Death & Survivor Benefits

Survivors Pension

Needs-based monthly payment for a surviving spouse or child of a wartime veteran with limited income and net worth.

Also called: death pension, survivors pension, widow pension.

For: Child, survivor.

Where it applies

Applies in states and territories.

Federal

Survivors Pension is for a surviving spouse or unmarried child of a wartime veteran, when income and net worth are within VA's limits. It is not DIC. The veteran's wartime service and discharge matter, and so do marriage and child rules. Aid and Attendance and housebound status can add to the rate when the survivor needs regular help or is confined to the home. Maximum Annual Pension Rates, effective December 1, 2025 Surviving spouse with no child: $11,699 a year Surviving spouse with 1 child: $15,311 a year With Aid and Attendance, no child: $18,697 a year The net worth limit from December 1, 2025, to November 30, 2026, is $163,699.

Thresholds

Thresholds for Survivors Pension
Gate	Rule
Income and net worth	Survivors Pension is needs-based. Income and net worth must fall under the current VA limits. Confirm the survivors pension rate chart.

Documents the source lists

What the official source lists for an application, and where to get each document. It is a reference read from the source, not a full list of what the office may ask for; check with the office or an accredited representative before you apply. Needed means the source asks for it; Helps means the source calls it optional or says it speeds things up.

Needed Application for DIC, Survivors Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits (VA Form 21P-534EZ)
Where to get it Download it from VA.gov, or ask a VA regional office or an accredited representative for a copy.
Listed by VA, Survivors Pension read 2026-10-10

Figures

Each figure is dated with the day it was read. A local figure moves whenever the statute or the local ordinance does, so confirm it with the office that grants it before you rely on it. Statute verified gives the day the weekly section check last found the statute standing on the legislature’s own code site; a figure without it rests on a statute the check does not read yet.

Dated figures for Survivors Pension
Figure	Amount	Read from
MAPR, surviving spouse with no child, effective December 1, 2025	$11,699 a year38 U.S.C. 1541(b)	Survivors Pension ratesRead 2026-10-08

Sources

Survivors PensionOfficial
Survivors Pension ratesOfficial

Updated

Last updated 2026-10-08.

What changed then:

New figure: MAPR, surviving spouse with no child, effective December 1, 2025, $11,699 a year.
Link updated for “Survivors Pension”.
New official source added: “Survivors Pension rates”.
And 2 more changes.

Request an update

Out of date, a broken link, or something else wrong? Say what you found, and an editor checks it against the official source.

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.