Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC)

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) is a tax-free monthly benefit the VA pays to an eligible surviving spouse, child or parent of a veteran who died from a service-connected condition, or who had been rated totally disabled for a set period before death. It is a common survivor benefit when a veteran dies of an asbestos disease linked to service.

Origin

Congress created DIC in the 1950s to replace earlier survivor benefits with a single program. It is run by the Department of Veterans Affairs under federal statute and regulation.

Significance in Asbestos Context

When a veteran dies of mesothelioma, asbestosis or asbestos lung cancer that is connected to military service, DIC can provide continuing monthly income to the family. Survivors generally qualify in one of two ways: by showing the service-connected condition caused or contributed to the death, or because the veteran had been rated totally disabled for a required period before death (commonly 10 years, with shorter periods in some situations). The death certificate matters a great deal: if it lists only pneumonia or heart failure, the family may need medical records and a doctor's opinion showing the role of the asbestos disease. If the veteran already had service connection for the disease, the claim is usually simpler. Spouses must meet marriage and other requirements; parents' benefits depend on income; remarriage can affect eligibility. DIC is separate from wrongful death lawsuits and trust claims, and those recoveries do not normally reduce it. Families can also ask about accrued benefits that were owed to the veteran at death.

Example Sentence

After her husband died of pleural mesothelioma that the VA had already rated as service-connected, she applied for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation.

Related Terms

VA Disability Compensation, Navy Veterans, Death Certificate, Wrongful Death, Autopsy, Personal Representative

Notes

• Make sure the death certificate names the asbestos disease if it caused or contributed to death; ask the doctor about amending it if it does not.
• Keep the veteran's VA rating decisions and claim file; they can make a DIC claim much easier.
• Accredited veterans service organization representatives help with DIC claims at no charge.