When a veteran death is caused by or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability, the surviving family receives enhanced benefits compared to a non-service-connected death. The primary benefit is DIC at the standard monthly rate, with possible additional payments if the veteran was receiving or entitled to receive 100 percent disability compensation for at least eight years before death. For deaths in service or from service-connected causes, the burial allowance is significantly higher and VA will reimburse the cost of transporting the remains to the national cemetery nearest the veteran home. If the veteran died while receiving VA hospital care or while traveling for VA-authorized treatment, additional benefits may apply. Establishing that a death was service-connected requires evidence that a service-connected condition was either the principal cause of death or a contributory cause. A contributory cause is one that combined with other conditions to cause death. Service-connected conditions do not need to be the primary cause of death to establish eligibility for service-connected death benefits. If a veteran was rated at 100 percent disabled for 10 or more continuous years before death, or from the date of discharge for five or more years, DIC is payable even without proving the death was directly service-connected. This provision recognizes that severely disabled veterans may have shortened lifespans.
Note: This article references sections of the VA's M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual. The VA periodically reorganizes the M21-1 and section numbers may have changed since this article was written. For the most current section references, visit the VA's public M21-1 Web Automated Reference Material System (WARMS).