An annual annuity for the parents, spouse, domestic partner, and children of a service member who died on active duty. There is no income test, remarriage does not end eligibility for a surviving spouse, and the amount rises every year with the federal cost of living adjustment.
Also called: Gold Star, annuity, DVS, parents, surviving spouse, domestic partner, cost of living, DD-1300.
New York pays an annuity to the surviving family of a service member who died on active duty. It began as a Gold Star Parent annuity and has been widened to cover spouses and children as well.
Eligible recipients are Gold Star parents, including stepparents and adoptive parents; a spouse or domestic partner; and children under 18, children aged 18 to 23 who are attending school, and children with a disability whose onset was before age 18. Each eligible person receives the annuity in their own right rather than sharing a single payment.
Two features are unusual and worth stating plainly. There is no income test, so a family's means do not affect eligibility. And remarriage does not end a surviving spouse's eligibility, which is the opposite of the rule in most survivor programs, including several of the New York property tax exemptions in this catalog.
The amount started at $500 per parent and was raised to $510 in 2019. Since then it increases each year by the percentage of the federal cost of living adjustment, with a floor of 1% and a ceiling of 4% per year. Because it moves annually, this entry does not print a current figure. Ask the Department of Veterans' Services for the amount for the current year.
New York State residency and domicile is required. Acceptable proof includes a property tax bill, a utility bill, voter registration, pay stubs, or a current New York driver's license.
Payments are disbursed semi-annually, in March and September.
The DD-1300 Report of Casualty is the document that establishes eligibility, and for a Gold Star parent, spouse, or child it is the only document the program accepts. The same DD-1300 also opens the Lifetime Liberty Pass, so a family applying for one should apply for both at the same time.
Thresholds
Thresholds for New York Gold Star Families Annuity
Gate
Rule
Death of the service member on active duty, and New York domicile
The gates are the service member having died while on active duty, the applicant being a qualifying parent, spouse, domestic partner, or child, and New York residency and domicile. There is no rating test and no income test, so the rating filter never hides this benefit.
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Disclaimer
VetTOC is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense. Information is for reference only and is not an eligibility determination. Verify with VA, the relevant state or territory, or an accredited VSO.