Home → Veterans Guide to VA Benefits → Appendix III - VA Compensation Rate Tables → 2022 Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Table

4. 2022 Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Table

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation - Effective 12/1/21

Veteran's Death Was On or After January 1, 1993

If you’re the surviving spouse of a Veteran:

Your monthly payment rate is: $1,437.66

Effective December 1, 2021

If this description is true…	You may qualify for this benefit	Added monthly amount (in U.S. $)
The Veteran had a VA disability rating of totally disabling (including for individual unemployability) for at least the 8 full years leading up to their death, and You were married to the Veteran for those same 8 years	8-year provision	305.28
You have a disability and need help with regular daily activities (like eating, bathing, or dressing)	Aid and Attendance	356.16
You can’t leave your house due to a disability	Housebound allowance	166.85
You have 1 or more children who are under age 18	Transitional benefit, and DIC apportionment rate	306.00 for the first 2 years after the Veteran’s death 356.16 for each eligible child

Surviving dependent child of a Veteran, when the Veteran has no surviving spouse

Your monthly payment rate is: $607.02

Surviving, unmarried adult child of a Veteran, when the Veteran's surviving spouse is also eligible for DIC

Child status	Monthly payment (in U.S. $)
Child between ages 18 and 23 who’s in a qualified school program	301.74
Helpless child over age 18 (An adult child who became permanently unable to support themselves before age 18)	607.02

Surviving eligible child of a Veteran, when the Veteran doesn’t have a surviving spouse who’s eligible for DIC

We’ll base your payment amount on the number of the Veteran’s eligible surviving children. You're an eligible child if you meet at least one of the requirements listed below.

At least one of these must be true. You're:

• Under age 18, or
• Between ages 18 and 23 and in a VA-approved school program, or
• Permanently unable to support yourself due to a disability that happened before age 18 (we use the term “helpless child”)

Monthly payment rates

Effective December 1, 2021

Number of Veteran’s eligible children	Monthly rate for each child (in U.S. $)	Total monthly payment (in U.S. $)
1	607.02	607.02
2	436.62	873.24
3	379.83	1,139.49
4	339.01	1,356.03
5	314.51	1,572.57
6	298.19	1,789.11
7	286.52	2,005.65
8	277.77	2,222.19
9	270.97	2,438.73

Added amounts

• For each additional eligible child in a family of 10 or more children, add $216.54.
• For each helpless child over age 18, add $356.16 to your monthly rate above. This will be your total monthly payment. For example, if there are 2 eligible surviving children, and one of them is a helpless child, the rate for that child would be $792.78 ($436.62 + $356.16).

 

How DIC may affect your VA Survivors Pension or Survivor Benefit Plan

If you’re eligible for both DIC and Survivors Pension benefits, VA will pay you whichever benefit gives you the most money. You can’t get both.

What’s a Survivor Benefit Plan?

The Survivor Benefit Program is a voluntary annuity program that service members may buy as a retirement benefit for their family members. An annuity is a monthly payment received for life. Depending on their military service, members may use this program to buy a Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) or Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP).

We don’t manage this program. It’s managed by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service at the Department of Defense.

Can I receive SBP or RCSBP payments and DIC at the same time?

In most cases, you can’t receive a full SBP or RCSBP payment and a full DIC payment at the same time.

Exception: If you’re receiving an SBP or RCSBP annuity from one spouse, but then remarry after age 57 and become eligible for DIC based on the service-connected disability of your new spouse, you can receive full benefits through both programs at the same time.

What happens if I’m receiving SBP or RCSBP payments and then qualify for DIC—but the exception above doesn’t apply to me?

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will reduce your SBP or RCSBP by the amount of your DIC payment. If your DIC payment is greater than your total SBP or RCSBP payment, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service will stop your SBP or RCSBP payments. This is called the “SBP/DIC offset.”

If the Defense Finance and Accounting Service pays you more than the offset amount in SBP or RCSBP payments after you begin receiving DIC payments, they’ll consider this amount an overpayment. This means you’ll have to pay the money back.

Be sure to notify the Defense Finance and Accounting Service as soon as you qualify for DIC so they can reduce your SBP or RCSBP payment amount and you can avoid owing money. You’ll need to send them a copy of your VA DIC award letter. You can call the Defense Finance and Accounting Service at 800-321-1080, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.