and O-1 to O-3 with the 8-year provision go up to $2,060.20, while VA's own E-9 example (and $1,699.36 + $360.85) gives $2,060.21; for E-7, VA's page says to add $360.85, but the law's greater-of rule gives $2,060.21. Ask VA if either matters for you. Sources: VA DIC rates 2026 · VA DIC 2025 rates · 38 U.S.C. 1311.
With an eligible surviving spouse: each child under 18 adds $421.00 to the spouse's check. VA pays these straight to the child: $356.66 a month for a child 18 to 23 in a VA-approved school (2025: $346.95) and $717.50 for a helpless child (permanently unable to support themselves because of a disability before 18; 2025: $697.96).
No eligible surviving spouse: the children share this total.
| Eligible children | 2026 total monthly | About each | 2025 total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $717.50 | $717.50 | $697.96 |
| 2 | $1,032.18 | $516.09 | $1,004.07 |
| 3 | $1,346.92 | $448.97 | $1,310.23 |
| 4 | $1,602.87 | $400.72 | $1,559.21 |
| 5 | $1,858.82 | $371.76 | $1,808.19 |
| 6 | $2,114.77 | $352.46 | $2,057.17 |
| 7 | $2,370.72 | $338.67 | $2,306.15 |
| 8 | $2,626.67 | $328.33 | $2,555.13 |
| 9 | $2,882.62 | $320.29 | $2,804.11 |
Families of 10 or more: add $255.95 for each child past 9. Add $421.00 for each helpless child (VA's example: 2 children, 1 helpless = $516.09 + $421 = $937.09 for that child). Sources: VA DIC rates 2026 · VA DIC 2025 rates.
| Situation | Most per month (2026) | At income up to | $5 minimum ends above |
|---|---|---|---|
| One surviving parent | $842 | $800 | $19,836 (not living with a spouse) or $26,663 (remarried and living with spouse) |
| Both parents alive, not living together (each) | $611 | $800 | $19,836 |
| Both parents alive and living together, or remarried and living with a spouse (each) | $576 | $1,000 | $26,663 |
The payment falls 8 cents a month for each dollar of yearly income above the first bracket, but never below $5 until income passes the limit. Income counts everything for the calendar year (wages, investments, rent, gifts, some retirement pay, and a spouse's income if you live together). Aid and Attendance adds $458 a month. Use VA's income tables for your exact amount: VA parent DIC rates.
The veteran or service member: one of these must be true.
Surviving spouse: you lived with the veteran without a break until death (or weren't at fault for a separation), and you married within 15 years of the discharge from the service period when the condition started or got worse, or were married at least 1 year, or had a child together. Remarriage doesn't end DIC if you remarried on or after Dec. 16, 2003 at 57 or older, or on or after Jan. 5, 2021 at 55 or older.
Surviving child: unmarried, not already counted on the spouse's DIC, and under 18 (or under 23 in school). A child adopted out of the family still qualifies.
Surviving parent: biological, adoptive or foster parent, with income under VA's limit (table below).
PACT Act: if a toxic-exposure condition may have caused the death and VA denied DIC before, you can apply again. Source: VA DIC eligibility.
Facts and arithmetic only. VaultRubric isn't VA and doesn't decide eligibility or pay. Your award letter is the final word. 2027 amounts on this page are estimates until Congress acts and VA publishes its table.
For a surviving spouse of a veteran who died on or after Jan. 1, 1993, DIC is $1,699.36 a month (effective Dec. 1, 2025), tax-free. VA adds $421.00 for each child under 18, $360.85 under the 8-year provision, $421.00 for Aid and Attendance or $197.22 for Housebound, and a $359.00 transitional benefit for the first 2 years if there's a child under 18. VA's example: 2 children, 8-year provision and Aid and Attendance = $3,682.21 a month for 2 years, then $3,323.21.
If the veteran was rated totally disabling (including individual unemployability) for at least the 8 full years before death, and you were married for those same 8 years, VA adds $360.85 a month in 2026 (38 U.S.C. 1311(a)(2)). Only the years you were married count.
With an eligible surviving spouse: $421.00 a month for each child under 18 (added to the spouse's check), $356.66 paid to each child 18 to 23 in school, and $717.50 to each helpless adult child. With no eligible spouse, the children share a total: $717.50 for 1, $1,032.18 for 2, $1,346.92 for 3, up to $2,882.62 for 9, plus $255.95 each past 9 and $421 more for each helpless child.
Only once Congress passes the yearly COLA act. The Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2026 (S. 4487 / H.R. 8552) would raise DIC by Social Security's 3.6%, effective Dec. 1, 2026; as of Oct. 17, 2026 neither bill had passed. At 3.6%, the base spouse rate would be about $1,760.54 (our estimate).
Not DIC and Survivors Pension: if you qualify for both, VA pays whichever is more. DIC and the military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP or RCSBP): yes, in full. The SBP-DIC offset was phased out starting Jan. 1, 2021 and fully eliminated on Jan. 1, 2023.
Yes if you remarried on or after Dec. 16, 2003 at age 57 or older, or on or after Jan. 5, 2021 at age 55 or older. Otherwise remarriage generally ends a surviving spouse's DIC.
Parent DIC depends on income. A sole surviving parent with yearly income of $800 or less gets $842 a month; it drops 8 cents for each extra dollar of income, down to $5 a month, and stops above $19,836 ($26,663 if remarried and living with a spouse). Two parents not living together get up to $611 each; two living together, up to $576 each. Aid and Attendance adds $458.
Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.